November 15^th, 2005 (2:54pm) - Electronic Arts announced today that Need for Speed Most Wanted has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. In stores on November 17, the game challenges players to become the most notorious street racer by going up against the top racers on the Blacklist as well as numerous police that patrol the city of Rockport. Need for Speed Most Wanted is available for the PS2, Xbox 360, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, PSP, and PC.

Combining the thrill of illicit street racing and tuner customization with over-the-top strategic police pursuits, players can customize their rides that include a wide range of vehicles from the BMW M3, Porsche Cayman S and Lamborghini Gallardo to Mazda RX-8, Ford Mustang GT and Mitsubishi Eclipse. Need for Speed Most Wanted features more than 36 of the hottest cars so that gamers can race in style. Players also will have to master the art of strategic cop evasion to make it to the top of the Blacklist.

This year marks more than a decade for the Need for Speed franchise. In celebration of this milestone, EA also has shipped a collector’s edition called Need for Speed Most Wanted Black Edition that features exclusive cars and races as well as a bonus DVD with concept art, exclusive videos and behind the scenes footage of actress, model and star of the game, Josie Maran. The Need for Speed Most Wanted Black Edition is available for the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox and PC.

In addition, Need for Speed Most Wanted leads the pack for racing games on the Xbox 360. From dynamic time of day changing from sunrise to sunset, down to the paint flecks on the vehicles, players will live, breath and race through a highly detailed world only made possible in Need for Speed Most Wanted for the Xbox 360. The infinite detail truly delivers on the emotional build-up of cop pursuits and real-life racing experiences.

The PSP system version titled, Need for Speed Most Wanted 5-1-0, features exclusive content including a Tuner Takedown mode, where gamers can jump into the driver seat of a police vehicle to hunt down street racers.

Developed in Vancouver, B.C. by EA Canada, Need for Speed Most Wanted is rated "T" (Teen) with descriptor Mild Violence for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PC, "E10+" (Everyone 10+) with descriptor Mild Violence for the PSP and "E" (Everyone) for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $49.99, with the exception of Xbox 360 at $59.99.