EA Announces Plans For The Sims Vacation

Brace Yourselves! The Sims are Going on Vacation!

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EA Announces Plans For The Sims Vacation

Brace Yourselves! The Sims are Going on Vacation!3m>

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., January 10, 2002 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced plans to release this Spring The Sims™ Vacation, a new add-on disk to the top-selling PC game of 2000 & 2001, The Sims™. The Sims and their families have been in overdrive with all the bustle of the holidays and the magic of Livin' Large, the parties of House Party and the social obligations of Hot Date. They need a break and The Sims Vacation provides the perfect opportunity to give them a little rest and relaxation on a fun-filled vacation island!

"The Sims Hot Date allowed you to take an individual Sim out of the house and on a downtown rendezvous," said Tim LeTourneau, Producer at EA's Maxis™ studio. "With The Sims Vacation, you can take your whole Sim household to a fabulous island for a Sims-style holiday."

Players can help their Sims escape the grind of their everyday lives by sending them to this new and fully customizable island destination that offers a snowy alpine setting, a Riviera-style beach and a forest campground. Beach volleyball, snowboarding, fishing or hunting for hidden treasure are just a few of the things that Sims can do at this unique resort location. All-new social interactions and over 120 new objects will have Sim vacationers entertained from dusk until dawn.

A comical cast of characters is available to cater to the Sims during their island-getaway. The wacky resort staff is there day and night to see to the Sims every need. A troupe of costumed performers is also on hand to entertain the kids. But beware of the Pickpocket, who may relieve them of some of their vacation cash. Errant children or a pilfered purse can bring a pre-mature end to the Sims' island stay.

A Sim vacation would not be complete without that special dust-collector to remind them of the whole experience. Souvenirs of all types can be bought, caught, won and collected. Sims can buy a coconut monkey in one of the gift shops, win a stuffed penguin at a carnival game, collect arrowheads and lava idols or catch an aggravating case of poison ivy or Montezuma's revenge. The Sims will have the time of their lives with The Sims Vacation.

The Sims' unparalleled success has already inspired the creation of three add-on packs, The Sims Livin' Large which shipped in September 2000, The Sims House Party which shipped April 2001 and The Sims Hot Date which shipped November 2001. The Sims Livin' Large allows players to put their simulated families from The Sims into new extreme situations and settings, The Sims House Party gives players the chance to host outrageous parties for their Sims and in The Sims Hot Date, for the first time ever Sims are able to leave their homes and visit an all new downtown area that gives them a place for a romantic rendezvous or to just hang out with a friend.

The Sims, the wildly popular game that allows players to create a neighborhood of simulated people known as "Sims" and control their lives, skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores in February 2000. Translated into 13 different languages, The Sims has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. It was the best selling PC game of 2000 and year to date (Jan.-Nov.) 2001 according to NPDTechworld. Combined sales for The Sims, The Sims Livin' Large, The Sims House Party and The Sims Hot Date total 11 million units life-to-date. For more information on The Sims, The Sims Livin' Large, The Sims House Party, and The Sims Hot Date visit http://www.thesims.com.

Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of more than $1.3 billion for fiscal 2001. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for personal computers and video game systems. 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.