Electronic Arts

EA Games, which changed its name to Electronic Arts in 2005, is a publicly owned company that develops, publishes, markets, and sells video games. Some of EA's most popular gaming titles include Medal of Honor, Command & Conquer, Burnout, and Madden.

Fast Facts

1. Stock symbol: ERTS
2. Annual revenue (2008): $4.0 Billion
3. Founder(s): Trip Hawkins
4. Year Established: 1982
5. Industry: Interactive Entertainment
6. Phone: (650) 628-1500
7. Fax: (650) 628-1422
8. HQ: Redwood City, California
9. Chairman: Lawrence F. Probst III
10. CEO: John S. Riccitiello
11. Staff: 7,900
12. Other key people: Gabrielle Toledano

Key Dates

1. 1982: EA Games was founded
2. 1989: First Madden Game
3. 1997: Acquired rights to the name Electronic Arts
4. 2008: Failed takeover of Take Two

Popular Games

• Madden NFL 09
• The Sims 2
• Burnout
• Crysis
• Medal of Honor
• SimCity
• Need for Speed

Founding

In 1982, while working a director of Product Marketing at Apple, EA founder Trip Hawkins took a meeting with Don Valentine of Sequoia Capital. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Hawkins' idea for a software company called Amazin' Software. After investing $200,000 of his own money into the project, Hawkins was able to secure an additional $2,000,000 in venture capital from Sequoia, KCPB and Sevin Rosen Funds.

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