BW0568 APR 02,2001 14:02 PACIFIC 17:02 EASTERN

( BW)(CA-ELECTRONIC-ARTS)(ERTS) EA Announces Worldwide Deal With SUNFLOWERS For the Upcoming Progressive Strategy PC Title, ANNO 1503

Business Editors & High-Tech/Gaming Writers

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 2, 2001--Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), the world's largest entertainment software company has signed an agreement with SUNFLOWERS Interactive Entertainment Software GmbH, one of Germany's leading developers and publishers of entertainment software. Under the agreement, EA will distribute ANNO 1503 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and will publish the product in the rest of the world except Japan.

ANNO 1503 is the sequel to the original award-winning strategy hit ANNO 1602 which sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide. The game was also the all-time best selling PC game in Germany.(a) EA and SUNFLOWERS are now planning to conquer markets worldwide and take the PC charts top positions by storm.

SUNFLOWERS and Max Design have been developing ANNO 1503 for almost three years. Its unique game concept represents a successful combination of both an empire building and real-time strategy. ANNO 1503's abundance of detail, its completely new engine, and the great variety of game features will thrill consumers. Not only will ANNO 1503 fully satisfy the expert gamer's expectations, but also its innovative tutorial concept will be highly appealing to the casual player. Furthermore, EA will localize the game into a minimum of 10 languages to ensure worldwide success.

Tom Frisina, Vice President of EA Distribution (EAD): "SUNFLOWERS is known for its commitment to deliver quality products and we are excited to publish the next version of this highly successful franchise. The tremendous quality of ANNO 1503 combined with EA's aggressive marketing and distribution will guarantee worldwide success beyond that achieved by ANNO 1602. I am especially happy to add European talent to the existing EAD line-up."

Adi Boiko, founder and owner of SUNFLOWERS: "EA utterly impressed us on the human as well as the professional level. EA is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company and has built up an excellent worldwide marketing and sales infrastructure. SUNFLOWERS, as well as EA, rely on publishing top titles only, and we are convinced that both parties shall assist each other in making ANNO 1503 one of the most successful games. I am looking forward to working with EA on a productive, long-term basis."

The EA Distribution division will manage this relationship, along with other companies in its portfolio, such as MGM Interactive (worldwide), Square EA (North America), Capcom (Europe), Novalogic (North America & select European countries), Fox Interactive (Europe), Lucasarts (Germany and Spain) and others.

About EA

Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts (EA) posted revenues of more than $1.4 billion for fiscal 2000. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for the Internet, personal computers and video game systems. Electronic Arts markets its products under three brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA GAMES(TM) and EA.COM(SM). More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://www.ea.com.

About SUNFLOWERS

SUNFLOWERS (Interactive Entertainment Software GmbH), founded by Adi Boiko in 1993, is one of Germany's leading developers and publishers of entertainment software. It is the company's declared aim to develop and publish innovative computer and video games of top quality for the international market, designed for gamers as well as for the general public. The company's best-selling title, ANNO 1602, an innovative mix of real-time strategy and empire building game, has been sold worldwide more than 1.5 million times so far.

CONTACT: EA Corporate Communications

Trudy Muller, 650/628-7323

tmuller@ea.com