The EA SPORTS NHL franchise begins a new era with gameplay innovations that deliver a new standard of toughness and the emotion of playoff hockey on the ice and in the arena, with the launch today of its NHL 10 demo exclusively on Xbox Live Marketplace for Gold subscribers.

NHL 10, the franchise that has won 19 sports game of the year awards over the past two years, will showcase two new game modes in the demo that launches today: Battle for the Cup and Be A Tough Guy. Experience the emotion and drama of the third period of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup^TM Championship between Detroit and Pittsburgh in Battle for the Cup. The new mode features playable injuries, the ability to intimidate the opposing team, and line-matching to shut down superstars all in front of frenzied towel waving crowds with storylines that carry across the entire series. Play as your favourite team's enforcer in Be A Tough Guy, where it is your job to protect your superstars, fight when needed, and finish all checks. The enhanced Be a Pro mode also includes a prospects game before heading to the draft and watching your name appear on the NHL draft board.

Beginning today the NHL 10 demo on Xbox 360 will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace to XBOX LIVE Gold members. On August 27th it will be available to download for XBOX LIVE Silver members and for the PLAYSTATION3 at the PLAYSTATION Store.

NHL 10 features a new first-person fighting engine that enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy. Feel what it's like to be on the ice in the skates of an NHL player to throw and dodge punches. Plus, winning one-on-one battles for possession of the puck along the boards becomes a test of will and skill utilizing an all-new board physics engine. Players can use their body to shield the puck on the boards and then kick-pass it to teammates. Bigger, stronger players pin opponents to the boards while fanatical fans bang on the glass, just like real life. Master the techniques of both these game-changing features with tutorials, available on the demo.

NHL 10 features more than 200 gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse of hockey and deliver the most responsive and authentic action ever for the series. Players can one-time loose pucks, score from their knees, knock pucks out of the air and lift a leg to fake a shot on goal. A new 360° precision passing mechanic delivers control over the speed and direction of passes so players can bank passes off the boards or play the puck into space for teammates to skate on to it.

For more info please visit www.easports.com.

NHL 10 will be available in stores this September 18 for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. It is developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. and is rated "PEGI 16+".