Finalists of the EA SPORTS Madden Challenge presented by Best Buy to Compete at Beaches Turks & Caicos in January
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. & MINNEAPOLIS, Sep 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Snap your chin strap and get ready to put your Madden NFL skills on the line as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today the start of the EA SPORTS(TM) Madden Challenge presented by Best Buy. The Madden Challenge kicked off its seventh season on September 5 in Los Angeles and continues this week with stops in Minneapolis and Chicago, as part of an 18-city, two-month tour of NFL towns across the nation. The event culminates in a final tournament event held at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and SPA featuring the new Italian Village where gamers will be competing for a chance at $85,000 in total prizes.
Tens of thousands of Madden NFL players from all around the country compete in the Madden Challenge each year, providing the same high-stakes drama that unfolds on the football field every
Sunday. The first Madden NFL gaming competition was held by EA in 2001, which spawned what would become the Madden Challenge, an annual competition offering the best Madden NFL players in the world a venue for putting their skills to the test.
"Just as the NFL kicks off the first games of its season this fall, the EA SPORTS Madden Challenge presented by Best Buy will give gamers around the world a chance to feel the intensity and spirit of competition themselves," said Brian Movalson, EA SPORTS Marketing Director. "Madden NFL 09 brings the most realistic graphics in the 20-year history of the game, so players in this year's Madden Challenge will feel the every tackle and the rush of the crowd as they put their skills and pride on the line."
"Games like Madden NFL 09 continue to
enhance the gaming experience by adding new features and experiences," noted Jill Hamburger, Best Buy vice president of gaming. "Best Buy has been changing the gaming experience in our stores by adding an interactive EA SPORTS area within the gaming section. This change and sponsorship of the Madden Challenge lets our Blueshirt gaming experts lend their expertise helping consumers create the ultimate HD gaming experience that puts them in the game."
This year's Madden Challenge includes a dedicated online program as EA SPORTS has partnered with Microsoft to bring the Madden Challenge to hundreds of thousands of potential participants via the Xbox LIVE(R) online entertainment network. From August 29th until March 1st you'll get an entry into the sweepstakes when you play a multiplayer Madden NFL 09
game online and will score a new entry into the sweepstakes for each different day you play online. Register your gamertag now as there are great prizes to be won, including a trip for a winner and one guest to Tampa, Florida, to attend the EA Madden Bowl.
The Madden Challenge tour kicked off on September 5 at the Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles. The winners from each city stop will advance to EA SPORTS own version of the Super Bowl - the Madden Challenge finals from January 11-14, 2009 at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and SPA in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Dates and locations for Madden Challenge venues are:
Date Venue Location
9/5/08 Universal CityWalk Los Angeles, CA
9/6/08 Universal CityWalk Los Angeles, CA
9/7/08 Horton Plaza San Diego, CA
9/12/08 Grapevine Mills Dallas, TX
9/13/08 Grapevine Mills Dallas, TX
9/14/08 Houston Galleria Houston, TX
9/19/08 Mall of America Minneapolis, MN
9/20/08 Navy Pier Chicago, IL
9/21/08 Castleton Square Indianapolis, IN
9/26/08 King of Prussia Philadelphia, PA
9/27/08 King of Prussia Philadelphia, PA
9/28/08 Inner Harbor Baltimore, MD
10/3/08 South Street Seaport New York, NY
10/4/08 South Street Seaport New York, NY
10/5/08 Government Center Boston, MA
10/10/08 Lenox Square Atlanta, GA
10/11/08 Lenox Square Atlanta, GA
10/12/08 Florida Mall Orlando, FL
EA SPORTS will travel around the country to host events where participants can register, enter and play in a tournament. Participants in the Madden Challenge will compete playing the game on the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Gamers in this year's Madden Challenge will compete for prizes totaling $85,000. For more information on rules, registration and regulations, go to www.maddenchallenge.com.
Madden NFL 09, released on August 12, is the First Sports Game That Adapts To You. Madden NFL 09 will continuously assess your skills and adjust the gameplay to keep the experience both fun and challenging, whether you are an experienced player or just a rookie, all while training gamers to become better Madden players. The
game has also added over 85 new features and
enhancements, including a brand-new broadcast presentation package featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond, online leagues, and the most realistic graphics in franchise history.
Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 09 is available now on Xbox and Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION(R)3 and PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo GameCube(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Wii(TM), Windows PC, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system and mobile handsets. For more information check out http://www.easports.com/madden09.
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 SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS FreestyleTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 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
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S and/or other countries. John Madden and NFL are trademarks of their respective owners and used
with permission. Microsoft and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
"PLAYSTATION" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe andChina, Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy Co., Inc. family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $40 billion annual revenueand includes brands such asBest Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers, and Speakeasy. Approximately 150,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers throughretail locations, multiple call centers and web
sites, in-home solutions, product delivery andin our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2008, we donated a combined $31.8 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy Co., Inc., visit www.bestbuyinc.com.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
EA SPORTS
David Tinson, 650-628-5189
dtinson@ea.com
or
For EA SPORTS
John Reseburg, 415-318-4117
john.reseburg@fleishman.com
or
Best Buy
Emily Schroeder, 612-291-6124
Emily.schroeder@bestbuy.com
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