ROAD & TRACK PRESENTS: THE NEED FOR SPEED

SAN MATED, September 22, 1995 -- Road & Track, the premier automotive
enthusiast magazine. and Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive
entertainment company (NASDAQ: ERTS), join forces with their latest entry
into the PC CD market -- Road & Track Presents: The Need For Speed. The
result of this collaboration is the chance to enter the world of speed and
high-performance driving in one of eight exotic sports cars: Lamborghini
Diablo VT, Ferrari 512TR, Dodge Viper RT/10, Porsche 911, Chevrolet
Corvette ZR- 1, Acura NSX, Mazda RX-7, and Toyota Supra Turbo. 

Road & Track, renowned in automotive circles for its expertise and in-depth
knowledge of high-performance automobiles, delivers a realistic racing
simulation with performance statistics straight from its own road tests.
Road & Track also contributed to the artistic look and feel of the product
by lending its world-class photography to the design. A statistics and
graphs option, augmented by voice over from the editors, displays key
performance measurements as well as engine, chassis, and driveline
information. 

Players can sit behind the wheel of these supercars in any of four racing
modes: Race against the clock in Time Trial mode or Head-to-Head against a
CPU or modem linked opponent. Single Race puts the player into a rally
against seven other opponents on any of the six tracks. And finally, in
Tournament Rally mode the player must win on all the tracks against all
opponents to claim the championship and gain access to the special Bonus
Track. 

For Road & Track Presents: The Need For Speed, Electronic Arts developed a
unique, new 3-D software engine with an extremely accurate physics model
and photo-realistic graphics. One feature of the 3-D engine allows the
player to switch on-the-fly among three real-time racing views: In-Car,
Tail-Cam, and Heli-Cam. The high-resolution graphics are based on
photographs of actual locations and blended together with SGI-rendered
track models for maximum impact. The physics model, fine tuned with input
from Road & Track editors, accurately simulates each car's handling,
acceleration, body roll, lateral-g capability and more, adding greatly to
the diversity and authenticity of the game. For example, the Corvette will
tolerate braking in a high-speed turn much better than the Porsche 911. 

So what does a Viper sound like at redline in fourth gear? Real-time,
encoded Dolby Surround Sound Digital audio samples taken on a test track
are used in the actual gameplay. The CD-quality audio effects include
skids, crashes, speed shifting, and the distinctive roar of each car's
engine. And for a visual thrill, Electronic Arts put each of the eight
supercars through its paces on a two-week video shoot, using both onboard
and helicopter-mounted cameras. Dramatic footage of the cars at peak
performance is used throughout the game. 

Gameplay features like Instant Replay and Highlight Reel, with load and
save capability, let the player view his best run, or most monumental
crash over and over again. Six different camera views ensure that none of
the action will be missed. 

Road & Track Presents: The Need For Speed has an estimated SRP of $59.95. 

Electronic Arts
1450 Fashion Island Blvd
San Mateo, CA 94404
415-571-7171
 
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