EA Brings Battlefield to Online Gaming in Asia
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:50 am
EA Brings Battlefield to Online Gaming in Asia
Acclaimed Franchise from EA DICE Co-Developed with Neowiz Games to Expand EA's Online Offering in Asia
Acclaimed Franchise from EA DICE Co-Developed with Neowiz Games to Expand EA's Online Offering in Asia
SEOUL, South Korea & REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Jun. 6, 2007 Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) the world's leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that Battlefield, its acclaimed franchise from EA DICE, is coming to the online gaming market in Asia. The game will be co-developed by EA and Neowiz Corporation as part of an-ongoing strategic partnership between the two companies, and Neowiz Games will have the exclusive publishing rights for Korea. Availability of the Battlefield online offering in other Asian markets including China, Japan and Taiwan will be announced in the coming weeks.
The announcement builds on EA's strategy of partnering with proven regional operators to bring online games to Asia. Following EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA Online and EA's announcement to bring Warhammer(R) to Asia, Battlefield expands EA's presence in the rapidly growing Asian online gaming market.
In 2006, EA and Neowiz partnered to launch EA SPORTS FIFA Online, now one of Korea's most popular games with more than 4.9 million registered subscribers. In March 2007, the companies expanded their relationship to include the co-development of an additional four online games for Asia. Battlefield is the first EA franchise to be announced as part of that agreement.
The franchise creators at EA DICE in Stockholm, Sweden and the development teams at Neowiz Games in Seoul will team up to create the Asian offering. Gamers can expect to see enhancements that build on the rich community element of existing titles in the Battlefield franchise such as social networking and clan support, as well as all new features to deliver an always-fresh, online in-game experience.
Patrick Soderlund, General Manager of EA Dice, said, "We've seen the success of the Battlefield community in Europe and North America, and are excited to start working with the talented team at Neowiz Games to develop the game for Asia. This is a great opportunity for the Battlefield franchise to create a new online experience with rich, streamlined game play and mass market appeal."
"Our partnership with EA continues to bring exciting possibilities to Korea," said Neowiz Games CEO Kwan Ho Choi. "Online gamers in this region have high interest in the first person shooter genre and the power of the Battlefield franchise is sure to be a big hit with Korean players."
Hubert Larenaudie, President of EA Asia Online, added, "Neowiz Games is a great partner to help us expand our rich portfolio of games in Asia. FIFA Online has seen fantastic response from Korean players and we're looking forward to future success with Battlefield and other popular EA franchises."
EA owns an approximate 15 percent share in Neowiz.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA(TM), EA SPORTS BIG(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is http://www.ea.com . More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com
About Neowiz Games
Neowiz Games Co. Ltd, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is the nation's leading online game company. Neowiz Games is expected to post revenues of $160 million for fiscal 2007. The company develops and publishes online games. Neowiz had over 50 online game titles in service, including the most popular online game in Korea called EA SPORTS FIFA Online, Ray City, etc. Neowiz markets its products under its online game portal http://www.pmang.com . More information about the company, information and press releases can be found on the internet at http://www.neowiz.com
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Warhammer is a registered trademark of Games Workshop Ltd. EA SPORTS FIFA Online is manufactured under license by Electronic Arts. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.