EA launches new biz unit for co-publishing

Leading independent publisher Electronic Arts has created a new business unit, EA Partners, which will be responsible for all of the company's distribution and co-publishing relationships in future.

The new unit, which incorporates the unit previously known as EA Distribution, and will control a range of externally sourced business currently worth $300 million to the giant publisher.

Among the relationships which EA Partners will be managing are publishing agreements with companies such as Digital Illusions CE, Lionhead Studios, Warner Brothers Interactive, Sunflowers, Fox Interactive and IO Interactive.

The company also has regional publishing agreements with LucasArts, Capcom, Novalogic and NAMCO - for whom EA is publishing Soul Calibur 2 in Europe later this month.

"The mission of EA Partners is to help develop the tremendous creativity of independent studios and publishers and bring their games to the worldwide market,â according to EA president and COO John Riccitiello. âWeâve created a business to bring innovative games to new platforms and new markets around the world."