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EAa?s Highest Rated Need for Speed Game Races into Retail Stores with Need for Speed Hot Pursuit

^{Published on 2010-11-17 06:10:37 - Market Wire}
 

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Criterion Gamesa", a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that Need for Speeda" Hot Pursuit is now available at retail stores in North America. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit has received worldwide acclaim for its superior racing, intense police chases and addictive social competition. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit has already earned perfect scores from PlayStation: The Official Magazine, GamesRadar.com, 1UP.com and Joysitq.com, and 9.3 out of 10 from GamesMaster magazine in the UK. GamesRadar.com even said that therea™s ano better racing game out therea and IGN says that the game abreathes new life into the time-honored tradition of video game competition among friends."

"We cana™t wait to see how many new friendships this game will enhance, and also how many it may break."

aWea™re extremely proud today to deliver the best racing game this holiday season. Based on the critical response, we see that fans will enjoy a return to the gamea™s roots of intense cops vs racers action, but now built around a highly competitive network for the ultimate in one-upmanship -- Autolog,a says Craig Sullivan, Creative Director at Criterion Games. aWe cana™t wait to see how many new friendships this game will enhance, and also how many it may break.a

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is poised to transform online racing by bringing to life the adrenaline and intensity of high speed cop pursuits and changing the way that people connect and compete with their friends. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit introduces a revolutionary social network called Need for SpeedAutolog, which seamlessly connects players with their friends by automatically tracking and comparing each persona™s performances. Autolog also serves up challenges based on what your friends have been doing, creating a simple, yet brilliantly dynamic social-gaming experience.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit includes an Online Pass* that gives players access to head-to-head multiplayer, two exclusive cars a" the Lamborghini LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni and the Lamborghini LP 570-4 Superleggera a" and 10x the storage capacity at no extra charge. To access this content players use the in-game one-time-use registration code. Players that do not have a code can purchase an Online Pass for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVEa" Marketplace and $9.99 on the PlayStation®Network.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is available now in North America and will be available November 18 in Europe and November 19 in the UK for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PC and the Wiia"**.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is also now live on the AppStore for iPhone® and iPod touch® mobile digital devices. Created by EA Mobile's IronMonkey Studios in Melbourne, Australia, the game puts players in the role of the enforcer as they drive as a cop in up to 24 Cop Career Events. Gamers start off as a rookie and have to collect bounty to progress to the top of the ranks. They can choose from up to 15 high performance police cars to grind, nudge and drift their way through coastal, desert, and mountain environments in night, day and dusk scenarios to score bounty points. In addition, players can experience epic takedowns and awesomely over-the-top crashes with eye-popping visual clarity maximized for the Retina Display on iPhone 4 and 4^th Generation iPod touch. The game supports head-to-head action as cop or racer via local Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

For more of the latest news and information on Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, please visit [ http://www.needforspeed.com ], alikea the game on Facebook at [ http://www.facebook.com/needforspeed ] and follow the game on Twitter [ http://www.twitter.com/needforspeed ].

* Free with Need for Speed game registration using single-use Online Pass code enclosed with the new, full retail purchase of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game. Additional codes for console versions available for purchase from Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. See back of pack for details.

** Developed by Exient, Need for Speed Autolog not available on the Wii.

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^TM, EA SPORTS^TM, EA Mobile^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. 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, Need for Speed and Criterion Games are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. The names, designs, and logos of all products are the property of their respective owners and used by permission. Microsoft and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. iPhone and iPod Touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.