EA Establishes New Operations in Russia

Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) the world’s leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced the creation of a new EA entity in Russia. The new office, established to directly serve Russian consumers and retailers, is another step in the company’s growth strategy in Central and Eastern Europe and adds to EA’s global presence in over 40 markets outside of North America. EA intends to contribute to the rapidly growing market for interactive entertainment in Russia. The Moscow-based team will focus on bringing more localized game offerings to Russian players, more direct engagement with the gaming community and greater collaboration with retail partners. At an event planned later today in Moscow, EA will host members of the government, industry and media to outline plans for bringing the best and latest innovations in interactive entertainment to Russia. Later this year, two of EA’s most popular franchises among Russian consumers, Need for Speed™ and FIFA Football, will launch in fully localized Russian versions for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, adding to the company’s existing portfolio of games localized in Russian for the PC. "Russia represents a significant opportunity for the games industry,” said Peter Laughton, EA Vice President and General Manager of Central and Eastern Europe. "This is a very dynamic marketplace, with a world class retail environment and consumers who have the intellect and appetite for interactive entertainment. We’re looking forward to bringing tailored offerings to Russian consumers that incorporate local language, music, and celebrities into some of our most popular titles”. The Russian video game market is estimated at $250 million today, and is expected to more than double in the next three to five years. An increasing number of gaming consoles, PCs and game-enabled mobile phones will encourage the trend, along with compelling games content and a vibrant retail environment. "EA is dedicated to bringing our unique brand of interactive entertainment to global consumers,” said Jens Uwe Intat, Senior Vice President of European Sales and Distribution for EA. "Our increased focus on Russia is a testament to the vitality of its consumer market, as well as the growing position of video games in the overall entertainment mix. Our goal is to ensure that Russian consumers get the best gaming experiences and an increasingly large selection of interactive entertainment choices”. 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 video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS BIG™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 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. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, POGO and Need for Speed are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PLAYSTATION” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.