Electronic Arts Extends Licensing Agreement with UEFA

EA Sports enters world of Europe's most glamorous club competition.

Posted by Staff
Electronic Arts Extends Licensing Agreement with UEFA
Electronic Arts, the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) today announced they have signed an agreement for Electronic Arts ("EA") to develop, publish and distribute the first official videogame of UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2004 – 2005 ("UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE") under the EA SPORTS brand.

Following EA and UEFA's first successful collaboration around UEFA Euro 2004 Portugal, the officially licensed UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE video game is currently under development at Electronic Arts' Canadian studio, home to some of the company's most critically-acclaimed and best selling sports games.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE will offer followers of the beautiful game the opportunity to guide their chosen club from qualification anxiety through to big night glory. It will add an element of the unexpected allowing lower league teams into the glamour world of European football. Throughout the game, players need to negotiate 50 unique and challenging on- and off-field missions successfully to take control of their UEFA Champions League destiny.

"We are thrilled to team up with Electronic Arts on bringing the most prestigious European club competition to football enthusiasts of all ages" said Lars-Christer Olsson, CEO of UEFA. "Our close collaboration throughout the development of this game has ensured that players will be able to experience the most life-like rendition of the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE in a game format."

"This is an exciting extension to our existing football games portfolio creating unique gaming experience around the romance of the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE." said Jan Bolz, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Electronic Arts Europe.

With more than 239 official teams, including official English Premiership and Football League, German Bundesliga, French LFP and Spanish LFP, this is the first official football game to truly reflect the UEFA Champions League.

Developed by a newly formed team at EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C., UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2004 - 2005 is scheduled to ship in early February of 2005 and will be available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube and PCs.