REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jun 21, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) announced today that Tracy
McGrady, one of the most explosive and electrifying athletes over his
nine-year NBA career, has been selected the new face of NBA LIVE 07,
scheduled for release this fall under the EA SPORTS™ brand.
The Houston Rockets forward joins an exclusive list of NBA players
to be selected to the cover of the best-selling EA SPORTS basketball
franchise(a). McGrady will serve as spokesperson and will be the
center-piece of NBA LIVE 07 advertising, marketing and packaging in
North America and several other countries around the world.
A two-time NBA scoring champion and six-time NBA All-Star, McGrady
embodies athleticism and masterful skill, characteristics that the
best-selling NBA LIVE 07 videogame brings to life. McGrady led the
league in scoring by averaging 32.1 points per game in 2003, when he
became the youngest NBA player to average 30-plus points per game
since Bob McAdoo in 1974-75, and has remained one of the game's most
popular and entertaining players. McGrady finished 12th in NBA scoring
(24.4 ppg) this year and averaged 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. It was
the sixth time in his career he has scored more than 24 points a game.
"I've always looked upon the EA SPORTS athletes as fan favorites
so I'm honored to be named this year's NBA LIVE 07 cover athlete and
join the EA SPORTS family," said McGrady. "Each year there is
tremendous anticipation around the league as players wait to see
themselves in NBA LIVE and I feel like this year my virtual self plays
more like me than ever before. This is as close to playing in the NBA
as you get."
McGrady joins an exclusive list of superstar athletes previously
featured on the cover of the best-selling NBA LIVE franchise,
including Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat (2006), Carmelo Anthony
(2005), Vince Carter (2004), and Jason Kidd (2003).
This year NBA LIVE 07 will play as good as it looks with gameplay
advancements that build upon the depth and authenticity that the NBA
LIVE franchise has delivered for more than a decade. Powered by next
generation technology that EA showcased at Electronic Entertainment
Expo (E3), NBA LIVE 07 will introduce the next generation of
basketball gameplay with EA SPORTS™ Total Freestyle Control, a new
feature that gives users more control over athletes than they ever
imagined. By introducing a ground-breaking next generation AI system
that is both intuitive and intelligent, combined with advancements to
fan-favorite features like All-Star Weekend and Dynasty Mode™, NBA
LIVE 07 will continue to deliver its award-winning gameplay experience
to fans worldwide.
This year NBA LIVE 07 will partner with the worldwide leader in
sports to deliver more ESPN content in-game while you play than ever
before. The most advanced ESPN integration package with
never-before-seen features will be available only through NBA LIVE 07.
The official NBA LIVE 07 website will host news and information on
this year's game, behind the scenes looks at the TV commercial shoots
and the making of the game, as well as contests, videos, screenshots
and pod casts with some of the top 2006 NBA Draft picks. Go to
www.nbalive07.com for the latest news and features for NBA LIVE 07.
Developed in Vancouver, B.C., by EA Canada, the studio which is
also home to the popular NBA STREET and NCAA® March Madness®
franchises, NBA LIVE 07 will be available on the Xbox 360™ and
Xbox® video game systems from Microsoft, the PlayStation®2
computer entertainment system, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable)
system, and PC.
NBA LIVE Cover Athletes - North America
---------------------------------------
NBA LIVE 07 - Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
NBA LIVE 06 - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
NBA LIVE 2005 - Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
NBA LIVE 2004 - Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors
NBA LIVE 2003 - Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets
NBA LIVE 2002 - Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
NBA LIVE 2001 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA LIVE 2000 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
NBA LIVE 1999 - Antoine Walker, Boston Celtics
NBA LIVE 1998 - Tim Hardaway, Miami Heat
NBA LIVE 1997 - Mitch Richmond, Sacramento Kings
NBA LIVE 1996 - Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic
NBA LIVE 1995 - New York Knicks vs Houston Rockets
(a) Based on total franchise sales according to NPD Data.
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, POGO and Dynasty
Mode are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.
in the U.S. and/or other countries. The NBA and individual NBA member
team identifications used are trademarks, copyrighted designs, and
other forms of intellectual properties of NBA Properties, Inc. and the
respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part,
without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. NCAA and
March Madness are trademarks or registered trademarks of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association. PSP is a trademark and PlayStation is
a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft,
Xbox and Xbox 360 are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Canada
Steve Frost, 604-456-5067
sfrost@ea.com
David Tinson, 604-456-5167
dtinson@ea.com