Sega has announced that the sequel to Full Auto on the Xbox 360 will be released exclusively for the Playstation 3. The new game, Full Auto: Battlelines has been “combat-enhanced and fully re-designed with an extensive list of features entirely new to the franchise.” The original game received strong, but not great reviews, and of course, it will be interesting to compare the two games when more details are released at E3. Exclusivity doesn’t necessarily mean a lot; while the specific Battlelines game may be restricted to the PS3, a parallel game developed with a different title and slightly different content could still potentially see a release on the Xbox 360.

Full Press Release follows.

SEGA ANNOUNCES FULL AUTO 2: BATTLELINES EXCLUSIVELY FOR SONY’S PLAYSTATION 3 CONSOLE

Sequel to Award-winning Full Auto Features Strategically Destructible Street Environments to Deliver the Next Generation of Combat-Racing

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (May 2, 2006) - Get ready for the next generation of vehicular mayhem… SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that Full Auto™2: Battlelines is being developed exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Full Auto 2: Battlelines puts high-speed vehicles outfitted with weapons and armor into fully realized and fully destructible urban street environments. Fierce combat-racing will ensue as you strategically use destruction to win races as well as leave massive devastation in your wake. Players can destroy the environment to dynamically change track conditions to block competitors, open new paths, or crush opponents with falling debris caused by well-timed missiles. Full Auto 2: Battlelines, which is the sequel to the award-winning Full Auto, also introduces a new Arena Mode featuring team play and six different levels, each specifically designed for a unique type of multiplayer car combat.

“The destructible environments in Full Auto 2: Battlelines are both stunning and strategic, especially in multiplayer combat,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “The gameplay innovations of tactical destruction and team multiplayer vehicular mayhem combined with the tremendous power of Sony’s PLAYSTATION 3 console makes this sequel truly the next generation of combat racing.”

Full Auto 2: Battlelines, currently being developed by Pseudo Interactive, has been combat-enhanced and fully re-designed with an extensive list of features entirely new to the franchise. Players can get behind the wheel of 25 different vehicles ranging from classic muscle cars and low riders to monstrous SUVs and industrial vehicles, each of which can be customized with more than 20 explosive weapons as well as multiple paint schemes and wheel styles. Taking on more than 20 tracks in the game, players will immediately notice how Full Auto 2: Battlelines pushes next-generation technological boundaries with breathtaking displays of destruction, physics, and speed.

In the new multi-path single player campaign, players battle to take control of Staunton City by conquering the six different districts and taking control of opponent cars and weapons. The game’s six different carnage-filled multiplayer modes, which incorporate team play and objectives ranging from classic deathmatches to unique base assaults and gladiator-style gameplay, deliver a diverse range of competitive options. The sequel implements the fan-favorite Unwreck™ feature, which allows players to turn back time and take another shot at a treacherous turn, avoid a deadly obstacle, or simply avoid enemy fire.

With strategic destruction, next generation technology, and innovative, diverse gameplay, Full Auto 2: Battlelines is poised to be one of the most exhilarating combat-racing experiences available for the PLAYSTATION 3 console.

For screenshots and artwork of Full Auto 2: Battlelines, please visit the SEGA FTP site at http://segapr.segaamerica.com. SEGA’s E3 booth will be located in the South Hall, #946, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

This title is not yet concept approved by Sony Computer Entertainment America.