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Brace Yourselves! The Sims are Famous!

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EA's The Sims Superstar is Ready for its Close Up

Brace Yourselves! The Sims are Famous!

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 13, 2003 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced the release of The Sims™ Superstar, the newest expansion pack to the top-selling PC game of all time, The Sims™. Players can now realize their fantasies of fame and fortune as they pursue the dream of being a Rock Star, Movie Star, or a Supermodel, live the lifestyle of a celebrity, and even mingle among some of the rich and famous. All new gameplay, new social interactions, and a whole new in-game destination offer players an all access pass to the world of superstardom. In The Sims Superstar, The Sims are ready for their close up.

"One of the most requested features from our fans is the ability to follow their Sims to work," said Jonathan Knight, Producer at EA's Maxis™ studio. "The Sims Superstar offers players the chance to follow their Sims as they pursue their dreams in the outrageous world of celebrity."

For the first time ever, players can follow their Sims to work and witness their pursuit of fame and fortune firsthand. Fledgling Sims start by signing with an agent and shuttling to Studio Town, a new and fully customizable destination that offers television and movie lots, spa locations, recording studios, and fabulous fashion facilities. Once there, Sims can schmooze, network, and name-drop their way to stardom in the movies, music, or fashion. Will your Sim be a flash in the pan or a living legend? Players can now track the sizzle of their Sims with an all new fame score.

What would a star trip be without the ability to rub elbows with a real life celebrity or two? Grammy-winning superstar Christina Aguilera, the legendary Marilyn Monroe, and pop icon Andy Warhol all lend their unique star power and likenesses to the world of The Sims Superstar.

A new cast of comical characters is also available to assist the Sims in their quest for celebrity. A fabulous fashion designer, a mega-hit record producer and a maniacal movie director are available for career critique. A capable butler, a savvy sushi chef, and a soothing masseuse will be on-call to administer to the every whim of a celebrity Sim. Life in the spotlight would not be complete without the glare of the paparazzi, the adoration of groupies, and the annoyance of an obsessed fan. This is all part of life in the spotlight in The Sims Superstar.

Sims can become a celeb or just live like one. Fabulous new objects like a skydiving simulator, scuba room, and new art and furniture collections can turn an ordinary Sims abode into a magnificent and decadent manse. Sims in need of a day of indulgence and pampering can also enjoy the new day spa, complete with mud treatments, steam baths, Sim massages, and an oxygen bar.

Will your Sim become an icon or fade into the obscurity of bad dinner theater? Will they win a coveted Simmy award or be regulated to a career in infomercials? In The Sims Superstar, you are the idol maker.

The Sims franchise celebrated its third anniversary in February. The game skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores and quickly became a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. The Sims PC base product was the #1 seller in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Translated into 17 different languages, The Sims has inspired five expansion packs that have all been top sellers. They include The Sims™ Livin' Large, The Sims™ House Party, The Sims™ Hot Date, The Sims™ Vacation, and The Sims™ Unleashed. Combined sales for the franchise have topped 24 million units life-to-date. For more information on The Sims franchise titles, visit http://www.thesims.com.

ABOUT ELECTRONIC ARTS
Electronic Arts (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of $2.5 billion for fiscal 2003. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under three brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA GAMES™, and EA SPORTS BIG™. EA's homepage and online game site is EA.COMSM. 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 SPORTS, EA GAMES, EA SPORTS BIG, Maxis and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. EA.COM is a service mark of EA.com Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EA has announced The Sims 2, you can read the press release below!

EA Announces Plans For The Sims 2

The next generation of the #1 PC game of all time

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 5, 2003 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced that The Sims™ 2, the next generation of the #1 PC game of all time, is in development at the company's Walnut Creek-based Maxis™ studio. For the first time, players control their Sims over an entire lifetime. Every choice that is made has a relevant and dramatic effect on the life of a Sim. More life-like Sims, all-new gameplay, and the ground-breaking addition of genetics, with the DNA of Sims passed down through generations gives players a more vivid, realistic, and in-depth Sims experience. All of this takes place in a new amazingly life-like 3-D world. The Sims 2 will be unveiled to industry insiders on May 13th at the Electronic Entertainment Exposition in Los Angeles and is scheduled to ship in early 2004.

"The Sims, themselves, always have been the most interesting part of the game experience for me. Giving them DNA makes them even more life-like and increases the personal connection between players and their Sims," said Will Wright, Chief Game Designer at EA's Maxis Studio, "The strategy of playing Sims across a lifetime and experiencing their emergent traits and behaviors will give players a deeper and more realistic experience."

Next Generation Simulation
Guiding your Sims through "Life's Big Moments" takes on new importance, as players now get a "Life Score" to measure how well they are playing each individual Sim. The decisions that players make throughout the lifetime of their Sims now have an impact on their long-term success or failure. A choice made as a toddler has a direct effect on the teen and adult Sim they become. Will players be able to successfully lead their Sims through such important events as a first step, first crush, or marriage proposal, all while the clock is ticking?

Next Generation Sims
The Sims in The Sims 2 are more aware and responsive to both other Sims and their surroundings. Sims truly come to life expressing moods and feelings through more realistic body animations and for the first time facial animations. They form complex relationships and are able to distinguish between family and friends, platonic friendships and romantic love. Sims in The Sims 2 now have DNA. Passing along physical characteristics and traits to their offspring, Sims both resemble and behave like their ancestors. As in real life, the appearance of the Sims now changes over time. In addition to getting older, a Sim that spends too much time on the couch will develop a paunch and a Sim that works out will enjoy rock solid abs.

Next Generation Features
An entirely new 3-D engine makes the world of The Sims 2 more life-like and dynamic. The Sims 2 will also introduce an all-new "Create-A-Sim" feature. This allows you to customize the facial features of your Sim with a few simple clicks, to a level of detail never realized before. In The Sims 2, players are now able to build dwellings over two stories and have the ability to coordinate and customize the homes of their Sims to a new degree of design with all-new furniture, lighting and objects.

The Sims franchise celebrated its third anniversary in February 2003. The game skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores and quickly became a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. The Sims base product was the #1 seller in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Translated into 17 different languages, The Sims has inspired six expansion packs, five of which have all been top sellers. They include The Sims™ Livin' Large, The Sims™ House Party, The Sims™ Hot Date, The Sims™ Vacation, The Sims™ Unleashed, and due out May 13, 2003, The Sims™ Superstar. Combined sales for the franchise have topped 24 million units life-to-date. For more information on The Sims franchise titles, visit http://www.thesims.com.

Electronic Arts (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of more than $1.7 billion for fiscal 2002. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA GAMES™, EA SPORTS BIG™ and EA.COMSM. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://www.info.ea.com.

Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, EA GAMES, EA SPORTS BIG, Maxis, and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. EA.COM is a service mark of EA.com Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Take a virtual tour of Superstar at the official EA Superstar website.

Go To EA.com