A few months ago, Electronic Arts announced that it had partnered with Digital Theater Systems (DTS) to license technology that would allow some of the publisher's PlayStation 2 games to make use of discreet 5.1 channel surround sound. At the time, the only EA games with DTS support were SSX Tricky and NHL 2002. This morning, the company announced that Sled Storm 2 and Westwood's Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat would also make use of the technology.

　　Like Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS technology allows movies (and now games) to be heard in six discreet channels--left, right, center, left rear, right rear, and subwoofer--for a truly immersive aural experience. Unlike PlayStation 2 games that have support for Dolby Digital 5.1, like Metal Gear Solid 2, EA's lineup of DTS-enabled games will constantly stream the surround sound signal during gameplay, not just during cutscenes. To be able to take advantage of this technology, however, a 5.1 speaker setup and a DTS receiver/decoder are required.

　　SSX Tricky and NHL 2002 have already been released and fully support DTS. Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat is currently in development at Westwood Studios, and it is scheduled for release on February 14, 2002. Sled Storm 2 is also nearing completion, and it should start appearing on store shelves on March 26, 2002. Electronic Arts is expected to make future announcements regarding games that support DTS in the near future.