REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2006--With more
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers at the highest level of the sport gaming
than ever before, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that
its EA SPORTS™ branded NASCAR® videogame, NASCAR® 07, will
feature NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Elliott Sadler on the cover.
The longtime gamer has been heavily involved in all aspects of EA's
NASCAR franchise since he joined the Cup ranks in 1999, including
taking home the championship trophy from last years' EA SPORTS Drivers
Gaming Competition in Bristol, TN, making him the perfect driver to
showcase on the cover.
"I'm thrilled that EA has chosen me as their cover athlete for the
game this year," said Sadler, driver of the No. 38 M&M's Ford Fusion
for Robert Yates Racing. "I've been a big fan of this game for a while
now and play it as often as I can whether I'm on the road or at home."
"The changes for the game this year are really going to impress
folks," Sadler added. "They've brought the excitement and speed
aspects of our sport to the forefront and put the control in the hands
of the player. It'll feel like you are right there in the car with me,
feeling that adrenaline rush I get every time I'm out there on the
track."
Todd Sitrin, vice president of marketing, EA Tiburon, stated,
"Over the years we have watched Elliott deal with some of the most
exhilarating racing situations in the sport and come out on top. He
represents what NASCAR 07 is all about, dealing with difficult
situations and not letting it get to you, but instead focusing on the
next opportunity and doing what you can to win."
About Elliott Sadler
Elliott Sadler comes from a long line of racing history on the
short tracks of Virginia, his home state. He spent two years in the
NASCAR Busch Series before joining the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ranks
in 1998 with Wood Brothers Racing. After four seasons, Sadler and Wood
Brothers parted ways and he secured a spot behind the wheel of the No.
38 M&M's Ford at Robert Yates Racing.
2006 marks Sadler's eighth season of competition on NASCAR's
premier circuit, where he has amassed three wins, a Gatorade Duel
victory and six pole positions. Sadler has the distinction of being
one of only four drivers to stay in the top-10 in points throughout
the entire inaugural Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup in 2004.
About NASCAR 07
Get an inside look at the incredibly fast and dangerous world of
NASCAR racing with NASCAR 07. The control is now in the hands of the
player as they attempt to navigate through intense moments with
drivers racing inches apart at 200 mph. Push your car to the limit and
leave drivers in the dust as all-new effects from screen blurring to
camera shaking highlight every detail of the action. Modify your car's
handling to your exact specification with a user-friendly sliding
scale that makes for ultimate control behind the wheel. Get a NASCAR
101 racing education in a one-on-one tutorial from Kenny Wallace, then
select your favorite driver and invest skill points to help him reach
the pinnacle of the sport: The NEXTEL Cup Series championship.
NASCAR 07 will be on store shelves September 6th and is rated "E"
for (Everyone) by the ESRB. The game will be available on the
PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Xbox® video game
system from Microsoft and NASCAR® will also be available on the
PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.
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.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR),
which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body for one of America's
premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport -- holding 17 of
the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S., the No. 2-rated
regular season sport on television with broadcasts in more than 150
countries, and has 75 million fans that purchase more than $2.1
billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are the most
brand loyal in all of sports and as a result, more Fortune 500
companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists
of three major national series (NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch
Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) as well as eight
regional tours and one local grassroots series. NASCAR sanctions 1,500
races at over 100 tracks in 35 states, Canada and Mexico. Based in
Daytona Beach, NASCAR has offices in Bentonville (Ark.), Charlotte,
Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and
Toronto.
EA, Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, and POGO are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the
U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved. NASCAR is a
trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc. Microsoft and Xbox are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. PlayStation
and PSP are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
CONTACT: EA Sports
Wendy Spander, 650-628-7929
wspander@ea.com
or
Wasserman Media Group
Jan McCormick, Jr., 704-200-4603
jmccormick@wmgllc.com
SOURCE: Electronic Arts