REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2006--Electronic
Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) today announced that the signature sound of
legendary alternative rock band Depeche Mode has been translated to
The Sims native Simlish language for the first time ever. 'Suffer
Well,' a popular track from Depeche Mode's critically acclaimed album
'Playing the Angel,' has been recorded in Simlish and will be made
available to fans of music and PC games through The Sims™ 2 Open
for Business, the third expansion pack to build on the celebrated The
Sims™ 2 entertainment experience.
The Sims development team created the unique Simlish language by
experimenting with fractured Ukrainian and Tagalog, the language of
the Philippines. Inspired by the code talkers of WWII, Sims creator
Will Wright also suggested experimenting with Navajo.
"Like the Sims, Depeche Mode is a worldwide phenomenon, with a
distinct style. This unprecedented collaboration brings together two
celebrated entertainment icons, and gives millions of Sims fans the
opportunity to hear one of their favorite bands sing in Simlish, a
language that appeals directly to them," said Steve Schnur, Worldwide
Executive of Music and Music Marketing at EA. "Simlish is an
emotion-filled language that defies translation -- it's a great fit
for the music of Depeche Mode which is so focused on creating a mood,
and appeals to people on an emotional level."
Depeche Mode's lead singer, David Gahan, said, "Depeche Mode has
always been open to new ways of sharing our music, but re-recording a
Simlish-language version of 'Suffer Well' just sounded completely
bizarre. Of course, that's why couldn't resist doing it."
A video for the song, featuring footage of Depeche Mode and
gameplay from The Sims 2 Open for Business, will be available at
thesims2.ea.com and www.depechemode.com.
The song is also included in the PC game, The Sims 2 Open for
Business, which puts commercial creativity in the hands of gamers who
can create virtually any kind of business for their Sims, from a
trendy clothing boutique or hip beauty salon to a blooming floral shop
or bustling restaurant chain. As a savvy entrepreneur, your Sim must
keep an eye out for slacker employees and be prepared to fire them as
quickly as they hired them!
Twenty-five years into a career that has influenced countless
artists -- while selling 50 million albums and playing to
approximately 10 million people -- Depeche Mode continue to enjoy
massive success. "Playing the Angel," the band's 11th studio album,
spawned the radio and club hit "Precious" while 2005's triumphant U.S.
tour featured multiple sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in New
York City and the Staples Center in Los Angeles. "Playing the Angel"
debuted on the Billboard pop album chart at #7 and has reached #1 in
18 countries while selling nearly 2 million copies worldwide. As their
new single "Suffer Well" emerges on radio, the band continues to tour
in support of "Playing the Angel," their highly praised new album
(Sire/Reprise). With 800,000 tickets sold on the European leg of their
massive world tour -- where they've sold out an imposing 69 stadium
and arena dates throughout 30 countries -- Depeche Mode is set to
return to the U.S. to headline opening night at Coachella (April 29)
as part of a new round of North American dates that will be announced
shortly.
The Sims 2 Open for Business builds on the critically acclaimed
gameplay of The Sims 2. It will be on store shelves March 2, 2006, for
the PC platform.
Also making musical appearances in the game are "Things Can Only
Get Better" by Howard Jones, "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo and "Synthesized"
by Epoxies.
About The Sims™
The Sims franchise celebrated its fifth anniversary in February
2005. The game skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began
shipping to stores in February 2000 and quickly become a pop culture
phenomenon. Released exclusively for PC, The Sims™ original product
and subsequent expansion packs were the best selling PC games of 2000,
2001, 2002, and 2003. Translated into 17 different languages, The Sims
has inspired seven top selling expansion packs including: The Sims™
Livin' Large, The Sims™ House Party, The Sims™ Hot Date, The
Sims™ Vacation, The Sims™ Unleashed, The Sims™ Superstar and
The Sims™ Makin' Magic. In 2003, the series broke away from being a
PC-only franchise and debuted for the first time on videogame consoles
and handheld platforms. The franchise issued The Sims and The Sims
Bustin' Out -- each of which were met with great success. Combined,
these two products have sold more than 8M units worldwide. The Sims 2
for PC shipped in September 2004 and brought fans worldwide a brand
new experience with a richer depth of play, deeper emotional
complexity and a laugh-out-loud sense of humor. Sales topped 4.5M
units worldwide within its first year, making it the best selling PC
game of 2004. The first expansion packs for the sequel, The Sims™ 2
University and The Sims™ 2 Nightlife shipped in March 2005 and
September 2005 respectively. In Fall 2005, The Sims 2 was released for
the videogame consoles. Today, the combined sales for the franchise
have topped a staggering 58M units life-to-date. For more information
on The Sims 2, visit http://www.thesims2.com and for more information
on The Sims franchise titles, visit http://www.thesims.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (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 2005, EA posted revenues of $3.1 billion and had
31 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, POGO and The Sims
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the
U.S. and/or other countries. All trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
CONTACT: EA
Tammy Schachter, 650-628-7223
tschachter@ea.com
Amanda Taggart, 650-628-2729
ataggart@ea.com
Tiffany Spencer, 650-628-9193
tspencer@ea.com
or
MSO
Lathum Nelson, 818-380-0400
lnelson@msopr.com
Mitch Schneider, 818-380-0400
mschneider@msopr.com
Marcee Rondan, 818-380-0400
marcee@msopr.com
SOURCE: Electronic Arts