Golf Enthusiasts Can Now Access the Award-Winning Tiger Woods PGA
TOUR Experience On-The-Go
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Apr 06, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today the launch of Tiger
Woods PGA TOUR(R) Online, providing on-the-go golf enthusiasts with
the most accessible, authentic and feature-rich golf video game
experience available through a web browser. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR
Online, developed by EA Tiburon, has stunning high resolution 3D
graphics and requires no game installation*, no disc, and no additional
peripherals.
In addition to a free-to-play** experience that allows unlimited access
to featured courses, players will be able to choose from a monthly or
yearly membership, offered at $9.99 and $59.99 respectively (pricing for
North America). Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online will also utilize a
points-based transaction system allowing players to purchase packages of
points at $9.99, $19.99 and $39.99 that can be used on in-game
transactions, such as rounds of golf and Pro Shop items. Consumers who
purchase the annual membership receive unlimited rounds on all available
courses, and will be provided with a package of points that can be spent
on Pro Shop items.
"Consumers have an increasing appetite for authentic gaming experiences
online and EA SPORTS is driving innovation and growth in the online
gaming category, from consoles to mobile devices and the web," said EA
SPORTS President Peter Moore. "The launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR
Online signals a shift in the traditional distribution model and
will change the way that people will be able to access and enjoy their
favorite video games for years to come."
Since Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online first debuted in May 2009, EA
SPORTS has invited players to participate in a series of closed and open
beta sessions and consumers have showed overwhelming interest and
support for the offering. During open beta, players from nearly 200
countries have played more than two million rounds of golf.
The community will continue to play an integral role in driving the
game's evolution by influencing new course releases, tournament
enhancements and key game features. The server architecture allows for
easy feature additions driven by player feedback, creating a
continuously fresh and challenging experience for on-the-go golf
enthusiasts.
Beginning today, new players will also be able to enjoy the following
highlighted features:
-
Pro Shop - Players have access to a robust Pro Shop
allowing them to customize their golfer's apparel, gear and clubs.
Items in the Pro Shop will positively affect the players' in-game
experience, allowing them to earn more in-game currency and experience
with certain items and improve their performance with better clubs.
Pro Shop items can be purchased with in-game currency earned through
regular on course play. Additional Pro Shop items can be attained with
points purchased using real-world money.
-
Group Tournaments - Group tournaments will help players
connect with golf buddies across the globe, as players will be able to
challenge their friends in customized, private Group Tournaments.
These tournaments are customizable allowing group leaders to set
personalized criteria for their tournaments such as selecting the
course and playing conditions.
-
Friend to Friend Messaging - Leveraging the growing
social aspect of golf, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online allows
players to connect with and message friends in the world's
fastest-growing online golf community.
-
World Championship Courses - At launch, two new courses
will be released for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online - Harbour Town
Golf Links and Oakmont CC(R). Upon launch, the game will
feature an initial roster of ten world-class golf courses including
Torrey Pines GC, Pebble Beach Golf Links(R), TPC Sawgrass, Sheshan Golf
& CC, St Andrews (Old Course), Wolf Creek GC, Wentworth (West Course),
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Oakmont CC(R) and Harbour Town
Golf Links. New courses will continue to be released in the future.
Since 1986, EA has produced immersive golf experiences that give casual
and hardcore gamers the ability to hit the links via an authentic
gameplay experience. Since the launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 99
the franchise has sold more than 25 million units worldwide***. The
critically acclaimed Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 on the Wii(TM) was a
finalist for IGN.com's 2009 Sports Game of the Year. Tiger Woods PGA
TOUR 11 will launch in North America on June 8 on the Wii, Xbox
360(R), PlayStation(R)3 and iPhone(R) platforms.
For more information about Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, go to http://tigerwoodsonline.ea.com
and for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online assets, go to www.info.ea.com.
EA SPORTS(TM) is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the
world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive
technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital
experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports
through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden
NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL(R) hockey, NBA LIVE
basketball, NCAA(R) Football and NCAA Basketball, Fight
Night boxing and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) golf, EA SPORTS MMA and
EA SPORTS Active(TM).
For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs,
forums and game communities, please visit www.easports.com
to connect, share and compete.
* Requires Unity Web Player.
** Internet connection and registration required. Must be 13+ to
register online.
*** Based on totals from NPD data and EU-based retail tracking services,
including internal EA sales data.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is
a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in
1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless
devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under
four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA Mobile(TM)
and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of
$4.2 billion and had 31 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 Mobile, POGO and EA SPORTS Active are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other
countries. John Madden, NFL, NBA, FIFA, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR, Tiger Woods
and PGA TOUR are trademarks of their respective owners and used with
permission. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. Xbox and the Xbox 360 are
trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. PlayStation is a
registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. iPhone is a
trademark of Apple Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. All
other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring
professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the
PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour.
The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver
substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give
back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities
in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
In 2010, the three Tours collectively have tournaments in 34 states and
in 12 countries outside of the U.S. PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast
to nearly 600 million households in 231 countries and 30 languages.
Virtually all tournaments are organized as nonprofit organizations in
order to maximize charitable giving. In 2009, tournaments on the three
Tours generated nearly $109 million for local charitable organizations,
bringing the TOUR's all-time total of charitable contributions to nearly
$1.5 billion.
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM,
the No. 1 site in golf, and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra
Beach, FL.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
Katherine Coulthart, 407-386-4812
Sr. Publicist
kcoulthart@ea.com
Rob Semsey, 407-386-5337
Sr. PR Manager
rsemsey@ea.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010