REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2006--Washington
Capitals rookie phenom Alexander Ovechkin has signed with Electronic
Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) to be the cover athlete and spokesman for its EA
SPORTS™ branded NHL® 07 game. Drafted first overall in the 2004
NHL Entry Draft, Ovechkin lived up to his potential and put forth the
third most prolific rookie campaign in NHL history. Exceeding his
freshman status, Ovechkin made his presence known by finishing the
season third overall in the League for points (106), tied for third in
goals (52), and first in shots (425).
"To me, I feel like your accomplishments have been recognized when
you make the cover of a videogame," said Ovechkin. "I have been
playing EA SPORTS games for years and am honored to be a part of the
NHL® 07 team."
Ovechkin exploded onto the scene in the 2005-06 season, playing
with a level of intensity, passion, and talent that is causing many to
label him the new face of the NHL. At the age of 20, he has already
won the Valery Kharlamov Trophy as the best Russian player in the NHL
and is a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for outstanding
rookie. More telling of his reputation around the League is his
nomination for the Lester B. Pearson Award, an honor bestowed upon the
outstanding player as voted by his peers in the NHL Players'
Association.
The golden age of console hockey will return when NHL 07 debuts
with gameplay innovations that will allow players to feel like they
are actually on the ice. Featuring an unmatched level of freedom and
control, NHL 07 will represent a watershed moment in the history of
the console hockey when it ships throughout Canada and the United
States in September 2006. Hockey purists and casual fans alike will
feel like they can play like a pro when they pick up NHL 07.
The EA SPORTS™ NHL franchise is the #1 selling hockey game(1)
and is now entering its 16th year of licensing relationships with the
NHL and the NHLPA. EA and the NHL and the NHLPA announced earlier this
week that they had further renewed their longstanding relationship
through to 2012. NHL 07 is being developed under the EA SPORTS™
brand by talented teams located in two of Canada's frenzied hockey
hotbeds: EA Montreal and EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. The game will be
available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the
PSP™ (Playstation® Portable) handheld entertainment system, Xbox
360™ video game system from Microsoft, Xbox® video game system
from Microsoft and PC. For more information, log onto www.nhl07.com.
Media can find screenshots from the game at http://info.ea.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City,
California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software
company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and
distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems,
personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its
products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS
BIG™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95
billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's
homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about
EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the
Internet at http://info.ea.com.
Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, and POGO are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the
U.S. and/or other countries. NHL and National Hockey League are
registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and
marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the
NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the
prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © 2006 NHL. All
Rights Reserved. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey
League. National Hockey League Players' Association, NHLPA and the
NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license by
Electronic Arts Inc. © NHLPA. Officially licensed product of the
NHLPA. PlayStation is a registered trademark and PSP is a trademark of
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.
(1)Based on total franchise sales in 2005 according to the NDP.
CONTACT: Electronic Arts
Jen Riley, 604-456-5081
jriley@ea.com
Robin Chandler, 650-628-3610
rchandler@ea.com
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.