EA Ships SimCity DS to Store Shelves Today

SimCity Experience On-The-Go With All New Features Exclusively for the Nintendo DS Platform

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) ships SimCity™ DS, the first highly anticipated SimCity game developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS platform, to stores worldwide today. With all-new controls and game modes leveraging unique functionalities of the Nintendo DS system, SimCity DS realizes the most accessible SimCity gameplay to date. The product will be available in stores throughout North America, Europe and Asia this week.

SimCity DS brings all the excitement of building and managing your own city into the palm of your hands. From the highly intuitive city-building experience of using the stylus on the touch screen like a drawing board to exciting mini-games occurring every few minutes, the game is perfectly suited for gameplay on-the-go. For those players who are new to the franchise, the newly introduced advisor characters will guide them throughout the game, offering helpful tips on how to keep citizens happy or manage tax rates, while entertaining players along the way. The game is also open-ended enough for the hardcore fans of the franchise to test their creativity, freely building unique cities with the stylus.

“The game offers everything that consumer’s love about the SimCity franchise in the most light-hearted and easy to pick-up-and-play manner," said Takahiro Murakami, Producer at Electronic Arts. “Our goal is to create a SimCity game on the Nintendo DS platform that offers quick gameplay, satisfies players on-the-go and is engaging enough to keep playing in bed all night… SimCity DS offers just that!"

SimCity DS on Nintendo DS is rated “E" (Everyone) by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $29.99.

Product Features:

It’s Your City – Take charge of one of eight fictional cities or build your own, exactly the way you want. Varied townscapes, beautiful international landmarks and entertaining characters create a truly individual flavor for each location.

Stay in Control – Enjoy city management made simple, with user-friendly designs and intuitive control. View your city in the top screen as it grows and develops, then get to work with the Nintendo DS stylus and Touch Screen.

Help is at Hand – Even the most gifted Mayor needs a little guidance sometimes. Luckily your trusty Advisors are on hand to instruct and advise, as you learn the basics. No matter what events or problems unfold, you can count on them for tips and training throughout, all mixed with a little humor.

Do it Your Way – Choose from two gameplay styles to customize your SimCity™ DS experience. Select objective based gameplay to tackle tricky challenges, or opt for more open-ended fun, enjoying the everyday ups and downs of being a city boss.

Save Our City! – Jump to the rescue to protect your town from disaster. From blowing out fires with the microphone to fighting off monster attacks with the Nintendo DS stylus, it’s up to you to defend your citizens when calamity strikes. Can you be the hero of the hour?

Only in SimCity™ DS – Exclusive features take the fun even further with ingenious gameplay innovations. Use DS wireless communications to swap letters with fellow Mayors and unlock international landmarks, and sign your latest decree with a flourish using the Nintendo DS stylus.