EA launches NBA Street Online in Asia

Electronic Arts has announced a partnership with GigaMedia Ltd to launch and operate NBA Street Online in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau in Q1 2008.

While EA has licensed and developed the game, GigaMedia will handle marketing, community management, and technical and customer support locally.

Arthur M Wang, CEO of GigaMedia, believes the title will make a positive impact in the sector space: "This product is going to be the star product in the online gaming market."

The move follows what the company calls "the exceptional success" of FIFA Online in Korea, and the NBA game will include a number of community and customisation elements, as well as six player multiplayer tournaments.

A recent DFC report stated that it expected global game revenues to have multiplied by five times between 2003 and 2008, and that Asian territories would account for 68 percent of the total figure by then.