Los Angeles, June 17, 2010. Gaikai Inc. today announced a multi-year licensing agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS). This agreement enables streaming of several of EA’s PC-based video games directly to any web browser via Gaikai’s technology. Gaikai will offer a number EA franchises, including The Sims™, The Battlefield: Bad Company™ Series, Dragon Age™ Series, Mass Effect™Series, Medal of Honor™ and Need for Speed™ for Gaikai’s new game advertising service. This relationship will result in EA being the first video game publisher in the world with control over instant-on video game streaming technology ready to embrace and push forward the future of digital distribution.
“Gaikai’s innovations open whole new experiences for both current players and new customers looking for the best of interactive entertainment. It also brings new opportunities and capabilities that will improve both our craft and products, including secure beta-testing and the ability to instantaneously bring the latest games into the hands of our waiting audience”, said Richard Hilleman, Chief Creative Director for Electronic Arts.
“EA has some of the most important franchises in the video game industry, and we’re excited to be able to use our streaming technology to help new audiences discover these amazing properties. We are also excited to be powering a cutting-edge digital strategy with EA developers,” said David Perry, CEO of Gaikai Inc.
Gaikai offers the ability to play any game instantly inside the web browser with just one click, no big game download, no game install and no patching. This server-based, cloud-gaming technology is designed to dramatically increase both reach, and audience participation, while bringing down acquisition costs dramatically. By playing games remotely from Gaikai servers around the world, players simply play wherever they are browsing, removing the need to pay for advertising clicks to move gamers around on the Internet. This freedom to play anywhere opens up exciting business models as you can play on any video game retailer site, any news site, publisher sites, or even inside Facebook.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA Sports™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and Pogo™. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about ea’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.info.ea.com.
About Gaikai Inc. Gaikai Inc, the new cloud based streaming service for video games and applications headed by game industry veteran David Perry, is headquartered in Southern California and funded by Benchmark Capital, TriplePoint Capital, Rustic Canyon Partners and a fourth mystery investor. The underlying technology for Gaikai was created by co-founders Andrew Gault and Rui Pereira who met while working together in The Netherlands. For more information, please visit: www.gaikai.com
EA, EA Sports, EA Mobile, Pogo, The Sims, Medal of Honor and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Dragon Age and Mass Effect are trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield: Bad Company is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB.