April 29^th, 2003 (12:00am) - Grab your broomsticks and prepare for aerial competition high above the Quidditch pitch. For the first time ever, Harry Potter(TM) fans will be able to fully experience the magical power, speed, and competition of Quidditch, the favorite sport of witches and wizards, in the Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup game from Electronic Arts. Under development by EA’s UK Studio, the team behind the worldwide success of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets games, the new title is scheduled for release in the fall of 2003 for the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, and PC CD-ROM.

The magical sport of Quidditch is an exciting and challenging game involving two teams of seven players who fly on broomsticks, four balls in simultaneous play (one Quaffle, two Bludgers, and the elusive Golden Snitch), and a unique scoring system. In Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, players can control all the Quidditch positions and high-flying moves, scoring with Chasers, defending with Beaters and the Keeper, and trying to capture the Snitch with the Seeker. Gamers can choose any one of the four Hogwarts House teams (including Harry Potter’s Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy’s Slytherin) to triumph in the Hogwarts Cup, gaining an opportunity to attend the Quidditch World Cup.

In the international World Cup tournament, players can choose to play for professional teams, which include the USA, Bulgaria (featuring Victor Krum), the hard-hitting Nordics, England, Japan, France, Germany, and Australia. Sporting their own Quidditch uniforms and unique stadium environment, each nation has different strengths and tactics that lend strategy and depth as players progress through a unique ladder system. Quidditch World Cup offers both single player and a first-ever Harry Potter multiplayer competition where players compete head-to-head.