EA SPORTS 'Takes It to the Tin' With Latest Iteration of Its College Basketball Franchise

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 2000--Electronic Arts (``EA'') has announced today that it's shipping EA SPORTS^TM NCAA® March Madness^TM 2001 for The PlayStation®.

March Madness 2001 brings the college basketball video game experience to the next level with many new and updated features from the 2000 edition.

``March Madness 2001 is the most realistic college basketball experience ever for the PlayStation,'' said executive producer David DeMartini. ``The addition of the Coach Mode challenges gamers to build their coaching resume from the ground up until they reach the 'big-time,' and the 64 All-Time Top-Teams allow the top teams of today to match up against the classics to determine court supremacy. Once again, with the assistance of NBA star Steve Francis, Dynamic Ball Control will deliver amazing, ankle-breaking moves that leave defenders looking at a trail of rubber. March Madness 2001 is a true college basketball experience.''

Coach Mode^TM is the newest addition to March Madness' stable of gameplay modes. This feature allows masters of the ``X's and O's'' to work their way up from a small college to ``shoe contract-U'' where they vie for the NCAA title. EA SPORTS also welcomes back an old friend: College basketball legend and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K lent his vast knowledge of basketball to the production team for Coach Mode in order to ensure that March Madness 2001 captured all the ins and outs of coaching college hoops. The last time EA SPORTS and Coach K teamed up, the duo produced the classic title Coach K College Basketball.

New unlockable dribbling moves have been added to the Dynamic Ball Control feature and are guaranteed to electrify. 1999-2000 NBA Co-Rookie of the Year Steve Francis made sure of this by bringing his on-court wizardry once again to the March Madness franchise. More than 20 of Francis' best moves were motion captured, as well as the dunks he performed in the 2000 NBA dunk contest. All are available (to be unlocked) in March Madness 2001.

Team-specific playbooks and play styles let gamers run up the score with Duke or slow it down with the back-door offense of Princeton. Fast-break artificial intelligence has been improved allowing players to run the floor in the fast break and hit the wing for the three-ball or the cutter for an easy lay-up. In addition, Dynasty Mode^TM has been expanded, for those who want to dabble in the behind the scenes and off-season action of college basketball.

So, you think that the 1990 UNLV team is the best ever, but your buddy thinks that any of the UCLA teams from the 1970's could take them? March Madness 2001 features an All-Time Top-Teams Tournament that enables players to drive the road to the Final Four® with the top 64 teams of all-time, allowing gamers to settle age-old arguments on the court instead of with debates and statistics.

As always, March Madness 2001 brings to life an authentic college atmosphere delivering the excitement and intensity that is college hoops. Authentic college fight songs performed by their marching bands as well as team-specific chants and cheers produce a true-to-life college basketball feel, immersing gamers to the point where they feel like they are in a college arena. Gamers can choose from more than 150 men's Division I teams, 16 women's Division I teams, and 20 historical men's teams to go to battle.

March Madness 2001 is delivered in a TV-style presentation with more than ten adjustable camera angles and instant replay with a full 360 degree view. Adding to the realism are detailed player ratings supplied by Broadband Sports based upon 2000-01 rosters, weekly Top-25 Polls listing conference and overall standings and ``Championship Week'' tournaments representing all conference postseason tournaments, each with their own unique brackets and layouts. March Madness 2001 also welcomes two new recruits to campus in quip-meister Bill Raftery doing color and Verne Lundquist handling the play-by-play duties.

March Madness 2001 is rated ``E'' (Everyone) by the ESRB and is analog controller compatible supporting up to eight players. Consumers may purchase the game directly at the EA Store(SM) (http://www.eastore.ea.com), or by calling EA Direct Sales at 877/324-2637, for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

EA SPORTS, (www.easports.com), is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world. Its top-selling franchises and titles include FIFA Soccer, John Madden Football™, NHL® Hockey, Knockout Kings™, NBA LIVE Basketball, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Golf, Triple Play Baseball™ and NASCAR® 2000.

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts (EA) posted revenues of more than $1.2 billion for fiscal 1999. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for personal computers and video game systems. Electronic Arts™ markets its products under eight brand names: Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, Maxis™, ORIGIN™, Bullfrog Productions™, Gonzo Games™, Westwood Studios™ and Jane’s® Combat Simulations. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://www.ea.com.

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