SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT UNITES WITH VIRGIN COMICS

TO CREATE ONLINE VIDEO GAME FRANCHISE

Leading Game and Worldwide Comic Companies Join Forces to Develop and Publish Massively Multiplayer Online Video Game Based On the Popular Ramayan 3392 A.D. India -Mythology Inspired Comic Book Series.

SAN DIEGO, California & NEW YORK, New York (August 9, 2007) — Through a deal that joins two of the world’s most innovative entertainment brands, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), a global leader in the online gaming industry, is teaming up with Sir Richard Branson and Deepak Chopra’s Virgin Comics to bring the popular, India-based Ramayan 3392 A.D. comic book universe to life as an MMO video game initially for the PC.

The deal was announced today by John Smedley, President of SOE and Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Virgin Comics.

The story for the comic looks like great material for a MMO, and the concept art is stunning.

In a culture whose wealth of knowledge about India comes primarily from Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, how well will a MMO based on a Hindu epic be received by American gamers over traditional fantasy or Sci-Fi titles like Conan and Star Trek?

Or will SOE just water down Ramayan 3392 A.D. making it palatable enough for the MMO gaming mass market that you won’t recognize it beyond a few names and graphics stylings from the comic book?

Source: Virgin Comics