EA Announces id Software’s Award-Winning Orcs & Elves Series to Continue on Nintendo DS and Mobile

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the upcoming release of the award-winning¹ title Orcs & Elves® to the Nintendo DS™ and the second installment in the action-fantasy saga, Orcs & Elves II, coming to mobile. Orcs & Elves and Orcs & Elves II are first-person fantasy role playing games created by id™ Software and developed exclusively for EA by Fountainhead Entertainment. Orcs & Elves marks one of the first games developed specifically for the mobile platform that has crossed over to another game-specific device.

The Orcs & Elves franchise has been lauded for marrying the storytelling and visuals of the fantasy RPG genre with the accessibility of the mobile format, which has appealed to casual and hardcore gamers alike. The game won numerous awards including IGN’s Best of E3 2006 and Mobile Game of the Year at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

“Orcs & Elves was a perfect fit for the DS," said John Carmack, founder and technical director at id Software. “We were able to take excellent advantage of the 3D hardware and unique user input capabilities, and expand the game to include a lot of wonderful features that we just couldn't fit on the cell phones. Orcs & Elves II is a polished gem of a game for the mobile platforms, opening up new parts of the world to explore, while carrying forward and improving all the elements that were loved about the original game."

“Orcs & Elves changed a lot of people’s perceptions by showing that you could build an easily accessible, story-rich RPG for today's mobile phones," said Travis Boatman, vice president of worldwide studios for EA Mobile™.

id Software has crafted an entirely new version of Orcs & Elves that utilizes the Nintendo DS unique technology platform. Orcs & Elves will feature higher graphical fidelity, more levels, items and monsters as players explore a massive Dwarven kingdom riddled with ancient treasures and fierce enemies. The game features hybrid gameplay, combining the best of first-person action and fast-paced tactical RPG gameplay.

“With the franchise expanding to the popular DS platform, we’re reaching a real milestone in handheld gaming," said David DeMartini, vice president and global GM of EA Partners.

Orcs & Elves II for mobile continues the epic story from the original game and expands the Orcs & Elves universe. In Orcs & Elves II, evil begins to spread throughout the lands after the fall of King Brahm at Mount Zharrkarag. As a novice thief who has stolen the legendary wand Ellon, players must travel through towns and forests while trying to convince the Wand to be helpful. With a new mouse companion, Ellon's help, and a lot of luck, Valin must return to his under siege town before it's too late. Players will encounter new creatures, allies and villains as they explore seven huge interactive environments including towns, collapsing caverns and haunted forests.

Orcs & Elves II for mobile and Orcs & Elves for the Nintendo DS is scheduled to be available for the upcoming holiday season.

¹Orcs & Elves won ‘Best RPG – Wireless Best of E3 2006 Award’ – IGN; ‘Best Mobile Game’ at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention and ‘Mobile Game of the Year’ at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards in Las Vegas in February 2007.