EA Renews LOTR License Through ‘08
March 29, 2007
Video game publisher and developer Electronic Arts has renewed its license to release additional games set within the literary world of The Lord Of The Rings through 2008.
EA has been responsible for recent titles based on New Line Cinema’s film adaptations of the classic novels since 2001, and EA has also acquired the rights to develop video games based on the classic LOTR book series itself in 2005, thus bringing all LOTR titles under EA’s umbrella.
Previously, Vivendi Universal Games had separately licensed the right to use the Tolkein books from the Saul Zaentz Company, a situation which led to competing LOTR games being released at the time the first movie debuted. However, Vivendi’s titles, which included a game based on The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, failed to win over critics and consumers.
EA officials note that the company is already moving ahead with a new title set in the world of Middle-earth for release in 2008, though details are scarce as to what exactly the game will be about. While nothing has yet been revealed regarding the upcoming title, past releases have covered a variety of genres from tactical strategy games to action adventure.
The announcement follows EA’s previously announced The Lord of the Rings: The White Council, an open world RPG for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. However, with EA making plans for a new LOTR title, the fate of this project, once referred to as the cryptic Project Gray Company, remains uncertain. EA confirmed in early February that the game, while not canceled, had been put on hold.
EA Link
November 3, 2006
Electronic Arts has overhauled its download service for computer games and plans to officially announce the new portal, EA Link, today. EA Link, which was up and running on Wednesday, replaces EA Downloader, the company’s admittedly clunky year-old effort at offering downloadable content for its PC games.
EA Link enables users to download materials faster, search for products in a more organized 
fashion, launch purchased games directly, and have their payment information, including a new online payment option through PayPal, linked to their accounts.
The site currently has 16 PC game titles available for download. EA said that any upcoming PC games will be made available on disk at retail stores, as well as in a digital version at EA Link, at the same price and on the same day. Extra content (game demos, trailers, wallpaper, and software patches) will also be featured.
Digital distribution “is an increasing priority for us at EA and it’s a further step in EA’s commitment to have a one-on-one relationship with our customers,” said Chip Lange, vice president of EA’s online division. “The business has gone beyond a static model of ‘I’ve bought the game and I’m done.’ This keeps the games dynamic.”
More and more, video games are offering so-called “episodic” content, where users can tack on extra playing levels or chapters. Accessories used within games, such as weapons or other gear for game characters, are also commonly sold online. Traditional, packaged PC games in the U.S. retail market are declining with sales falling to $953 million in 2005 from $1.5 billion in 2001, according to the NPD Group. U.S. sales of PC game downloads, meanwhile, are expected to almost double this year to about $500 million and grow to $763 million in 2007, market researcher IDC predicted.
Big Announcements from EA
September 1, 2006
Electronic Arts, the largest video game publisher in the world, signed deals with Microsoft’s Massive and IGA Worldwide to bring real-time ads to its Xbox 360 and PC games this fall. IGA will deliver the ads to Battlefield 2142, an upcoming sci-fi shooter, and Massive will deliver the ads to Need for Speed: Carbon, which is scheduled to be released in late October. For players with a PC connected to the internet or those playing on Xbox Live, online updates will result in Need for Speed: Carbon ads being updated over time.
Marketers and advertisers clearly recognize video games’ value in reaching the coveted 18-34-year-old demographic, but Chip Lange, EA’s vice president of online commerce, does not want the new ads to disrupt game play. “In a racing game, advertising is not only nice to have, but it’s an essential component to create the fiction of being there. This agreement with Massive allows us to vary what relevant ads are served to the game player,” he said. Company officials also noted that the new ads can be tailored to specific regions, such as Europe or the United States.
EA also announced that Madden NFL 07 grossed over $100 million in its first week, making it the biggest launch in EA history. To get an idea of how massive these numbers are - especially for a video game - consider that the film version of the international best-seller The Da Vinci Code grossed $102 million in its first week. Not bad.
Finally, EA announced the release of “EA Replay,” a collection of titles released between 1990-1995 that have been reprogrammed for use on PSP. A set of 14 titles will be released on November 7 for $19.99
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