iGames Draws Its Sword With Exclusive Launch Events For EA's The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II

MOUNTAIN VIEW and REDWOOD CITY, CA, March 16, 2006 - iGames, the world's leading game center organization, today announced an exclusive, two-week launch program for Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) The Lord of the Rings^TM, The Battle for Middle-earth^TM II, the highly anticipated real time strategy PC sequel to one of 2004's most successful and critically acclaimed holiday releases, which hit stores on March 2, 2006.

Sponsored by NVIDIA/EVGA, the battle began with a one-day premiere on March 11, 2006 followed by a two-week showcase lasting from March 13, 2006 through March 26, 2006 allowing gamers one free hour to sample the game at their leisure. In addition, the game will be featured at Wednesdays' game nights, which include a ladder competition, held at participating game centers from April 12, 2006 through July 5, 2006.

iGames recently supported The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II with a month long beta program for the game's multiplayer and provided last year's successful support of the series' original title. The campaign for The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II will be the culmination of months of excitement and anticipation, with more than 100 centers across North America hosting events where prizes will include 5 EVGA 7800 GeForce GT graphics cards, along with 500 limited-edition The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II t-shirts.

"We are excited to be working with EA on the second installment of such a successful, Triple-A franchise," said Mark Nielsen, Executive Director of iGames. "With our public hosting of the beta and the anticipation it has created, we know that this program, like the game itself, will be even more successful than the original."

"iGames reaches our core demographic of both hardcore gamers and casual players who love the communal aspect of the series," said Mike Verdu, Executive Producer at EA Los Angeles. "The game combines a rich and wonderful world with innovations in real-time strategy game play to deliver the complete Middle-earth experience. This is the Middle-earth you've never seen and iGames support via its unique network of centers will be invaluable."

In The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, players wage war in the Northern regions of Middle-earth where they can choose to assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-earth history - the Elven and Dwarven armies - or fight on the side of Evil with heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the RingsT films. Reprising his role as Lord Elrond, Hugo Weaving lends his voice to the game, helping to set the scene and tone for each mission.

Players can customize their experience by creating their own hero and building all new customized RTS units. Build landmark castles with fully customizable and upgradeable fortresses and walls or control the entire war with War of the Ring Mode; a high level "Risk" style meta-game on the Living World Map with all new strategic AI.

For more information about this title or for information about the collector's edition please visit www.bfme2.ea.com, to find artwork for any EA game please visit EA's media and press site at www.info.ea.com. For more information on this and other iGames events, including sign-up details or to locate an iGames center near you, visit www.igames.org or contact the iGames events team at events@igames.org.

Media Contacts:

Bill Lessard (iGames)

iGames

(914) 476-6089

wlessard@igames.org

Abby Topolsky (EA)

Electronic Arts LA

(310) 754-7005

atopolsky@ea.com

About iGames

iGames, Inc. offers a wide range of services to help independent and franchised game centers. iGames' mission is to promote and develop the growth of the game center industry. Its services unite game centers with the goal of establishing them as the driving force enabling the interactive entertainment industry to become the number one form of entertainment around the world. iGames has established strong relationships with industry leaders to provide a wide variety of products, services and programs to member game centers and gamers including software licensing, hardware discounts, exclusive game premieres, tournaments, and ladders. Today the company counts well over 500 centers and 1.2 million gamers, initiating and co-organizing more than 200 events a year. For more information, visit www.igames.org.

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 videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTST, EAT, EA SPORTS BIGT and POGOT. 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.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 Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II

Developed at EA's Los Angeles (EALA) studio for the PC under the EAT brand, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II includes all new content from J.R.R. Tolkien's original fiction, and allows the player to delve deeper than ever before and engage in new battles that go beyond the award-winning movie trilogy. The development team at EALA have brought The Lord of the RingsT world to life in accordance with an agreement with The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises that grants EA the rights to develop games based on the books, in addition to a separate agreement that allows for games based on the New Line Cinema films.

About Tolkien Enterprises

The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

About New Line Cinema Corporation

Founded almost 40 years ago, New Line Cinema is the most successful independent film company in the world. Its mission is to produce innovative, popular and profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, merchandising and an international unit. In 2005, New Line partnered with HBO to form Picturehouse, a new theatrical distribution company to release independent films. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line's Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most successful film franchises in history. New Line is a division of Time Warner, Inc. (TWX).

Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All The Lord of the Rings content other than content from the New Line trilogy of The Lord of The Rings films ® 2006 The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises ("SZC"). All Rights Reserved. The Lord of the Rings, and the names of the characters, events, items, and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of SZC under license. All content from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ® MMVI New Line Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.