Tiger Woods. The name has brought excitement and a huge backing of fans to the sport of golf. At the age of 21, Woods became the youngest person in history to win the Master's Tournament. Possibly the most popular man in golf today, and arguably the most popular in all of sports, Tiger Woods has given his name and image to EA Sports in what analysts estimate to be around a 10-million-dollar contract over four years.
With this news, EA Sports has announced intentions to publish a Tiger Woods golf game for the PC and the PlayStation in the coming summer of '98. One of the strongest companies in the sports game market, EA Sports has been unusually weak in the golfing department. However, ``We're going to take Tiger Woods and redesign the game to be much more exciting,'' John Riccitiellom, president of Electronic Arts said. Games featuring Woods will be much more flexible in how the game of golf is played. Crushing drives and spectacular shots out of the rough will be possible, hopefully attracting a much larger and younger audience.
Before this history making deal in sports games, Electronic Arts had to make a run for their money. EA outdid Sierra Sports and Cendant Software for the rights to Woods' lucrative name. Sierra and Cedant had offered $12 million, but for one reason or another, Woods chose EA Sports.
"I've played video games for many years. The chance to work with the top brand in sports gaming and play a key role in the design of an interactive golf product will be an exciting challenge." - Tiger Woods
Electronic Arts is certainly excited about Woods joining their team as well. Their stock rose to an all time high with the release of the news, and with Tiger's name attached to their games, EA Sports could rake in around $40 million in revenue.
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