EA buys 15 per cent stake in The9

Electronic Arts has bought a 15 per cent stake in Chinese online games specialist The9, worth around USD 167 million (EUR 124.1m).

The third-party publisher has also given exclusive publishing rights to FIFA Online to The9, in a move similar to the deal struck with Korean operator Neowiz in March.

"This is another significant step in EA's strategy to build an online presence in Asia," commented Hubert Larenaudie, president of EA Asia Online.

"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."

Jun Zhu, CEO of The9 added: "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 favourite in the Chinese market."