Drifters Mad Mike Whiddett, Matt Powers and GT Racer Patrick
Söderlund to be Sponsored by Need for Speed
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Apr 06, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- From the hit videogame to the street, Need for Speed(TM) is the
nerve center of gaming car culture. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS)
today announced an entertainment program that brings together the top
street, drift, GT racing, time attack cars and drivers. Dubbed 'Team
Need for Speed', these individuals embody the spirit of the Need
for Speed franchise - the adrenaline and rebelliousness of driving
the world's coolest cars. Together, this collective of racing
influencers will carry the Need for Speed brand into a variety of
events, films, competitions and more.
Team Need for Speed consists of an all-star roster of drivers
renowned for their skill on the track and passion for the automotive
lifestyle including Vaughn Gittin Jr. (Drift/USA), Matt Powers
(Drift/USA), Edward Sandström (GT Racing/Europe), Patrick Söderlund (GT
Racing/Europe) and Mad Mike Whiddett (Drift/USA, New Zealand, Japan).
Additional drivers will be announced in the future. The season kicks off
this week as three of the Team Need for Speed drivers hit the
track. On April 9, Mad Mike Whiddett and Matt Powers compete in the 'Streets
of Long Beach' Formula D event and on April 10, Patrick Söderlund
and teammate Edward Sandström will compete in the VLN Series'
Stunden-Rennen race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.
"Driving for Team Need for Speed is a great honor," said Mad Mike
Whiddett, Team Need for Speed driver and champion drifter. "I
love the pure creativity and insane competition of drifting and
partnering with Need for Speed is perfectly aligned with my
personal and professional passions."
The Team Need for Speed program also features a 12-part film
series about the Team Need for Speed drivers and their cars
directed by renowned automotive filmmaker, Will Roegge. Need for Speed
is also expanding its Formula D sponsorship with the Need for Speed
Lounge where attendees can meet the drivers, Mad Mike Whiddett and
Matt Powers, and play the latest Need for Speed games.
Keith Munro, VP of Marketing for EA said, "Team Need for Speed
launches an aggressive initiative designed to bring the core brand
values of Need for Speed into the real world. By partnering with
these tastemakers and by creating these specific programs, Need for
Speed goes beyond the game into the real world of automotive
lifestyle culture."
With over 100M units sold, Need for Speed is the best-selling
racing game franchise in the world and is known for delivering
unparalleled white-knuckle racing, creative customization and street
style. Last fall EA published Need for Speed SHIFT, the highest
rated Need for Speed game in years, featuring an intense
first-person crash dynamic and a signature cockpit view that delivers a
true driver's experience. Need for Speed World is a massively
multiplayer online action racing game that is currently in the beta
process and will be available this summer on the PC.
For more information on Team Need for Speed visit
needforspeed.com, become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/needforspeed
or follow us on Twitter at NeedforSpeed. Press can download assets at http://info.ea.com.
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 MobileTM
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 Need for Speed are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other
countries. The names, designs, and logos of all products are the
property of their respective owners and used by permission.
Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of
companies. "PlayStation" and "PSP" are registered trademarks of Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
EA Games Label
Dana Sissons, 604-456-5004
PR Manager
dsissons@ea.com
Peter Nguyen, 650-628-3607
PR Director
pnguyen@ea.com
Tammy Schachter, 650-628-7223
Senior Director, PR
tschachter@ea.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010