Skip to main content

iGames Unleashes 4-Month Assault for EA’s Battlefield 2™

Exclusive 2-Day Premier, iGames’ Largest and Longest to Date, to Kick Off Host of Special Events for Sequel to the Award-Winning Battlefield 1942™

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, June 10, 2005-iGames, the world's leading game center organization, in conjunction with Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced a host of special events to celebrate the June 21 release of Battlefield 2TM, the sequel to EA's award-winning Battlefield 1942TM. The events will kick off with an exclusive 2-day premier at 82 game centers, Friday and Saturday, June 24-25. The game will also be featured on July 2 at WANdemonium! V, an all-night LAN/WAN party, followed by a showcase, July 11-24, at 276 iGames member centers. The iGames Battlefield 2 showcase will also set the stage for an online and in-center ladder competition, July 25-Oct. 23, ending with a national championship.

resented by Intel, and sponsored by NVIDIA/XFX, the program will include Battlefield posters, plus a treasure trove of high-value prizes like graphics cards from XFX featuring the NVIDIA 6-series GPU, and Alienware® computers, as well as MonsterGecko PistolMouse FPS mice plus Ideazon Zboards and Battlefield 2 Keysets. The grand prize will be a pair of Alienware gaming computers; the first awarded to the best player during the 4-month competition; the second going to the game center that runs the best events throughout the duration of the launch program. The total prize-pool value for this hotly anticipated launch is estimated at more than $20,000.

For the tens of thousands of gamers expected to attend, iGames' events for Battlefield 2 will offer a unique, social experience of the most eagerly anticipated PC game of the year in a fun, competitive environment where the Battlefield franchise has been the only title in the Top 5 most played games since 2001.

As game centers grow increasingly popular for both hardcore gamers and casual players, the 4 months of events will also mark several new milestones for the game center organization. For the first time, iGames has extended a game premier to 2 days at more centers than ever before, including a special Father/Son competition on Saturday June 25 at select iGames centers. And because demand has been so great, a record-setting 276 iGames center are participating in the showcases, so gamers unable to attend the premier can sample the latest installment of the popular first-person shooter (FPS) at their convenience for FREE. All players can also sign up for the special Battlefield 2 ladder competition - a heated battle between friends and foes consisting of 8 weeks of regular play and 4 weeks of finals. The servers for the ladder will be provided by Speakeasy.net's GameDaemons game server infrastructure, the world's largest online geographic gaming platform.

In Battlefield 2, the Battlefield franchise invades the high-tech

frontlines of modern warfare. The game brings the intensity and excitement of Battlefield 1942 into the modern era with enhanced team play and the latest, most technologically advanced vehicles and weapons systems available to man. Players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, the Chinese, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 64 players in some of the largest online battles on the PC. Additionally, persistent character growth allows players to rise through the ranks and attain the ultimate rank of Commander.

"Great new features such as character persistence and Commander Mode, combined with the amazing multiplayer gameplay this franchise is known for, are the reasons Battlefield 2 is one of the most hotly anticipated PC games of the year," said Darren Montgomery, Product Manager at EA. "We're excited that iGames has been able to service the intense demand for this game with such an impressive and engaging slate of competitions that allow fans to take advantage of the unique social environment only game centers can offer." "We're proud to bring the latest installment of this

award-winning franchise to our centers," added Mark Nielsen, Executive Director of iGames. "We know that players will enjoy the size and duration of the events which will set a new standard for our launch campaigns. It's also great to be reaching these business milestones with a longstanding partner like EA."

For a complete list of iGames game centers hosting the premier and other upcoming iGames events, including signup details, visit: www.igames.org or contact iGames' Events Team at events@igames.org.

ublished by EA under the EA GAMES brand, Battlefield 2 was developed by Digital Illusions and has a MSRP of $49.99 in the United States. The ESRB rating is T for Teen. For more information about Battlefield 2, visit EA's official game site at

http://www.eagames.com/official/battlefield/battlefield2/us/features.jsp.

b>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 premiers, tournaments, and leagues. Today the company counts well over 600 centers and 45,000 gamers, initiating and co-organizing more than 200 events a year. To learn more about iGames, go to www.igames.org.

b>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 three brand names:

EA SPORTSTM, EA GAMESTM and EA SPORTS BIGTM. In fiscal 2004, EA posted revenues of $2.96 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.

Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, EA GAMES, Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Read this next

GamesIndustry.biz avatar
GamesIndustry International is the world's leading games industry website, incorporating GamesIndustry.biz and IndustryGamers.com.