Australia — The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) has announced the development of Wildlife: Forest Survival, an original IP for Xbox LIVE® Arcade (XBLA) and PlayStation® Network (PSN). The new multiplayer title casts players as wild animals and immerses them in a head-to-head battle in an unpredictable forest environment where only the dominant species can survive. Wildlife: Forest Survival is slated to launch in autumn 2011.

“Wildlife: Forest Survival gives players the unique perspective of seeing the world through the eyes of an animal in the wild,” said Jon Dean, Executive Producer at EA Salt Lake Studio. “Experiencing the rush of pitting animals against each other, learning about the laws of nature, and feeling the thrill of the hunt, chase and kill is sure to make for a game that showcases survival of the fittest at its best.”

Wildlife: Forest Survival progresses through a treacherous forest setting where players choose from one of four animals and tap into their selected animal’s strengths in order to annihilate their prey and escape their predators. Intense multiplayer arena battles let up to 12 players go head-to-head in the ultimate fight for survival, where aspiring assailants must balance tracking their prey and eluding their foes. Players must chose their animal carefully, though, as each comes with its own strengths and weaknesses: the rabbit relies on his quickness and Sense Danger ability to make a quick getaway from his pursuers, the fox uses its cunning to employ its Sneak Pounce ability and stun unsuspecting prey, the hawk soars above the forest and calculates the perfect timing to execute its Dive Bomb strike, and the gator dominates aquatic environments by moving swiftly through the water with its powerful jaws, but is challenged with slower speed on land.

Players can explore, hide out, or dominate in eight unique maps, each of which plays to one of the animal’s strengths. From lush greenery to high trees, from inviting bodies of water to jagged rock formations, each level sets the stage for the animals and their battle to survive.

For more information about Wildlife: Forest Survival, go to www.ea.com/wildlife.