Press Release Details

Tune in to ESPN2 at 10pm EST on Saturday, January 31, to Watch Tournament Finals Held at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan 28, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- After months of competition amongst gamers from across the world, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Len Green emerged as the winner of the 2008 EA SPORTS(TM) Madden Challenge presented by Best Buy(R). Green, who defeated John Lacapitaine in the Finals, claimed $50,000 in total prize earnings, bragging rights and the distinction as the best Madden NFL 09 player in the world.

Television viewers can tune in to watch a broadcast of the 2008 EA SPORTS Madden Challenge finals on ESPN2 at 7pm PST/10pm EST on Saturday, January 31, 2009.

"It's great to bring the Madden crown back to the East Coast, and to my hometown of Philadelphia," Len Green said. "It was a long, tough road to this year's Madden Challenge finals with fierce competition, and I'm thankful to EA SPORTS and Best Buy for the opportunity to showcase my Madden skills to the world. Philly came out on top this year, and I'm already starting to prepare my title defense for 2010."

The EA SPORTS Madden Challenge finals, an annual competition hosted by Electronic Arts Inc., pitted winners from 21 regional tournaments and two online competitions against each other in a high-stakes challenge. A group of 23 competitors took part in the two-day finals competition from January 12-13 at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa to determine the winner of the tournament, which celebrated its seventh year in existence. Green took home $50,000 in total prizes as winner of this year's Madden Challenge, including $25,000 in cash and a $25,000 Best Buy gift card.

NFL stars including Matt Cassel, Kirk Morrison, Marshawn Lynch, Bernard Berrian and Brad Smith supported the contestants as they battled through the competition at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa, the official resort sponsor of the tournament.

The 2008 EA SPORTS Madden Challenge is the only Electronic Arts sanctioned tournament open to all participants during the 20-year history of the Madden NFL videogame franchise. Over 10,000 gamers competed in the 21 regional tournaments from September to December that included 18 NFL cities and international markets such as Mexico City, Toronto and London. Two champions also emerged from a wide-ranging online tournament brought together through a partnership between EA SPORTS and Microsoft that saw more than 180,000 gamers participate between August and November.

The 2008 EA SPORTS Madden Challenge U.S. regional winners and online winners included:

EA SPORTS Madden Challenge contestants competed with Madden NFL 09, the First Sports Game That Adapts To You. Madden NFL 09 continuously assesses your skills and adjusts gameplay to keep the experience both fun and challenging. This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Madden NFL franchise and the game has 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.

Beaches Turks & Caicos' new Italian Village, which served as the backdrop for the championship final, unveiled a $125 million expansion this week, which features 162 luxurious two-bedroom family suites; gourmet dining from five new restaurants, bringing the total dining options at the resort to 16; and unrivaled teen programming. Guests of the EA SPORTS Madden Challenge finals were also able to satisfy their own competitive spirit at Beaches Turks & Caicos' revamped Xbox 360(R) Game Garage, featuring a maze of metallic kiosks, each equipped with plasma screens and the hottest games from Xbox 360(R). In March, Beaches Turks & Caicos will reveal an expanded Pirate's Island Waterpark with nine waterslides, a lazy river and the Caribbean's only surfing simulator.

The Madden Challenge is one of four competitions that make up the EA SPORTS Challenge Series, which also includes the NASCAR Challenge, NCAA Football Challenge and NBA LIVE Challenge. The EA SPORTS Challenge Series is a part of EA SPORTS continuing efforts to provide the spirit of sports competition to all people. For more information on the EA SPORTS Challenge Series, visit http://www.easports.com/challengeseries/.

Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 09 is available on Xbox(R) and Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION(R)3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo DS(TM), Wii(TM), 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 SPORTS , EA, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO. 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. Madden and NFL are trademarks of their respective owners and used with permission. 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 and used with permission. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe and China, 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 revenue and includes brands such as Best 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 through retail locations, multiple call centers and web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and in 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.

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa:

Located on a pristine 12-mile stretch of the stunning white sand crystalline shores of the exotic Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa is located just 15 minutes from the Providenciales International Airport. The 453-room resort, comprised of a Caribbean Village and French Village, seamlessly blends the beauty of the Caribbean with the charm of Europe. The award-winning resort features ten specialty restaurants, six pools and three whirlpools, as well as all that forms part of a Beaches Resorts Luxury Included(R) family vacation, including Beaches Resorts Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street and on-property Xbox 360(R) Game Garage.

In January 2009, Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa debuted a $125 million resort expansion, the Italian Village. The Italian Village features 162 luxurious family suites, bringing the total rooms at the resort to 615; a palatial lobby with private check-in services; a sprawling retail mecca and five additional gourmet restaurants, bringing the total at the resort to 16. The resort also debuted a series of teen and tween programming including a new aqua-themed nightclub, Liquid; DJ-training sessions at Scratch DJ Academy; a teen-only resort lounge, Trench Town; as well as tailored spa treatments at Beaches Resorts' exclusive Red Lane(R) Spa. In March, Beaches Turks & Caicos will reveal an expanded Pirate's Island Waterpark featuring seven new slides, a lazy river and surf simulator.

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
Brian Lucas, 612-291-6131
brian.lucas@bestbuy.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009