EA Launches Need for Speed Most Wanted U Today

Players Leave Rivals and Cops in the Dust Together with All New Co-Op Features Designed Specifically for the Wii U

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ready, set, floor it! EA and Criterion Games announced today that Need for Speed™ Most Wanted U, the Nintendo Wii U™ enhanced version of the critically acclaimed Need for Speed Most Wanted, is now available at North American retail stores. Whether gamers are playing with friends or family in the living room or competing against others in the connected open world through Autolog 2, Need for Speed Most Wanted U makes the race to become Most Wanted more fun, more social and more interactive than ever before.

“At Criterion Games, we really took the time to learn and understand the Wii U. When creating Need for Speed Most Wanted U, we wanted to maximize the console’s power to deliver an immediately fun and accessible racing experience. We are very proud of the end result.”

Rob O’Farrell, Executive Producer, said, “At Criterion Games, we really took the time to learn and understand the Wii U. When creating Need for Speed Most Wanted U, we wanted to maximize the console’s power to deliver an immediately fun and accessible racing experience. We are very proud of the end result.”

Designed specifically for the Wii U, Need for Speed Most Wanted U delivers gameplay mechanics built for the unique features of the Wii U™ GamePad controller. The local co-op mode, called Co-Driver, allows one player to drive using the Wii Remote™ controller or Wii U Pro Controller while another player uses the Wii U GamePad to provide control and navigation assistance on an interactive real-time map. Using just their fingertips, the partner can distract pursuing cops, switch from night to day or activate enhanced performance for any car and even control the amount of traffic on the road. For another competitive edge, players can switch into their favorite cars, track milestones, uncover the city’s hidden gems and more, all on the fly with the Wii U touch screen, ensuring nothing ever slows them down.

Need for Speed Most Wanted U brings the blockbuster action of the open world racer to players’ fingertips. The entire game is playable off-screen using the Wii U GamePad, so gamers never have to put the game down.

Need for Speed Most Wanted U includes the Ultimate Speed Pack expansion, so players can take to the streets with five of the most absurdly fast cars ever made: McLaren’s F1 LM, Lamborghini’s minimalist artwork, the Aventador J, the track-focused Pagani Zonda R, Bugatti’s reigning world speed champion, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and Hennessey’s savage 275 mile-an-hour ragtop beast, the Venom GT Spyder.

Finally with Need for Speed Most Wanted U, gamers are competing against the people they want to defeat most – their friends. With EA’s innovative online technology Autolog 2, the game automatically tracks and compares best race times, high scores and more. These stats are broadcast throughout the open world, fueling friendly competition and rivalries. Need for Speed Most Wanted’s online multiplayer also ups the ante for social competition. Gamers pick a car, meet up with their friends and are immersed in a non-stop playlist of action-packed events. Whether it’s competing for the best starting position, the ultimate jump, or finishing first place, if there’s something to do, there’s someone to beat. Any Speed Points earned on Wii U will add to your existing total if you are playing the game on any of the other available platforms through CloudCompete.

Need for Speed Most Wanted U is available now in North America for $59.99 and will be in stores March 21 in Europe for €69.99.

For more information on Need for Speed Most Wanted, visit http://www.needforspeed.com/wii-u. For more information on Need for Speed, visit http://www.needforspeed.com or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/needforspeed and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/needforspeed. Press assets are available at http://info.ea.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 275 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.

Origin, SimCity, Spore, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wii and Wii U are trademarks of Nintendo.