EA: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online [PC/Online]

From/De: EA Sports

EA SPORTS Announces the Launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today the launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Online, providing on-the-go golf enthusiasts with the most accessible, authentic and feature-rich golf video game experience available through a web browser. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, developed by EA Tiburon, has stunning high resolution 3D graphics and requires no game installation*, no disc, and no additional peripherals.

“Consumers have an increasing appetite for authentic gaming experiences online and EA SPORTS is driving innovation and growth in the online gaming category, from consoles to mobile devices and the web”

In addition to a free-to-play** experience that allows unlimited access to featured courses, players will be able to choose from a monthly or yearly membership, offered at $9.99 and $59.99 respectively (pricing for North America). Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online will also utilize a points-based transaction system allowing players to purchase packages of points at $9.99, $19.99 and $39.99 that can be used on in-game transactions, such as rounds of golf and Pro Shop items. Consumers who purchase the annual membership receive unlimited rounds on all available courses, and will be provided with a package of points that can be spent on Pro Shop items.

“Consumers have an increasing appetite for authentic gaming experiences online and EA SPORTS is driving innovation and growth in the online gaming category, from consoles to mobile devices and the web,” said EA SPORTS President Peter Moore. “The launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online signals a shift in the traditional distribution model and will change the way that people will be able to access and enjoy their favorite video games for years to come.”

Since Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online first debuted in May 2009, EA SPORTS has invited players to participate in a series of closed and open beta sessions and consumers have showed overwhelming interest and support for the offering. During open beta, players from nearly 200 countries have played more than two million rounds of golf.

The community will continue to play an integral role in driving the game’s evolution by influencing new course releases, tournament enhancements and key game features. The server architecture allows for easy feature additions driven by player feedback, creating a continuously fresh and challenging experience for on-the-go golf enthusiasts.

Beginning today, new players will also be able to enjoy the following highlighted features:

• Pro Shop – Players have access to a robust Pro Shop allowing them to customize their golfer’s apparel, gear and clubs. Items in the Pro Shop will positively affect the players’ in-game experience, allowing them to earn more in-game currency and experience with certain items and improve their performance with better clubs. Pro Shop items can be purchased with in-game currency earned through regular on course play. Additional Pro Shop items can be attained with points purchased using real-world money.
• Group Tournaments – Group tournaments will help players connect with golf buddies across the globe, as players will be able to challenge their friends in customized, private Group Tournaments. These tournaments are customizable allowing group leaders to set personalized criteria for their tournaments such as selecting the course and playing conditions.
• Friend to Friend Messaging – Leveraging the growing social aspect of golf, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online allows players to connect with and message friends in the world’s fastest-growing online golf community.
• World Championship Courses – At launch, two new courses will be released for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online – Harbour Town Golf Links and Oakmont CC®. Upon launch, the game will feature an initial roster of ten world-class golf courses including Torrey Pines GC, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, TPC Sawgrass, Sheshan Golf & CC, St Andrews (Old Course), Wolf Creek GC, Wentworth (West Course), Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Oakmont CC® and Harbour Town Golf Links. New courses will continue to be released in the future.

Since 1986, EA has produced immersive golf experiences that give casual and hardcore gamers the ability to hit the links via an authentic gameplay experience. Since the launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 99 the franchise has sold more than 25 million units worldwide***. The critically acclaimed Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 on the Wii™ was a finalist for IGN.com’s 2009 Sports Game of the Year. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 will launch in North America on June 8 on the Wii, Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and iPhone® platforms.

For more information about Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, go to http://tigerwoodsonline.ea.com and for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online assets, go to www.info.ea.com.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football and NCAA Basketball, Fight Night boxing and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, EA SPORTS MMA and EA SPORTS Active™.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game communities, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

* Requires Unity Web Player.

** Internet connection and registration required. Must be 13+ to register online.

*** Based on totals from NPD data and EU-based retail tracking services, including internal EA sales data.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA Mobile™ and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. 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.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO and EA SPORTS Active are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. John Madden, NFL, NBA, FIFA, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR, Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR are trademarks of their respective owners and used with permission. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. Xbox and the Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour.

The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

In 2010, the three Tours collectively have tournaments in 34 states and in 12 countries outside of the U.S. PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 600 million households in 231 countries and 30 languages.

Virtually all tournaments are organized as nonprofit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2009, tournaments on the three Tours generated nearly $109 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to nearly $1.5 billion.

The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.