LADYDRAGON.COM - EA AND DIGITAL ILLUSIONS ANNOUNCE DEVELOPMENT OF BATTLEFIELD 1942: SECRET WEAPONS OF WWII FOR THE PC

Wednesday April 02, 2003

EA AND DIGITAL ILLUSIONS ANNOUNCE DEVELOPMENT OF BATTLEFIELD 1942: SECRET WEAPONS OF WWII FOR THE PC

Award-Winning World War II Game Expansion Pack Ratchets Up Excitement With New Battlefields, Vehicles and Weapons

Requesting reinforcements! There are new battles to be fought and won. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Digital Illusions today announced that development is underway on the latest expansion pack for the award-winning Battlefield 1942 PC game series. Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII, scheduled for release in fall 2003, will significantly enhance the multiplayer combat experience by bringing the most unique and deadly weapons from the German and Allied laboratories to life on the battlefields of World War II.

From classified, cutting edge weapons to secret forces and clandestine places, Secret Weapons of WWII, will add a new level of drama and excitement to the Battlefield 1942 experience. The expansion pack will feature many new vehicles and weapons that were extremely powerful, yet experimental. While these armaments and vehicles are rooted in World War II history, many never saw actual combat-until now.

In Secret Weapons of WWII, players will engage in war with a choice of up to 46 vehicles to control. In addition to the 30 vehicles introduced in the original game such as fighter planes, tanks, and aircraft carriers, players can operate16 new vehicles including the Horton HO 229 "Flying Wing" that is equipped with 30 mm machine guns and missiles. Other vehicles consist of a US Sherman tank with a T-34 Calliope rocket launcher, U.S. T95/T28 Super Heavy Tank, the Sturmtiger (naval gun mounted on Tiger tank), U.S. Goblin jetfighter, C-47 cargo plane that will serve as a mobile spawn point, the American Armstrong Whitworth AW-52 advanced fighter, the German Wasserfall guided anti-air missile and the German Natter rocket plane. Also, for the first time, Secret Weapons of WWII will give players the chance to fly and fight at the same time with a top secret German prototype Rocket Pack.

There will be seven new weapons including one-shot kill knives. Other weapons include the Bren light machine gun, Remington Auto 5 shotgun and the Mauser K98 grenade rifle. Players can put these weapons to use in eight fresh World War II combat campaigns including Peenemüende, a V2 research facility, and The Eagle's Nest, Hitler's hideaway. All new battlefields offer unique settings ranging from nightfall during the summer in Prague to a winter battle in Norway.

In addition to offering innovative weapons and vehicles, the game introduces British Commando and German Elite troops while enriching gameplay by adding a new "objective based" gameplay mode. In this new mode, players will be tasked with a specific objective such as destroying a secret facility in order to win the battle.

Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII is being developed by Digital Illusions Canada, a subsidiary of the original Battlefield 1942 Sweden based developer, Digital Illusions. Electronic Arts will publish and distribute the game for the PC under the EA GAMES™ brand worldwide. The original Battlefield 1942 game is required to play Secret Weapons of WWII. More information can be found on the game's web site at www.battlefield1942.ea.com