Press Release – The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff Hits Store Shelves Today

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Sims™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) Label, today announced that The Sims™2 IKEA® Home Stuff is on store shelves in the United States, Wednesday, June 25^th and in Europe, Friday, June 27. In an innovative collaboration with the popular furniture store, The Sims 2 IKEA® Home Stuff allows players of the beloved franchise to give their Sims’ home a makeover with new furniture and décor based on stylish The Sims 2 “Home Stuff” collection following on the heels of the popular The Sims 2 Kitchen & Bath, which came out April 2008.

The designs by IKEA®.The Sims 2 IKEA® Home Stuff is the second release from Sims 2 IKEA® Home Stuff brings a selection of must-have items from IKEA® to key living spaces in the Sims’ home — the bedroom, the living room and the home office. Whether it is to create a stylish home office, a chic living room, or a vibrant bedroom, with the new The Sims 2 IKEA® Home Stuff, The Sims’ dream home is just a click away. The Sims players can design their rooms to fit their personalities with all-new IKEA made items including a plush EKTORP sofa, MALM bed, LEKSVIK coffee table, EXPEDIT TV, FREDRIK desk and much more. Each item is available in a variety of colors and patterns for a truly customized look. Finishing touches can be added with popular IKEA® wall art, mirrors, lighting options and vases. Becoming a Sims’ interior designer with inspiring, contemporary styles from IKEA® has never been made easier!

“Bringing the distinctive look of IKEA to The Sims is a perfect match for our stylish players who have a strong appreciation for quality design,” said Rod Humble. “The style and look of the homes in The Sims is such an important aspect of gameplay and with The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff, we offer an extensive array of furnishing and décor items that will fit the tastes of all of our players and allow them to design the home of their dreams.”

The Sims 2 IKEA® Home Stuff is the most recent collaboration with a popular brand name for the most successful PC game of all-time. Last year, The Sims joined with international fashion retailer H&M® to form a unique partnership that encouraged fans of The Sims, designers, and fashionistas alike, to participate in The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Runway. Bridging the virtual world and the fashion world like never before, aspiring fashion designers and fans of The Sims submitted designs in six weekly fashion shows simulcast on Yahoo. Additionally, The Sims has had a very successful partnership with Ford. To date, more than 3.3 million Ford vehicles have been downloaded in the game, making The Sims the most successful Ford dealership in the world.

“Our fan base has very distinctive tastes and we are very careful about the companies that we align ourselves with,” said Steve Seabolt. “Collaborations with world renowned brands such as IKEA, H&M, and Ford are perfect fits for our consumers because these are the products our users have an affinity for. Incorporating them in the game enhances the experiences of our players by integrating real world brands and products into the gameplay.”

About The Sims Franchise

The Sims franchise celebrates an impressive over 100 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages in 60 different countries, The Sims has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. For the latest information about The Sims and to check out the hottest creations for The Sims 2 made by our community members, please visit www.thesims2.com. To stay up-to-date on The Sims 3 news and information, check out www.thesims3.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS Freestyle™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. IKEA is a registered trademark of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. IKEA furniture designs and other product rights are protected by © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2008. H&M (word mark) ® is a trademark of H & M Hennes & Mauritz All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source:  BusinessWire