EA and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to create at least three new original franchise properties. Beginning this year, Spielberg will be working directly with EA to create all new titles that will incorporate his style of storytelling to the art of game play and visualization that EA already masters. EA will own the intellectual properties and the game franchises will be developed, published, and distributed by EA. This is pretty exciting stuff since most of the work will occur in the Playa Vista campus of EA which is right by where I work.. One bad aspect – more traffic. Darn.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ — In a ground-breaking long term agreement, Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced that Academy Award(R) winner Steven Spielberg will be collaborating with the game makers at EA’s Los Angeles studio (EALA) to create three new original franchise properties. Beginning this year, with offices located on site at EALA, Spielberg will work directly with EA’s development teams to offer his signature style of storytelling to the concept, design, story and artistic visualization of the new games. EA will own the intellectual properties and the game franchises will be developed, published and distributed worldwide by EA. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“I have been playing EA games for years and have watched them master the interactive format,” said Steven Spielberg. “Having watched the game industry grow from a niche into a major creative force in entertainment, I have a great deal of respect for EA’s understanding of the interactive format. I’m looking
forward to working closely with the team in Los Angeles.”
“There is no greater storyteller than Steven Spielberg,” said EA Chairman and CEO Larry Probst. “In addition to his gift for pleasing movie audiences, he has an innate understanding of games and how to immerse players into a fantastic world of action and characters.”
“It’s incredibly exciting to be collaborating with Steven Spielberg,” noted Neil Young, VP and Studio Head at EALA. “He shares our vision for the potential of the medium and has the passion and creativity to help us finally deliver on the promise that a game can not only engage and compel you with its
interactivity, but can also move you emotionally.”
The mission at EALA is to be the definitive creative destination for game makers and game development in Southern California. It is home to the award-winning Medal of Honor(TM), Command & Conquer(TM) and The Lord of the Rings(TM) franchises. EALA drives innovation in technology, art and game design by employing a first-class studio of game-makers at its campus in Playa Vista, CA. The studio is also home to EA’s Worldwide Music and Music Marketing group and EA Mobile.

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