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March 3rd

  Been yet another busy week, as we finalize budgets for FY09. EA’s fiscal year begins April 1st, and as with any business, we have to go through the process of determining forecasted income and expenditures so that we can build a budget. Game development and publishing is a little more complicated than many other businesses, as you have a portion of your costs (game development expenditures) that do not necessarily deliver revenue in the same year. Not my favorite process, but very necessary. I think we in the sports label are close to getting everything to balance out, so that we can get back to working with the teams as we get close to alpha milestones on a number of our titles.

Many of you have posed questions about a wide range of subjects, some of which I can’t respond to (yes, as much as you ask about Take-Two, there is really nothing I can say at this juncture), and others that request confidential information (sorry – it’s a competitive business and I can’t provide information ahead of its formal announcement). Few topics I will tackle, though:

Formula One - This seems to be a popular question, and it seems many of our fans in Europe are interested in our thoughts about the game license. This one is simple. I am personally a huge fan, having grown up worshipping such great drivers as Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and James Hunt. The excitement that Lewis Hamilton has brought to the sport, and its vast global appeal, make it an appealing game license, but as of right now it is not available. Maybe in a few years the situation will change, but until then we fully respect the rights held by our partners at Sony.

NFL Head Coach – You asked, and the team delivered. I have been watching this game develop with keen interest since I arrived last fall. Those of you who love the manager-style games are going to be enthralled with the level of detail the development team is putting into this completely overhauled franchise. You others – give it a try when it hits stores later this year…I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the depth of the experience and how much the team has learned from the original version of NFL Head Coach. Last week, we had a group at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis showing a select group of media an early look at the game, and as our friends at GameSpot noted: “NFL Head Coach 09 is a sequel in name only”. Keep an eye out for more on this one in the months to come…

PC Games – While we’re committed to the PC as a sports game platform, it’s certainly not a platform without its business challenges due in large part because so many of you have migrated to the console as your primary platform. I think on-line will give us some innovative new ways to re-vitalize the PC sports business again, and we’ ll keep pushing from our end to make that happen. But in the meantime, understand that while we have a limited lineup of EA SPORTS games coming this summer and fall to the PC, we do continue to weigh our options on PC.

The feedback posts on specific titles are very valuable to the teams, and we continue to forward them on. “EA SPORTS S U C K S” posts are less informative and helpful. You are very welcome to exercise your first amendment rights here, but it would be more beneficial for both of us if you can put some specificity around your gripes.

Fellow Patriot Nation members – Colvin, Stallworth and now Samuel out the door. No sign of a deal for Moss? Anybody else getting a tad nervous…?

28 days to opening day for the Red Sox here in the Bay Area vs. the A’s…after the damn Super Bowl, baseball can’t come fast enough…

Liverpool began a critical 10-day run with a good win at The Reebok against Bolton last weekend. 4th place and a Champions League berth looks like it might be decided when Everton visit Anfield on March 30th. How sweet it would be to dash the Toffees hopes with a good old thrashing by the resurgent Mighty Reds???

- Peter

PS. I know who’s on the cover of Madden this year – any guesses????