Fans Can Take Their Favorite School On The Road To The Final Four
Using NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Mar 03, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced EA SPORTS(TM) will for
the first time offer a downloadable official NCAA(R) Tournament edition of
its college basketball videogame. Fans will be able to replicate the
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship bracket and play with all
the schools in NCAA March Madness(R). Called NCAA(R)
Basketball 09: March Madness(R) Editionand
available exclusively for the Xbox 360(R) videogame and entertainment
system for 1200 Microsoft points ($15.00), it will be available to
download just in time for the start of the NCAA tournament. The 2009
Tournament tips-off exclusively on CBS Sports on March 19th.
NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition will be
easy-to-download exclusively for the Xbox 360 through Xbox LIVE
Marketplace for 1200 Microsoft points beginning March 11, 2009. The game
will initially feature teams from last year's tournament, and then
beginning on March 18, will feature the just-announced official
Selection Sunday brackets and accurate teams with updated ratings.
NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition will re-create all the
atmosphere and intensity of NCAA March Madness by enabling fans to
authentically replicate the entire NCAA Tournament andplay
through the "virtual bracket" with their favorite team under the same
conditions they'll face throughout March Madness. Take on the challenge
of leading any of the 65 schools competing on the road to the Final
Four(R), from the opening round right through to a virtual reproduction of
the Final Four on the authentic Ford Field court in Detroit, where one
team will be crowned NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Champion
on April 6, 2009.
"We really wanted to make our game available to a wider selection of
fans that are drawn to college basketball by the passion, excitement and
drama that surrounds March Madness," said Connor Dougan, Producer for NCAA(R)
Basketball 09: March Madness Edition. "Fans will be able to
experience the tournament, feel the adrenaline rush that comes with a
single loss elimination tournament and write their own history."
"Few sporting events capture the excitement and intensity of March
Madness, so it's great to be able to offer everyone a chance to play
with NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition, an exclusive to Xbox
LIVE and Xbox 360," said Marc Whitten, General Manager of Xbox LIVE.
"Xbox LIVE continues to break new ground, offering new ways to play and
enjoy your favorite games and entertainment. With EA we are offering
everyone a chance to experience a blockbuster game tailored specifically
for March Madness in a way that has never been done before."
NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition challenges
gamers to replicate their school's style of play, set the tempo and win.
Plus, the game features Division I coaches in-game providing real time
instruction and feedback, helping gamers control the tempo by executing
their team's offense and defense to perfection.
Download NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition through
Xbox LIVE Marketplace and follow the tournament through NCAA March
Madness on Demand(R), the free, live, online streaming of all
tournament games available at NCAA.com and CBSSports.com.
NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition is in development at EA
Canada in Burnaby, B.C. The game is rated "E" for everyone by the ESRB.
To learn more about the game visit www.ncaabasketball09.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(TM), EA SPORTS(TM), EA SPORTS Freestyle(TM) and POGO(TM). 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.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and
universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities
for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member
colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes
compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports. For more
information, go to www.ncaa.org.
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.
All Rights Reserved. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots
associated with the NCAA, universities, and conferences are the
exclusive property of the respective institutions. NCAA and March
Madness are trademarks or registered trademark of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association. Microsoft, Xbox, and Xbox 360 are
trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners. NCAA Basketball 09 is intended
for recreational purposes only and should not be used for sports
wagering activities.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
Steve Frost, 604-456-5067
Sr. Publicist
sfrost@ea.com
Jen Riley, 604-456-5081
PR Manager
jriley@ea.com
David Tinson, 650-628-5189
Sr. Director, Communications
dtinson@ea.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009