Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the start of the 2007 EA SPORTS™ Challenge Series which kicked off July 26 with the EA SPORTS Craftsman NASCAR Challenge in Indianapolis. The EA SPORTS Challenge Series is a series of gaming competitions taking place across North America over the next six months.

The EA SPORTS Craftsman Challenge kicked off its 'In-Store' competitions July 26 in Indianapolis, was in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 8-11, and continues this weekend in Bristol, Tenn. The competition is scheduled to hit 11 cities overall, giving players from across the country a chance to compete for bragging rights, cash and other prizes. Future stops along the 2007 EA SPORTS Craftsman NASCAR Challenge include: St. Louis, Mo.; Richmond, Va.; Loudon, N.H.; Dover, Del.; Talladega, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; Martinsville, Va.; Atlanta, Ga. The 'In-Store' Tournaments will be hosted at designated Sears and Kmart retail stores in each city. All Tournament play will be conducted using NASCAR 08 on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

"The authenticity of the NASCAR experience is what makes gamers and NASCAR fans alike so competitive when playing NASCAR 08 and now we can deliver an official competitive environment for the best NASCAR 08 players out there," said Brian Movalson, EA SPORTS Marketing Director. "At our first two stops at Kmart and Sears stores in Indianapolis and Nashville we had eager competitors lined up out the door and enthusiasm for both the game and the upcoming races was palpable."

"This unique partnership between Craftsman and EA SPORTS is allowing us to bring Craftsman's NASCAR relationship with NASCAR fans to a gaming audience that is rapidly growing as well," said Scott Howard, Manager, Sponsorship, for Sears Holdings. "We're looking forward to bringing these exciting events to the store level at Sears and Kmart stores and to extending this partnership nationally through Xbox Live."

The 'In-Store' Qualifying Rounds competitions will be held over the course of three days in each city on the published Tournament schedule. Players emerging from the Qualifying Rounds with the fastest recorded lap times will advance to the Semi-Finals to compete for a trip to Florida and the Homestead-Miami Speedway and a chance at the $10,000 Grand Prize on November 18, 2007.

Consistent with all other challenges in the EA SPORTS Challenge Series, the EA SPORTS Craftsman NASCAR Challenge also will have an online component. Registered online Tournament participants can compete with other registered participants for a trip to the finals rounds and a chance to compete along with the 'In-Store' Tournament winners for the $10,000 Grand Prize. For more information and to register for the online version of the 2007 EA SPORTS Craftsman NASCAR Challenge, please visit: www.easportsracing.com/challenge or www.craftsman.com/nascarchallenge for details to enter and to view the published Tournament dates, schedules and Official Rules. 2.