Electronic Arts 2005 Annual Report Download - page 66

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tournaments, community and Pogo's strength and popularity in free, familiar games to signiÑcantly
increase the appeal of our online games service to the broad consumer market.
‚EA GAMES. In Ñscal 2005, four PC, three PlayStation 2 and three Xbox titles of our EA GAMES
brand had online gameplay capability. In addition, we provided 10 free online games on our Pogo web
site under the EA GAMES brand. The EA GAMES oÅering consists of original arcade-style games
and other original games designed solely for online play, such as Highstakes Pool, Command &
Conquer
TM
: Attack Copter, Command & Conquer
TM
: Armored Attack and Need for Speed.
‚EA SPORTS and EA SPORTS BIG. In Ñscal 2005, six PC, 12 PlayStation 2 and 12 Xbox titles of our
EA SPORTS and EA SPORTS BIG brands had online gameplay capability. In addition, we provided
18 free online games on our Pogo web site under the EA SPORTS and EA SPORTS BIG brands. In
the EA SPORTS BIG category, SSX Snowdreams leverages our SSX snowboarding franchise to form
a community of sports gamers. The EA SPORTS category consists of original games designed solely
for online play such as Pebble Beach Golf, Top Down Baseball, All-Star Football, All-Star Football
Challenge, 3-Point Showdown and It's Outta Here 2!.
Paid Content. In addition to our free suite of games, we also oÅer two premium pay-to-play services under
the Pogo brand:
‚Club Pogo Ì our online game subscription service. To join Club Pogo, players must register and
subscribe online. Players have the option of selecting a monthly or annual subscription fee plan. When
a player joins Club Pogo, they have access to all of the games and content they had on the free service,
plus premium features and beneÑts, such as additional member-exclusive games, ad-free gameplay, an
enhanced prize system and more. Club Pogo also provides a deeper community experience through
upgraded player proÑles, weekly game challenges and member badges.
‚Pogo-To-Go Ì our downloadable games oÅering. A one-time fee allows users to download and own a
version of their favorite Pogo game to play oÉine. The Pogo-To-Go games include extra features like
exclusive game modes, bonus levels, high scores and enhanced graphics & sounds. We currently oÅer
45 downloadable games under the Pogo-To-Go service including several original games, versions of
popular free Pogo games and several licensed titles. In addition, we oÅer these downloadable game
oÅerings at retail.
Persistent State World Games
We also oÅer premium pay-to-play persistent state world games, such as Ultima Online. In order to access
these premium games, the player must purchase a CD through retail stores or through our online store. After
an initial free-trial period, the player must pay a subscription fee in order to continue playing. These persistent
state world games are designed to appeal to avid gamers: teens and adults looking to participate in massively
multiplayer online games made up of fantastic worlds, characters, adventures or activities Ì big or small, real
or imagined.
Our EA.com web site oÅerings and persistent state world games focus on targeting and serving consumers by:
‚ OÅering engaging and accessible online games,
‚ Building a community in which consumers can interact with one another via chat, bulletin boards,
events and match-making services for multiplayer games and other contests,
‚ Delivering innovative content that continually entertains, and
‚ Establishing a direct relationship with each audience member through personalization and customiza-
tion of user experiences.
Marketing and Distribution
We market the products produced by our EA Studios under the EA GAMES, EA SPORTS and EA
SPORTS BIG brands. Products marketed under the EA GAMES brand typically feature challenging games
and include franchises such as Need for Speed, The Lord of the Rings and Medal of Honor. Products
marketed under the EA SPORTS brand typically simulate professional and collegiate sports and include
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