Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Arena Football will be available in stores on February 7, 2006, two weeks into the AFL's 20th season, under the EA SPORTS brand. Arena Football is in development in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, makers of the best-selling Madden NFL Football, NASCAR, NCAA Football and NFL STREET franchises.

"The goal of EA SPORTS Arena Football is to make gamers think differently about how they play a football videogame," said Jon Dean, Executive Producer, EA Tiburon. "Arena Football is a fast-paced action oriented sport that relies on big plays and relentless offense – we will give gamers a host of features that will deliver this experience."

Arena Football replicates the unique intensity and passion of the indoor gridiron, giving gamers a completely different football gaming experience. Staying authentic to AFL rules, Arena Football will feature 8-on-8 play, including six players who play both sides of the ball, and the ability to send players into and over the walls with each exciting play. Fast-paced and high-scoring offenses allow players to launch an all-out aerial assault using playbooks created by actual AFL coaches.

The arena comes alive with fans, fireworks and a rock-concert atmosphere. For the first time ever in sports gaming, an in-game telemetry system will provide real-time information about opponents such as passing tendencies, scoring history and player health. Players can build an AFL powerhouse in Season mode and win their way to ArenaBowl or challenge the best players in the nation with head-to-head online play.

Arena Football will be available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Xbox videogame system from Microsoft. This product is not yet rated by the ESRB.