Xboxist

Sharpen Your Skates! NHL 08 Ships to Retailers

Franchise Continues to Raise the Bar With Gameplay Innovation, Authenticity to the Sport and an Unsurpassed Level of Depth

Electronic Arts announced that the NHL 08 videogame ships to retailers today in North America. EA SPORTS continues to lead the charge in the next gen era with advancements in AI intelligence, innovative controls, online depth and an unmatched level of authenticity to the sport. Already receiving critical acclaim as a Gold Award winner by Electronic Gaming Monthly, NHL 08 allows players to feel like they can play like a pro without ever touching the ice.

The revolutionary Skill Stick System evolves in NHL 08 and delivers an unparalleled level of control. An all-new decking system enables you to move the puck off your stick, to walk around a defender and give you space in front to challenge the goalie. For all the goaltenders out there, an all-new Goalie Mode feature lets you strap on the pads and be the last line of defense in net for the first time.

Showcasing true next-gen horsepower, an all-new intelligent CPU called On-The-Fly AI functionally coaches against you to counter your tendencies, and forces you to adjust your strategy. With Create-a-Play, you can hit the whiteboard and showcase your own strategic wisdom by customizing plays, recording them in practice mode and bringing them into game to outsmart your opponent. Innovative new online features such as Online Custom Leagues and Online Team Play that links up to six players anywhere in the world, gives you a new level of online depth.

NHL 08 will feature an exclusive AHL license for the first time, with all 29 teams from the primary development league for the NHL fully playable in game. Develop your talent with their AHL affiliate until you are ready to call them up for the show. Manage your team from the ground up while staying under the salary cap. With unlimited control, unmatched depth and infinite possibilities, no game is ever the same with NHL 08.

In Europe the game will hit stores beginning September 21 for the Xbox 360 and PC, with the PS3 version following on September 28 and the PS2 version on October 10.

EA SPORTS NHL 07 is the #1 selling hockey game and the #1 selling sports game in Canada*. NHL 08 is being developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. The game is available for the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft, and PC. For more information, log onto www.nhl08.com. Media can find screenshots and video of the game at http://info.ea.com.