Video Gaming News - October 2004

Redwood City, CA (October 12, 2004) - Electronic Arts, iTunes, and A&M Records today announced a partnership between The Urbz: Sims in the City and The Black Eyed Peas.

From EA:

Not only will the band be characters in the game and provide nine tracks re-recorded completely in Simlish – the game’s quirky language – but a special edition version of the game will include exclusive, never-released tracks from The Black Eyed Peas available via an iTunes download card.

This is the first time a band has gone back to the studio to completely re-record tracks specifically for a game and is a first partnership of its kind. The first 700,000 units shipped of The Urbz: Sims in the City will include a pre-paid, pre-loaded iTunes download card inside the box. The card entitles consumers to receive three exclusive Black Eyed Peas songs. These songs include a never-before released English song, an exclusive Simlish track, and two versions of their top hit, “Let’s Get it Started” – one in Simlish.

“The collaboration with iTunes and A&M Records is part of a massive launch planned for The Urbz: Sims in the City,” said Nancy Smith, Executive Vice President and General Manager of North American Publishing at Electronic Arts. “As the spin-off to the best selling PC game of all time, The Sims, The Urbz: Sims in the City will benefit from one of the most extensive music partnership in the history of EA.”

The iTunes Music Store is the world’s number one online music service with 70 percent market share of the legal digital music market. With over 1 million songs available for download in the US, iTunes features music from all four major record labels as well as over 600 leading independent labels.

"Gaming and music are two of the hottest areas in digital entertainment today. What better way to feature them than to premiere new and exclusive music right in the box of one of the most anticipated video game releases of the fall," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Applications. "We are excited to be working with EA and A&M Records to bring exclusive downloads from the Black Eyed Peas directly to over half a million consumers via this unprecedented promotion."

The Black Eyed Peas third album, Elephunk, has remained on Billboard's Top 50 list since its original release in 2003. The release has currently sold over 6 million albums worldwide. "Let's Get It Started," the latest single from Elephunk, is currently at #5 on the Top 40 chart. The band was recently nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards, and took home the Moonman for Best Choreography in Music Video for their hit song, 'Hey Mama.'

"Music and videogames go hand in hand now more than ever," said Courtney Holt, head of new media for Interscope Geffen A&M Records. "Partnering with EA and Apple raises the bar in the future of the music, technology and gaming business. Music fans world-wide will now be able to enjoy the Peas' in every form of entertainment medium."

In The Urbz: Sims in the City, players move out of the suburbs and take to the streets as they build their reputation and attempt to become the biggest player in town. Styling themselves in the trendiest threads and with the funkiest hairstyles, sims will unlock nine districts and meet over 65 unique characters, including the Black Eyed Peas. In the Cosmo Street District, players can interact with the band members and even sing along with the group – all in Simlish, the game’s exclusive quirky language. Players can listen to nine exclusive songs specifically re-recorded for the game in Simlish – a first in videogame history. Visit www.theurbz.com for more information.

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