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XBOX LIVE TEAMS UP WITH EA SPORTS TO PRESENT THE 11th ANNUAL EA SPORTS MADDEN BOWL

 Xbox Live Announces the Inaugural Xbox Live Madden Championship

MEDIA ADVISORY: DECEMBER 1, 2004 – In a move sure to be embraced by athletes and sports gamers nationwide, today Electronic Arts and Microsoft Xbox announced that Xbox Live will be the presenting sponsor of the 11th Annual EA SPORTS™ Madden Bowl™, the premiere party that kicks off Super Bowl week on February 3, 2005. For the first time in the tournament’s celebrated history, the Xbox console will be used to play Madden NFL 2005 at the event to be held prior to Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, FL. Details on the 2005 EA SPORTS Madden Bowl, including official tournament rules, will follow at a later date.

The EA SPORTS Madden Bowl, which occurs the Thursday night prior to the Super Bowl, pits the top NFL players against each other in a single-elimination, winner-takes-all tournament using the latest-and-greatest version of the best-selling Madden NFL football video game. With superstars like P.Diddy and Big Boi of OutKast looking on, last year’s EA SPORTS Madden Bowl in Houston saw reigning champion Dwight Freeney of the Indianapolis Colts defend his title against a host of NFL superstars provided by PLAYERS INC, including Byron Leftwich, Ahman Green, Jevon Kearse and Willis McGahee.

The Xbox Live Madden Championship

To celebrate being named the official gaming console of the 11th Annual EA SPORTS Madden Bowl, Xbox Live is proud to announce the creation of one of the largest, most prestigious, online football gaming tournaments ever created -- the inaugural Xbox Live Madden Championship. Starting on November 24, 2004, any eligible player who wishes to participate in the Tournament must register at: http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live/tournaments/maddenchampionship.htm. 

The winner of the inaugural Xbox Live Madden Championship will not only be known as “The World’s Greatest Online Gridiron Gamer”, but they will also win a trip for four to attend the world’s most exclusive Super Bowl party, the 11th Annual EA SPORTS Madden Bowl. While in Jacksonville, the winner takes on the ultimate Madden gamer as he/she battles the two-time defending EA SPORTS Madden Bowl Champion, Dwight Freeney of the Indianapolis Colts.

“This season, my goal on the field is to go to Jacksonville and win the Super Bowl with the Colts; but one of my off-the-field goals is to continue to dominate all gamers on Madden NFL 2005 on Xbox,” said Indianapolis Colts All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney. “I have already beaten the best Madden players the NFL has to offer. Now, I look forward to beating the best the online world has to offer when I face off against the Xbox Live Madden Champion.”

“It is no secret that the EA SPORTS Madden Bowl is the most popular football video game tournament amongst NFL players and celebrities each year,” said Bill Nielsen, Director of Xbox Marketing. “It is also no secret that Xbox is the console of choice when it comes to playing sports games. The addition of Xbox and Xbox Live to the 11th Annual EA SPORTS Madden Bowl will not only enhance the gameplay that the athletes will experience at the EA SPORTS Madden Bowl, but it will continue to reinforce to our consumers that there is no better place to experience sports gaming than on Xbox and Xbox Live.”

Madden NFL 2005, which has sold four million copies so far this year, celebrates the franchise’s 15th anniversary by pushing the boundaries of realism forward with new defensive innovations, including the Hit Stick that for the first time makes playing defense as fun as playing offense; an immersive new Storyline Central in Franchise Mode, where player chemistry and personalities come alive; and enhanced online* features including Xbox Live support. In its 15-year history, Madden NFL video games have sold more than 40 million copies.

“We are excited to offer the NFL players a chance to compete on Madden NFL 2005 on Xbox and Xbox Live during the 11th Annual EA SPORTS Madden Bowl,” said Jordan Edelstein, senior product manager, Electronic Arts. “This has been the premiere kick-off event at the Super Bowl for 10 years now and partnering with Xbox Live makes perfect sense for both our brands.”

Xbox gamers and Xbox Live subscribers can regularly visit www.xbox.com/live  for news, information and future updates on this year’s EA SPORTS Madden Bowl.

About Xbox Live

A new frontier in imagination and extraordinary interaction, Xbox Live offers rich online gameplay. The world’s only global online console games service, Xbox Live is continuously innovating to provide members with unparalleled experiences. This unique service unites gamers together in a dynamic community where they can experience the best online games, exclusive programming and continuous downloadable content. Xbox Live launched in the United States in November 2002 and is available in 24 countries. Please visit http://www.xbox.com/Live  for more information.

About Xbox

Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/) is Microsoft's future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox is now available in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

About EA SPORTS™

EA SPORTS is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world. Its top-selling titles and franchises include Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, MVP Baseball™, NCAA® Football and NASCAR® racing. The EA SPORTS home page is www.easports.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, EA posted revenues of $2.96 billion for fiscal 2004. The company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers and the Internet. In 2003, EA had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. 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 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.

About PLAYERS INC

Formed in 1994, PLAYERS INC is the for-profit licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association. Representing more than 1,800 active and 3,500 retired NFL players, PLAYERS INC “takes the helmets off” the players and markets them as personalities as well as professional athletes. PLAYERS INC activities include retail licensing, corporate sponsorships, special events, radio and television projects, publishing and other promotional programs. PLAYERS INC schedules more than 2,500 NFL player appearances each year. For more information, please visit www.nflplayers.com.

*INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED for online play. See product pack for details. Terms & Conditions and feature updates are found at www.easports.com. 

Electronic Arts, John Madden Football, Madden Bowl, MVP Baseball, EA, EA SPORTS, EA GAMES and EA SPORTS BIG are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Team names are trademarks of the teams indicated. All NFL-related marks are trademarks of the National Football League. Officially licensed product of PLAYERS INC. www.nflplayers.com . FIFA, NHL, NBA, NCAA, NASCAR, Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR are trademarks of their respective owners and used with permission.

Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.



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