Electronic Arts reveals the eighth installment in the hard driving Need for Speed series with the announcement of Need for Speed Underground 2:

EA TO OWN THE STREETS THIS AUTUMN WITH NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND 2
Sequel to Best-Selling Racing Game of 2003 Offers Massive, Free-roaming Game World

Chertsey, UK – April 23, 2004 — Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the development of Need For SpeedTM Underground 2 under the EA GAMESTM brand. Need for Speed Underground 2 is the sequel to Need for Speed Underground, which has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its release in November 2003.

Need for Speed Underground 2 will challenge gamers to immerse themselves in the tuner culture, exploring an expansive, free-roaming city divided into five distinct neighbourhoods. Gamers will encounter rival racers who will initiate events, tip players off to the hottest racing spots, and show them where to buy the most sought-after licensed aftermarket upgrades.

The game will feature new game modes, deep new performance customisation and tuning, and more than 30 licensed cars. The game also delivers twice the visual customisation upgrades as the original game, providing a staggering 70 billion possible car combinations for total automotive self-expression.

Need for Speed Underground 2 is currently under development by EA Canada and is scheduled for release in fall 2004 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCubeTM, PC, and Game Boy® Advance. We are awaiting confirmation of the PEGI rating for this game.