EA SHIPS THE SIMS 2 FOR PSP TO STORE SHELVES ACROSS EUROPE ON DECEMBER 16TH
CHERTSEY, UK - December 7, 2005 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, today announced it is shipping The SimsTM 2 for the PSPTM (PlayStation® Portable) system to retailers across Europe on December 16th.
A Great Gift for Anyone on Your List!
Gift-givers can find The Sims 2 for the PSP on store shelves by December 23rd 2005, as well as discover The Sims 2 on other handheld, console and PC platforms. The ground-breaking gameplay and laugh-out-loud scenarios in The Sims 2 have spawned record sales for the franchise with more than 58 million units sold worldwide. The Sims is recognised as one of the few game brands to achieve popularity across all ages and genders. Such widespread appeal confirms that The Sims 2 is a great gift for anyone on your list, from Cousin Ralph and Grandpa Bob to Aunt Sarah and Niece Nancy!
"The Sims franchise has become a pop culture phenomenon! One of the top-five game brands in history, The Sims is unique in drawing an audience of men and women of all ages, from all over the world," said Sinjin Bain, Vice President and Executive Producer. "To meet the diverse needs of our community, we have delivered The Sims 2 on a variety of platforms. The PSP version of The Sims 2 was inspired by the best-selling PC game, but built from the ground up to capitalise on the unique capabilities of the PSP system."
Based on the PC version of The Sims 2, the PSP version leverages the unique capabilities of the next generation handheld platform such as wireless, streamlined gameplay and beautiful graphics, while maintaining the core components of creativity and customisation that are integral to The Sims experience. PSP players will be able to delve deep into the mysteries of Strangetown and discover the secrets hidden in five brand new neighborhoods and 20 unique locations custom-built for the PSP. In addition to fulfilling their Sims' aspirations, PSP gamers can collect and trade secrets, perks, potions and inventions, available only on the PSP!
The unique appeal of The Sims 2 is that the game is whatever you make it! The gameplay experience lets you live out the day-to-day life of the Sims characters that you create and control. Players enjoy participating in all the ups and downs of their Sims' lives!
This Christmas, casual gamers and Sims aficionados alike can find The Sims 2 on the following platforms: PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCubeTM, the Game Boy AdvanceTM, the Nintendo DSTM, the PC, the mobile phone and now the PSPTM (PlayStation® Portable) system.
Fans of the PC game can extend the experience of the game by purchasing The Sims 2 Christmas Party Pack, a special Christmas-themed version of The Sims 2 featuring exclusive bonus content! Additionally, for players on-the-go, mobile versions will be available across major mobile phone carriers this winter including Vodaphone, Telefonica and O2. It is official... The Sims 2 is everywhere this Christmas!
With a PEGI rating of 12+, The Sims 2 for the PSP was developed by the award winning EA-Maxis studio, under the EATM brand.
For more information, or to find out how the game will play on your favorite platform, please visit http://eagames.co.uk/thesims
About The SimsTMThe Sims franchise celebrated its fifth anniversary in February 2005. The game skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores in February 2000 and quickly become a pop culture phenomenon. Released exclusively for PC, The SimsTM original product and subsequent expansion packs were the best selling PC games of 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Translated into 17 different languages, The Sims has inspired seven top selling expansion packs including: The SimsTM Livin' It Up, The SimsTM House Party, The SimsTM Hot Date, The SimsTM On Holiday, The SimsTM Unleashed, The SimsTM Superstar and The SimsTM Makin' Magic. In 2003, the series broke away from being a PC-only franchise and debuted for the first time on videogame consoles and handheld platforms. The franchise issued The Sims and The SimsTM Bustin' Out -each of which were met with great success. Combined, these two products have sold more than 8M units worldwide. The Sims 2 for PC shipped in September 2004 and brought fans worldwide a brand new experience with a richer depth of play, deeper emotional complexity and a laugh-out-loud sense of humor. Sales topped 4.5M units worldwide within its first year, making it the best selling PC game of 2004. The first expansion packs for the sequel, The SimsTM 2 University and The SimsTM 2 Nightlife shipped in March 2005 and September 2005 respectively. In Autumn 2005, The Sims 2 was released for the videogame consoles. Today, the combined sales for the franchise have topped a staggering 58M units life-to-date. For more information on The Sims 2, visit http://eagames.co.uk/thesims and for more information on The Sims franchise titles, visit http://thesims.uk.ea.com
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (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 videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2005, EA posted revenues of $3.1 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.electronicarts.co.uk. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press
Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, POGO and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. PlayStation is a registered trademark and PSP is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft and Xbox are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and Game Boy are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.