EA strikes $167m online game deal

The agreement gives The9 exclusive publishing rights for FIFA Online in China, and will boost the firm’s profile as one of the territories’ biggest online gaming specialists.

“The9’s proven expertise will be a tremendous advantage in bringing FIFA Online to a growing market and we look forward to partnering with them to bring the best online football gaming experience to millions of Chinese gamers and football fans,’ said Hubert Larenaudie, president of EA Asia Online.

Jun Zhu, chairman and CEO of The9, added: “EA will be a strong partner for us in the rapidly expanding online game market in China. We are seeing strong interest in online sports games in China with the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and FIFA Online is set to be a top favorite in the Chinese market.”