BIOWARE SETS MARCH 6 ARRIVAL DATE FOR MASS EFFECT 3

Sydney, Australia – June 7, 2011– Not everyone will survive. Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that the epic action RPG, Mass Effect™ 3, will arrive at retailers worldwide beginning March 6, 2012. In Mass Effect 3, an ancient alien race known only as “Reapers”, has launched an all-out invasion of the galaxy, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in their wake. Earth has been taken, the galaxy is on the verge of total annihilation, and you are the only one who can stop them. The price of failure is extinction. You, as Commander Shepard, must lead the counter assault to take it back. Only you can determine how events will play out, which planets you will save from annihilation and which alliances you will form or abandon as you rally the forces of the galaxy to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all. Mass Effect 3 will make its world debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo from June 7 -9, 2011. Show attendees can see Mass Effect 3 at EA’s booth #1601 in South Hall. 

“With Mass Effect 3, we are delivering blockbuster action and heart-wrenching emotion on a scale that far exceeds anything we’ve ever done before,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “This is an all-out galactic war and how you choose to lead and play will ultimately determine how – and if – you can save the galaxy.”

BioWare also unveiled today the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition, a special edition of the game featuring exclusive bonus content and unlockable items* including in-game appearance packs, a Dark Horse Comic Book, a hardcover art book, an exclusive extended soundtrack, exclusive lithograph and an exclusive N7 patch. Designed to delight both new and seasoned fans, the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition also gives instant access to the N7 Arsenal Pack which features four tactical guns exclusive to this special edition. The Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition is available for pre-order now at participating retailers in limited quantities. 

Blending world-class shooter combat with interactive, cinematic storytelling and space exploration, the Mass Effect series is one of the most highly decorated in the history of games, having earned over 200 international awards.
Mass Effect 3 and the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition arrive on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC beginning March 6, 2012. BioWare also announced earlier today that Mass Effect 3 on the Xbox 360 will include support of Kinect™, allowing players to immerse themselves into the Mass Effectuniverse even further through new voice recognition technology. The Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition will be available in a digital format** on the PC exclusively via Origin, EA’s new digital store destination (http://Origin.com). For more information on Mass Effect 3, please visit http://www.ea.com/au/game/mass-effect-3, follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/masseffect or “like” the game on Facebook at http://facebook.com/masseffect.

• Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://www.ea.com/au/game/mass-effect-3 for details.

**Gamers who purchase the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition on the PC via Origin will receive exclusive bonus content and unlockable items in digital format. This includes in-game appearance packs, a digital version of the Dark Horse Comic Book, a digital version of the art book, an exclusive extended soundtrack, a digital version of the exclusive lithograph and the N7 Arsenal Pack. The digital version of the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition will not include the N7 patch.

###

About BioWare
BioWare develops high quality console, PC and online role-playing games, focused on rich stories, unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world's most critically acclaimed titles, including Baldur's Gate™, Neverwinter Nights™, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, Jade Empire™, Mass Effect™ and Dragon Age™. BioWare operates in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec), Austin (Texas), Fairfax (Virginia) and Galway (Ireland). Currently announced projects at BioWare include the ongoing downloadable content for Dragon Age II, Mass Effect 3and Star Wars®: The Old Republic^TM. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher.

For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.comor follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/biofeed. To join the millions of fans already registered on our community, go to http://social.bioware.com.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises 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.

Bioware, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Jade Empire are trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KINECT, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners