SingStar Sells Two Million

With sales of the SingStar series passing the two million mark, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has succeeded in establishing another hugely popular series for PlayStation2. Created by SCEE's London Studio, SingStar was 2004's most successful new franchise in Europe, following in the path of runaway hits such as the EyeToy franchise (biggest new IP in 2003) and The Getaway series (biggest new IP in 2002).

"The tremendous success of SingStar reflects our commitment to innovation and broadening the appeal of computer entertainment", said Phil Harrison, executive vice president, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "For the third year running, SCEE's London Studios have introduced another massive international hit".

"We have been overwhelmed by how warmly SingStar has been received by the music industry," said Sergio Pimentel, music licensing and A&R manager, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "We have licensed more than 250 songs for the SingStar series to date, and we would like to thank all of the record companies and music publishers for their massive contribution to the success of the games."

Making its debut in May 2004, the original SingStar added another dimension to SCEE's PlayStation 2 catalogue. The innovative new party game invited players to step into the spotlight and exercise their vocal chords in an engaging, social experience that appealed to all ages. SingStar's groundbreaking technology delivered a gameplay experience that went far beyond traditional karaoke, analysing the players' vocal skills, based on their pitch, tone and rhythm as they sang into the USB microphones.

The SingStar series is known for its expansive track list, featuring original artist recordings of a wide variety of well-known songs from world-class acts, along with the original videos for all songs where available. Building on the concept of the first game, SingStar Party was release in November 2004 with a whole new track list and a wide variety of new multiplayer game modes for between two and eight players, including a competitive Duet Mode. The latest edition, SingStar Pop, was released last month to critical acclaim and an '80s version is currently in the works.

SingStar comes with two microphones that plug into PlayStation 2 via a USB adapter, offering an instant multi-play experience. In addition, the game is EyeToy compatible, allowing players to actually see themselves singing within the game.

In addition to releasing international versions, the SingStar series has been localised to feature content from a variety of countries including France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Australia.

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