NVIDIA AND ELECTRONIC ARTS FORM EXCLUSIVE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
EA and NVIDIA Work Together To Produce and Market Next-Generation PC Games For Desktop and Notebook PCs
LONDON, APRIL 11TH 2003 - NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, today announced that it has formed a strategic relationship with Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS), the leading worldwide publisher of PC and console games. The two companies will work together to produce and market next-generation 3D content under the EA GAMES and EA SPORTS brands, which include such top-selling games and franchises as Madden Football, Command & Conquer, James Bond 007, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Golf and Battlefield 1942. By supporting NVIDIA® graphics processing units (GPUs) for desktop and notebook PCs, including the new NVIDIA® GeForce(tm) FX family of GPUs, EA is able to deliver innovative and rock-solid gaming experiences to PC consumers worldwide.
"EA is excited about this relationship as it allows us to continue our long standing relationship with NVIDIA," said Scott Cronce, vice president and chief technology officer at EA. "Working with NVIDIA's high-quality GPUs will help us as we continue to enhance graphics performance in our games and produce cutting-edge content."
Under terms outlined by their agreement, NVIDIA hardware will become the preferred PC graphics platform for EA's worldwide studios to give its developers the best solution for realising their creative visions. EA development teams will use PCs powered by NVIDIA GPUs to create eye-popping 3D effects while allowing full compatibility across all PC gaming systems featuring NVIDIA hardware. NVIDIA and EA will also discuss opportunities to implement NVIDIA-specific features and special effects in several upcoming EA titles such as Madden NFL Football 2004 and others for the PC platform.
NVIDIA also announced that it has been awarded the exclusive OEM bundling rights to certain EA PC titles. Under terms of the agreement, NVIDIA will act as sole OEM distributor of certain PC titles published under the EA Games and EA Sports brands, bundling select content with its PC manufacturer and system builder partners.
"Electronic Arts has a tremendous track record for developing games that can be enjoyed by consumers of all ages and both the hardcore and casual gamer alike. By exclusively adopting NVIDIA hardware for their worldwide studios, EA is escalating the creative palette of its 3D artists and programmers," said Dan Vivoli, executive vice president of marketing at NVIDIA. "Our FX family of GPUs were designed to usher in an era of cinematic computing, and we couldn't be more thrilled that EA has signed on to help us meet our goal."
To increase consumer awareness and signify the best way to play EA games, retail boxes of current and future EA PC titles will carry the "NVIDIA: The Way It's Meant to Be Played" logo, a marketing programme created by NVIDIA designed to alert consumers to games created for play on NVIDIA hardware.
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 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(tm), EA GAMES(tm), EA SPORTS BIG(tm) 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.
About NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corporation is a market leader in visual computing technology dedicated to creating products that enhance the interactive experience on consumer and professional computing platforms. Its graphics and communications processors have broad market reach and are incorporated into a wide variety of computing platforms, including consumer digital-media PCs, enterprise PCs, professional workstations, digital content creation systems, notebook PCs, military navigation systems and video game consoles. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and employs more than 1,500 people worldwide. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.nvidia.co.uk.