EA Casual Entertainment Label President Kathy Vrabeck to Showcase New Games at Wednesday Press Briefing
LOS ANGELES, Jul 11, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) today revealed the games it
will showcase at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Le Merigot
Hotel and Barker Hangar from July 11-13th in Santa Monica, CA. EA's
showcase underscores the company's new change agenda focused on
driving gameplay innovation across core franchises, innovating in new
categories and growing the segment through the introduction of new
mainstream casual games for mobile phones, handheld devices and the
Wii™ from Nintendo.
"In the next six months, EA will launch the most exciting line up
of games in our 25 year history," said EA Games Label President Frank
Gibeau. "We're publishing brand new games like Boogie, Skate and Army
of Two, introducing Rock Band and The Simpsons and delivering
innovations in blockbuster franchises like Medal of Honor and Need for
Speed."
The Wednesday press briefing, hosted by Kathy Vrabeck, President
EA Casual Entertainment, will reveal the strategic direction for this
newly formed Label and highlight titles that will appeal across genres
and consumer demographics.
EA's titles at Barker Hangar include the EA SPORTS™ stalwarts
Madden NFL 08, NBA LIVE 08, NASCAR® 08 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®
08. Visitors to Barker Hangar can also play Burnout™ Paradise which
drives the racing category into a new direction, SimCity™ Societies
the highly-anticipated PC title that marks the return of the beloved
city simulation franchise as well as The Orange Box by Valve,
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™, Crysis™ and Hellgate™:
London from EA Partners. At Le Merigot Hotel, EA will demonstrate The
Simpsons on three platforms and will showcase close to a dozen
original intellectual properties; Army of Two™, Boogie™,
MySims™, The Sims™ 2 Castaway, Medal of Honor Airborne™, Need
for Speed™ ProStreet, EA Playground™, Skate, Rock Band™ and
an EA Casual trivia game for the Wii.
The complete line-up of titles on display at E3 by location
includes:
Titles showcased at Le Merigot Hotel
Army of Two
Never go into battle alone! The deadliest two-man private military
outfit a government can buy is hitting retail shelves this winter.
Delivering a groundbreaking strategic 3rd person co-op shooter
unparalleled in the action genre, EA Montreal's ARMY OF TWO focuses on
gameplay centered around TWO man missions, TWO man strategies, TWO man
tactics and a TWO man advantage. The breakthrough gameplay in ARMY OF
TWO, with a live or adaptive AI partner, enables you to take advantage
of two-man strategies like customizable weapons, vehicles, and
tactical shooting. ARMY OF TWO is launching this winter on the
PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems and the Xbox 360™
videogame and entertainment system.
Boogie
Shake it. Sing it. Create it. This summer, gamers will dance, sing
and create music videos with this ultimate videogame party package
that get players off their couch and playing to a new beat. Not only
will gamers be belting out their favorite tunes or dancing to hit
songs made popular by bands like The Jackson 5, Britney Spears and Red
Hot Chili Peppers, players can capture their best dance moves, record
their own voice and make music videos using the intuitive video music
creator. Boogie is shipping for the Wii on August 7, 2007 in North
America and August 31, 2007 in Europe.
Bejeweled® (mobile)
Be dazzled by the latest Bejeweled! The definitive gem-swapping
puzzle game features dynamic animations and sound effects, single and
multiplayer modes, tutorials, and voiceover sounds to congratulate you
on noteworthy moves. Compete against a friend, or match with a random
opponent and hit the mines for endless fun. Launch Zero-Gravity bombs
and Cave-ins against your Bejeweled partner as you try to make and
clear rows. With post-game chat, Bejeweled delivers fun, social,
networked gaming.
EA Playground
Rain or shine, the fun doesn't have to stop! EA Playground
captures the exuberance and nostalgia of your neighborhood playground,
turning your gaming space into an arena of interactive fun with
immersive activities designed for kids, and the kid inside all of us.
This is the definitive all-ages video game. Kids can bring the
excitement of the playground home, and parents or even grandparents
can re-experience their childhood thrills. EA Playground is your
playground favorites smartly delivered on the Wii and Nintendo DS™.
Every game is easy to pick-up-and-play and uniquely capitalizes on the
control mechanics of each platform. EA Playground is scheduled to ship
this Fall.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ (mobile)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for mobile is a faithful
recreation that lets fans relive the magic of the movie. Harry is
tasked to help fellow students in "Dumbledore's Army" fight against
the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the
extraordinary battle which lies ahead. Play as Harry and interact with
Hermoine, Ron, Dumbledore and more. Mobile consumers will not only be
able to download the game, but will also have access to personalized
content based on the fifth book and film, including ringtones,
wallpapers and ringback tones. The mobile game will be available from
major wireless carriers in the U.S. and Europe in June.
Madden NFL 08 (Wii)
Anyone can play like a pro in Madden NFL 08, whether a new user or
a long time fan. Play with only the Wii remote with EA SPORTS™
Family Play or use the Wii remote and nunchuck for more advanced
controls; the decision is yours. Featuring an all-new Party Mode, play
trivia or chose from 22 different mini-games. Break down plays and
highlight key moments with all-new Madden NFL 08 telestrator. Bring
the game online, play head to head with friends and keep up to date
with the live sports ticker for the ultimate online experience.
Madden NFL 08 (mobile)
Experience all the fun and excitement of real football action with
Madden NFL 08. With new features such as Field Vision Passing, players
can read and react to their opponent by making the proper throwing
decisions for a crucial first down or the game-winning touchdown!
Madden NFL 08 features over 75 plays from the real Madden playbook,
team-specific offensive and defensive formations, and with Al Michaels
and John Madden calling the action Madden NFL 08 is more entertaining
than ever before!
Medal of Honor Airborne
Medal of Honor Airborne is set to redefine the series and will
change the way shooters are played. For the first time in an FPS,
players airdrop into combat and land anywhere in an open battlefield.
Conflict on the ground offers unprecedented tactical choice in open
battle spaces with a wealth of attack routes and flanking
opportunities. Medal of Honor Airborne is the newest installment in
EA's critically acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise, credited with
pioneering the WWII FPS genre when it debuted in 1999. Developed at EA
Los Angeles under the EA™ brand, Medal of Honor Airborne will be
available August 24, 2007 in Europe and August 28, 2007 in North
America for the Xbox 360™ system and PC and in November for the
PLAYSTATION®3 system.
MySims
MySims, the first game in a revolutionary new line from the
developers of the The Sims Label, allows players to build a town, grow
a community and discover a world of their own! Designed especially for
the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms, MySims introduces a charming cast
of whimsical characters while delivering the creative, customizable
and classic open-ended gameplay that has enchanted Sims players
worldwide. Players begin by creating their own toy-like Sim that
reflects their personal style and attitudes. From pig-tails and
baseball caps to dreadlocks and Mohawks, the options are endless and
the style is unlike any Sims game to date. By creating and customizing
unique buildings constructed of blocks that are collected by the
player, each experience is one-of-a-kind!
NBA LIVE 08 (Wii)
When the game is on the line and the ball is in your hands, what
will you do? Will you penetrate the lane and rise above the rim for a
monster slam, or find an opening around the perimeter and sink the
game-winning basket? NBA LIVE 08 is fun for all on the Wii with a
flick of the wrist with 2 ways to play. Jump in on the action with EA
SPORTS Family Play that gives every user the opportunity to enjoy
success. You control your team's shooting, passing, and steals on
defense with the Wii remote, and leave the rest up to the AI. If
you're already a pro, use both the Wii remote and nunchuck for more
complex controls.
NBA LIVE 08 (mobile)
NBA Live 08 is slam-dunk NBA action! Featuring real players, real
teams and real NBA intensity, it's easy to pick up and play one game
or a thrilling season. Players control offense and defense and make
highlight reel moves -- thundering slam dunks, driving lay-ups and
in-your-face blocks. Color commentary by Marv Albert puts players
courtside for fun, exciting NBA action -- anytime!
Need for Speed ProStreet
Compete at the highest level of street racing with Need for Speed
ProStreet. It's no longer good enough to simply rule your local
neighborhood you need to dominate on a global stage. Build the
ultimate battle machine, take it to multi-disciplinary showdowns and
pit your skills and reputation against the world's best street racers.
This is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be crowned
the next Street King. ProStreet is your ultimate taste of the chaos
and unbridled adrenaline of street racing. Every dent, every scratch
and every crumpled body panel is a battle scar, proof of your
commitment and competitive mettle. The atmosphere is electric --
complete with energetic crowds, photo-realistic cars and billowing
smoke -- all designed to embody the pressure and intensity of the
gladiatorial challenge known as Show Down. Need for Speed ProStreet is
the realization of the raw power, visceral aggression and intense
rivalry that embodies street racing culture. Need for Speed ProStreet
races into stores October 31, 2007.
Rock Band
Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to
experience music, giving them the chance to rock in the shoes of the
biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers of all time -- as a
solo superstar or as part of a hard rocking band. Offering four games
in one -- Rock Band challenges rockers to master the lead/bass guitar,
drums, vocals or play in a cooperative band experience. Built on
unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, the
music featured in Rock Band spans all genres of rock and includes many
master recordings from legendary, previously untouchable artists. Rock
Band is developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, distributed by
EA Partners and will be available for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3
system for Holiday 2007.
SKATE
SKATE is the closest thing to skateboarding without actually
putting your feet on a board. With innovative Flickit controls that
take advantage of the dual analog sticks, SKATE delivers an authentic
boarding experience like no other videogame. Players will explore,
find and skate the best spots in the fictitious city of San Vanelona.
This enormous environment will provide gamers with hours and hours of
skating bliss. Players can skate it their way; from finding and owning
the hottest spots in the city to downhill racing to entering big
contest including the X Games. Players will meet and skate with
legends like Danny Way and Mark Gonzales as well as up-and-coming pros
including Chris Cole and P.J. Ladd. Along the way, players can capture
video footage of their skate sessions at any time to share or brag
with their friends across the country via the game's innovative skate
reel feature. Without footage, it's fiction. SKATE is shipping in
September for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.
The Sims 2 Castaway
EA is excited to announce The Sims 2 Castaway, a brand new game
from The Sims Label that challenges your Sims to survive and prosper
on an uncharted tropical island. Available on the Wii, Nintendo DS,
the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP®
(PlayStation® Portable) system this Fall, the journey in The Sims 2
Castaway begins when your Sims are washed ashore and must overcome the
forces of nature, craft tools for survival, and explore their
surroundings to unravel the island's mysteries. They'll learn to build
a life from scratch in an undiscovered paradise while unearthing clues
that will lead them back to civilization. By discovering the many
useful treasures and ancient mysteries hidden deep within a diverse
jungle, your Sims will discover all the things a tropical island has
to offer, including plants, fruits, wildlife and more! From tattered
clothing to sunburned skin, your Sims will change as they take on the
many challenges of tropical island life and learn to survive in style.
Other titles from The Sims Label at E3 include MySims (Wii, Nintendo
DS) and SimCity Societies (PC).
The Simpsons™ Game
THE SIMPSONS GAME features a hilarious, sprawling, and
mind-busting storyline crafted by the TV show's Emmy Award-winning
writers. The action-comedy will also feature the full cast of voice
actors from the TV show who will reprise their roles for the game. In
THE SIMPSONS GAME, Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa use exciting, all-new
powers to save the world from rising chaos. To help the Simpsons,
gamers at home must journey through all of Springfield (as well as
vast worlds beyond!), vanquish an amazing array of villains, and fight
their way through parodies of popular games.
The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown (mobile)
An entirely new version of The Simpsons will also be available
this summer for play on mobile phones. Following a unique story line
for mobile, players will have yet another experience as Homer Simpson,
racing against the clock to prevent a major meltdown at the nuclear
power plant. Players will cross paths with some of Springfield's
finest residents, including The Simpson family, Mr. Burns, Barney,
Moe, Apu, Krusty the Clown, Officer Lou and more.
Tetris® (mobile)
Captivating, fun, addicting. See why more than 60 million players
worldwide have made Tetris one of the most popular games ever! The
latest mobile Tetris adds multiplayer to the fun. Play against a
friend over a wireless network, or battle the computer in your phone.
Block your opponent's efforts to clear lines. Race a two-minute clock
in Ultra and try Forty Line, clearing 40 lines as fast as you can.
Plus, enjoy the famous single-player Marathon mode that made Tetris a
phenomenon.
Titles showcased at Barker Hangar
Burnout Paradise
Players will be able to take their dangerous driving experience to
a whole new level when Burnout Paradise is unleashed this winter.
Reborn for the next generation of consoles, Burnout Paradise takes its
unique mix of Speed, Aggression, Crashing and Destruction into the
open world. With groundbreaking technology and gameplay innovations
such as Free Burning and Mugshots, it will smash racing conventions
and turn the Driving Category on its head. Next generation technology
has enabled an unprecedented level of crash deformation allowing you
to experience the most explosive pile-ups in the series' history.
Burnout Paradise delivers the fastest and most destructive racing
experience ever seen.
Crysis
Get ready to break out your Nanosuits. From Crytek, the
award-winning developers of Far Cry, comes one of the year's most
anticipated PC games and first person shooters Crysis. Powered by
Crytek's CryENGINE™ 2, Crysis is a technical achievement featuring
stunning visuals, cunning gameplay and an epic storyline. A mysterious
artifact found on an island in the South China Sea leads to a power
struggle between the US and North Korea. An elite squad of Special
Forces operatives is sent on what turns out to be more than just a
standard search and rescue mission when it is discovered the artifact
is a Trojan Horse for a massive alien invasion. Both global super
powers will have to unite to battle this mysterious, menacing threat
amidst a dynamic, ever-changing environment including frightening zero
gravity conditions. To defeat the aliens, players will have to change
their tactics on the fly, fully utilizing a revolutionary Nanosuit
that enhances their ability to use strength, speed, armor or cloak to
their advantage, and an arsenal of highly customizable weaponry. The
planet's fate will be determined by your ability to adapt to survive.
Crysis is slated to ship for the PC in 2007.
Hellgate: London
It's 2038 and London has been decimated by hordes of horrifying
demons. You are the only thing standing between them and the
extinction of mankind. Developed by Flagship Studios, the core team
behind the global blockbuster Diablo series, comes Hellgate: London,
the next benchmark for the action RPG genre. Combining classic
hack-and-slash gameplay with first-person shooter and MMO elements,
Hellgate provides gamers with a deep, story-driven experience that is
infinitely replayable due to dynamic, randomly generated levels and
instances. With six distinct character classes that suit different
play styles, highly customizable appearances, massive quantities of
randomly generated equipment and a robust skill system, players will
truly be able to create their own unique hero they can use to fight
alone or online. And for those who want to continue the extermination
of the demon threat, Flagship will offer ongoing content to
subscribers including everything from new character classes, demon
types, quests and more.
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
When a power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply he
sparks an invasion that turns the country into a warzone. But for you,
international crisis is all upside: You are a mercenary, and you
profit from chaos. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames features a slew of
potential clients, all willing to pay you to do their dirty work.
These are world powers with deep pockets, deep grudges, and enough
arms and ammo to start World War III. Everyone will try and screw you,
given the chance. They think they can get away with it, but they don't
know rule #1 for mercenaries: EVERYBODY PAYS. Mercenaries 2: World in
Flames is developed by Pandemic Studios and will be available Fall
2007 for PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 2.
Madden NFL 08
Feel what it's like to be an on the field general making key
personnel decisions on both sides of the ball during the game's
biggest moments in Madden NFL 08. Quickly identify your strongest
players on the field before every snap then move them into position to
make game-changing, momentum altering plays. Create mismatches and
exploit weaknesses as you read and react with Madden NFL 08.
NASCAR 08
Take the wheel of the NASCAR revolutionary car and drive your way
to the NEXTEL Cup championship in NASCAR 08. As the new rookie driver
on the circuit, develop your racing skills to gain licenses and
contracts from hungry owners and unlock legendary top performing cars
from the biggest stars of NASCAR. Gain new experiences as you race the
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series, then modify your car's handling to fit your driving
style. Share your setups with the NASCAR online community, then
challenge the field in live races with up to 15 other drivers.
Experience tomorrow's racing today in NASCAR 08.
NBA LIVE 08
When the game is on the line and the ball is in your hands, what
will you do? Will you penetrate, drive the lane and rise above the rim
for a monster dunk, or find an opening on the perimeter and sink a
game-winning three? Take control of the game with a full arsenal to
win the one-on-one match-up from every spot on the floor. Building
upon a solid foundation of 5-on-5 gameplay, NBA LIVE 08 introduces a
set of 4 all-new features -- Quickstrike Ballhandling, own
the paint, hot spots and signature go-to moves to increase user
control, while providing an unrivaled level of authenticity to the
sport of basketball. Now you can dominate with your Go-To Move with
NBA LIVE 08.
The Orange Box
The Orange Box delivers five innovative action games from Valve --
creators of the blockbuster Half Life franchise, in one box. The
Orange Box includes Half Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress
2 in addition to full versions of award-winning Half Life 2 and Half
Life 2: Episode One for the most complete first-person action
experience anywhere. The Orange Box will be available for Xbox 360,
PLAYSTATION 3 and PC in October 2007.
SimCity™ Societies
The return of one of PC gaming's most popular series -- SimCity --
is back! SimCity Societies is in development and is scheduled to hit
retail stores this holiday season. Featuring an all-new, revolutionary
feature set, SimCity Societies allows players to construct not only
the cities they desire, but create their cultures, societal behaviors
and environments as well. Build an artistic city, haunted town, green
city, spiritual community or most any society you want! Using the
accessible, innovative and versatile city-builder, players can create
their own kind of city in SimCity Societies. Players start by choosing
from a variety of more than 350 building types, each of which allows
them to combine, connect and re-arrange structures freely. As each
city evolves, players will be able to unlock new buildings that can
help advance -- or regress -- their society. SimCity Societies is
coming out Holiday 2007.
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 is
brimming with new features that will excite the fans of the game, fans
of golf and fans of video games in general. There is an emphasis this
year of user created content, which includes created characters,
highlights or playable scenarios. Challenge your fellow golfers in an
exciting new form of competition with EA SPORTS™ GamerNet. Save
replays of a shot, hole, front nine, back nine, or entire round and
post it online for other players to challenge. EA SPORTS GamerNet
gives you the chance to share your greatest golf moments whenever they
happen with other golfers around the world. Using Photo Game Face,
gamers can easily create realistic faces for their created characters
using digital photography. Photo Game Face takes user customization in
video games to the next level.
For EA logos, game screenshots and product information please
visit http://www.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 video game systems,
personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic
Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™,
EA™, EA SPORTS BIG™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2007, EA posted
revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 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.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, POGO, Army of Two, Boogie, EA
Playground, The Sims, SimCity, Need for Speed, Medal of Honor Airborne
and MySims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts
Inc. in the U.S and/or other countries. John Madden, NFL, NBA, Tiger
Woods, PGA TOUR and NASCAR are trademarks of their respective owners
and used with permission. Harmonix, Rock Band and all related titles
and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a division
of MTV Networks. Rock Band developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are
trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc.
Harmonix, Rock Band is a trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., a
division of MTV Networks. Hellgate™: London is a trademark and/or
registered trademark of Flagship Studios, Inc. throughout the world.
Mercenaries™ and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ are trademarks
and/or registered trademarks of Pandemic Studios, LLC. HARRY POTTER
characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner
Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.
Bejeweled is a registered trademark of PopCap Games, Inc. Tetris
®&© 1985-2006 Tetris Holding LLC. Crytek, Crysis and CryENGINE are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Crytek. The Simpsons TM &
©2007 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. "PlayStation",
"PLAYSTATION" and "PSP" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the
Microsoft group of companies. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of
Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
Tammy Schachter, 650-628-7223
Corporate Communications
tschachter@ea.com
Tricia Gugler, 650-628-7327
Investor Relations
tgugler@ea.com