GENEVA (FIBA) - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced a multi-year licensing agreement that will bring the FIBA World Championship to a videogame for the first time ever.

Fans will soon be able to expand their virtual basketball experience to include national teams from all over the world. NBA LIVE 08, shipping this October, is the first phase in the multi year agreement with the world governing body for basketball and will feature eight top national teams from the FIBA World Championship.

All international teams are available in Play Now mode, as well as the all new FIBA World Championship Mode* that allows players to compete in an eight team single elimination tournament. Choose from the authentic rosters, teams and uniforms of each international team, and prove to the world that they have what it takes to win the title.

"We are very excited to count FIBA as a close partner", said Jordan Edelstein, Director of Product Marketing, EA SPORTS. "Adding the FIBA World Championship license to the NBA Live franchise, allows us at EA SPORTS to add a new layer of authenticity to the franchise, giving fans all over the world a deeper virtual basketball experience."

"We are very pleased to partner with the world's number 1 videogame company to enable basketball fans world-wide to play the FIBA World Championship", said FIBA Commercial Director Matthew Osmon.

EA SPORTS™ NBA LIVE 07 was the #1 selling basketball game in 2006**. NBA LIVE 08 is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver, British Colombia, and will ship to stores worldwide this fall. The game will be available in early October for the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft and the Wii™. NBA LIVE 08 will ship to retailers on PC in late October.

* FIBA World Championship Mode is available on the PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 versions of NBA LIVE 08

** Based on total title sales in 2006 according to the NPD (consumer and retail market research company).