EA AND THE JEEP® BRAND JOIN FORCES IN MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE
Reinforcing Authenticity within Acclaimed World War II Videogame Franchise
CHERTSEY, UK, May 23, 2006 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) and the Jeep ® brand announced today that they have signed a deal that will give gamers a chance to experience Jeep vehicles in Medal of Honor AirborneTM as they were found in World War II. The classic Willys-Overland Jeep will appear for extended, action-packed sequences in several missions of Medal of Honor Airborne.
Medal of Honor Airborne is the newest installment from EA's critically-acclaimed Medal of HonorTM franchise which was credited with pioneering the First-Person Shooter (FPS) WWII genre when it debuted in 1999, and is the best selling WWII FPS franchise of all time. By fully controlling the airdrop from the very first step through landing, Medal of Honor Airborne adds a new dimension of player choice by letting the player decide where every mission begins and how it plays out. Building on the key tenets of the franchise including historical accuracy, research, and authenticity, for the first time Medal of Honor Airborne will include fully player-drivable vehicles, including the Willys Jeep.
Jeep played an integral role in the war effort as an indispensable tool in tracking the enemy, exchanging information and moving troops. Over 350,000 Willys Jeep vehicles were built and used during WWII, and at one point the assembly line was pushing out one vehicle every 90 seconds. When driving a Willys Jeep in Medal of Honor Airborne, the player can choose to use it as a mode of transportation, or as a mobile attack platform taking full advantage of a variety of mounted weapons. Authentic to their use in WWII, the Willys Jeep will be able to access more areas than the other drivable vehicles featured in Medal of Honor Airborne, because of Jeep vehicle's superior four-wheel drive off-road capabilities.
"Video games are quickly becoming the medium of choice for a new generation of consumers and Chrysler Group has been at the forefront of this exciting revolution," said Jay Kuhnie, Director - Jeep Communications, Chrysler Group. "By teaming with Electronic Arts and Medal of Honor Airborne, Jeep is celebrating its history while helping to take this medium to its next level."
"The Medal of Honor Airborne experience begins with unprecedented freedom of approach from the air. With the addition of the Willys Jeep, that freedom continues on the ground, on road and off, and in combat scenarios of all types." explained Patrick Gilmore, VP and Executive Producer at EALA. "This is the first time in any Medal of Honor game that a player will have the ability to drive a Willys Jeep, and we're very excited to see this new addition increase the fun and intensity of the gameplay."
As the first game in the Medal of Honor series to be released on next generation platforms,
Medal of Honor Airborne and is being developed under the EATM brand for the PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360TM videogame system from Microsoft, and Windows PC. Developed by EA Los Angeles (EALA), Medal of Honor Airborne has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information on Medal of Honor Airborne and the Medal of Honor franchise, please visit: www.moh.ea.com. Please visit EA's press site at www.info.ea.com for information about all of EA's games.
About Jeep ® Brand
The Jeep® brand's 65-year history of legendary capability has made it synonymous with freedom, adventure, mastery and authenticity. In 2006, the Jeep brand continues to deliver on its promise to provide rugged, versatile, innovative four-wheel-drive vehicles with the launch of the all-new Jeep Commander, 2007 Jeep Wrangler, 2007 Jeep Compass and 2007 Jeep Patriot. DaimlerChrysler is inspired by the rich history of Jeep as it looks to grow the brand and business. With the launch of these new models, Jeep demonstrates how everything old is new again as it remains firmly rooted in its brand identity, now updated for 21st Century design and technology.
Sales of Jeep brand products increased 12 percent in 2005 to their highest total since 2000 to 476,532 units compared to 2004 sales of 427,329 units. Jeep Grand Cherokee sales were up 18 percent year-over-year (2005: 213,584 v. 2004: 182,313), while sales of the icon of the brand, the Jeep Wrangler, increased two percent (2005: 79,017 v. 2004: 77,570). The Jeep Liberty led its segment in 2005 with sales of 166,183 units, more than the Ford Escape. The Jeep Commander, the first three-row Jeep SUV, launched in the fall and continues to post strong sales.
About Medal of Honor
First launched in 1999, Medal of Honor has become one of the most popular, celebrated, and influential first-person shooter franchises in the world. Originally conceptualized by Steven Spielberg and inspired during the shooting of the film Saving Private Ryan, Medal of Honor launched a whole genre of World War II games as it became one of the best-selling franchises in the Electronic Arts EATM brand portfolio. Combined sales for the franchise have topped 27million units worldwide making it the best-selling WWII game ever. For more information on the Medal of Honor series, please visit www.moh.ea.com.
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 SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 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 Medal of Honor Airborne are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Medal of Honor is a trademark or registered trademark of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries for computer and video game products. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.