Debut
MMO dance game developed by EA's J2M studio in Korea and debuting in the US via Outspark.
San Francisco, Calif. – September 1, 2009 – Outspark, the premier North American publisher for free-to-play massively multiplayer online games (MMO), today announced that it will launch and operate the North American adaptation of Debut™, a casual, online rhythm and dancing game developed by EA’s J2M studio in Seoul, Korea. It is EA’s first Korean-developed game to come to the online gaming market in the west.
Working with J2M’s development team, Outspark will not only customize the game for North American audiences, but also build enhanced design and interfaces, social networking features, and regular content updates. Outspark will also be responsible for the operation of the title – including monetization, marketing, community management, support, and customer service support for the game.
Outspark has pioneered proprietary analysis-based game publishing that applies real time gamer data to dynamic retail management which responds to player perceptions, interactions and gaming patterns. Outspark uses this information to create an enhanced, engaging gaming experience that entices its more than 5 million gamers to “stay ‘n play” in their Virtual Playground, resulting in an industry-leading Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) of $50-60 per month.
The new title will leverage the power of the music genre in a free to play, casual MMO offering. Players who are accustomed to single player music and dance games will be able to experience the fun of a rich multi-player experience with deep community, highly customizable characters and great songs.
“We’re delighted to work with EA to bring this title from J2M to North America,” said Susan Choe, CEO of Outspark. “EA’s scale and strong heritage combined with Outspark’s online platform and unparalleled capability to provide real-time feedback and enhanced customization will bring unrivaled fun to millions of gamers as they play and connect in real time. Our players and EA fans will be eager to get their hands on this game.”
"Debut has been operating in Korea since 2008, and we're looking forward to bringing its adaptation to a broad North American audience," said Savannah Hahn, General Manager of EA Korea. This is a fun, immersive music rhythm game, and with Outspark's expertise in creating rich, social online gaming experiences, we think it will bring a new type of gaming environment to entertainment seekers online."
The new title is expected to be launched this fall.
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About Outspark
Outspark is a leading entertainment services company that publishes and operates engaging online multiplayer games. Featuring a portfolio of immersive free-to-play games and related content, the company is building an online destination where members come for the games and stay for the community. Outspark has partnered with numerous leaders in the gaming space, including urban lifestyle brand Rocawear and technology companies like YouTube, Vivox, Meebo and Dyyno, all assisting in making the Outspark virtual playground the ultimate gaming and social destination. Backed by Tencent, Altos Ventures and DCM, Outspark is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., with a subsidiary office in Seoul, Korea.
For more information on Outspark, or to sign up for a free account, please visit http://www.outspark.com
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 SPORTSTM, EATM, EA MobileTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. 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 http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO and Debut are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Contacts:
Outspark:
June Parina
Sparkpr
415.321.1872
june@sparkpr.com
Tracie Snitker
Reverb Communications
209.586.1495 x104
tracie@reverbinc.com
EA:
Tiffany Steckler
Corporate Communications
+41 22 316 1322
tsteckler@europe.ea.com