Electronic Arts Announces SSX - Snowboard SuperX Its First Entertainment Title for the PlayStation 2 SSX Will Immerse Players in the Exciting World of Boardercross Electronic Arts today unveiled its first entertainment title developed exclusively for the PlayStation 2(TM) game console. SSX/Snowboard SuperX -- centered on the unique and exciting new sport of boardercross will be on display at the Sony Festival in Japan on February 18-20 as SSX/Snowboard SuperCross. Electronic Arts (EA), the world's largest producer of interactive entertainment is the only North American publisher invited by Sony to show software at the festival. Crisper, cleaner and a whole lot more fun, SSX and other EA titles developed specifically for Playstation 2 will set a new standard for interactive entertainment. Just a decade old, boardercross combines high-speed snowboard racing with the intense competition of a Supercross event on a demanding snow covered motocross track. The track includes jumps, steep turns, tunnels, and mogul piste sections that pit eight racers against each other. To deliver the best PlayStation 2 experience, Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) grounded SSX in real snowboarding physics with a true-to-life feel and sense of control, but pumped it up for arcade fun. The artificial intelligence of SSX convincingly brings to life the experience of zooming down adventurous snow-covered way-over-the-top mountain tracks at break-neck speeds, pulling off mind-blowing aerial maneuvers while trying to dodge seven challengers. The game features five distinct modes of gameplay. A sampling of the exciting action offered in SSX includes World Circuit -- a season-long dual against the world's top boarders. However to access this mode, riders must obtain a Circuit License, which earned by completing all the training lessons. From there rookies enter a field of 32 boarders featuring the world's best riders, and must run through a series of five different events. A high overall ranking following these events earn riders the big prize; entrance to the Professional World Championship Invitational Event. This event separates the best from the rest. There is also an adventure mode in which a player must find and collect a multitude of 3D snowflakes placed in obvious and not so obvious parts of huge rideable areas. Additionally, the Show Off mode challenges players to practice their slickest tricks against some pretty stiff competition. Players can choose to be one of eight distinct international boarder characters, each with his or her unique personality and skill set. Mac is the youngest rider at 15; Kaori has boundless energy and a sunny disposition; JP epitomizes the term `style over substance;' Zoe is a street-savvy mountain biker who is making a name for herself in snowboarding; Moby is fearless and attacks courses like a buzz saw; Jurgen is know as `the Giant' to his competitors; Elisa uses her good looks as a mask for her shrewd and dangerous mind; and Hiro, who wouldn't be caught without the latest and greatest in high tech racing gear. In addition to the different game modes and characters to choose from, SSX also features over eight mind-boggling courses, each with its own quality and style. The Tokyo Megaplex features a pinball machine like course in which players must navigate their way through a barrage of moving ramps, opening and closing doors and even pinball flippers. Another called the Aloha Ice Jam is centered on an iceberg that has been towed into a tropical Pacific Ocean port for the explicit purpose of being ridden. Be careful though, one wrong turn and you could end up in the ocean, swimming for your life. Sony Computer Entertainment will be hosting the Sony Festival this coming weekend in Tokyo to provide game enthusiasts their first hands-on preview to the PlayStation 2 console. The Sony Festival opens Friday, February 18 for press and distributors, and will then be open to the public on February 19 and 20. Sony expects to accommodate more than 50,000 visitors during the two public days of the festival.