Barry Cottle: EAi Heats Up EA’s Summer Showcase

It’s only early-July and it’s already been quite a summer for EAi. We enjoyed a very strong showing at E3, and we follow that up with a major presence today at our EA Summer Showcase when we give press a sneak peek at what’s to come from EAi.

I want to take this opportunity to highlight a few updates that show our market leadership, expertise and innovation on rapidly growing digital platforms.

First, I’m excited to announce that SCRABBLE on Android is launching very soon! As you know, SCRABBLE was the first of our mobile games to introduce Origin mobile and one of our launch products when the Apple App Store went live in July 2008. With the launch of SCRABBLE Android, it will be the first franchise for EA that can be played across iOS, Facebook and Android. This is big news since few multiplayer games in the industry can make that claim. It will also be EA’s first free game on Android so we’re one step closer to our goal of delivering the best in free and freemium content. I encourage all of you to try SCRABBLE for yourself – on any of these platforms -- and to invite friends to play.

SCRABBLE is just one example of how we make the best games accessible anytime, anywhere, no matter how you want to play. Last week, we expanded our offerings on Kindle with YAHTZEE. YAHTZEE and our other popular Kindle games are perfect for a summer day at the beach. And, by bringing new games to new platforms, we’re reaching new fans, many who don’t even consider themselves gamers. 

We’re also extending beyond the most popular franchises by bringing new games that capture gamers’ imaginations. This week, Chillingo will launch Sword and Soldiers, a 2D side scrolling, real-time strategy game for iOS where three ancient civilizations - Aztecs, Vikings, and Imperial Chinese - fight each other to gain the powers of the gods.

Swords and Soldiers is just another example of the strong publishing relationship we have with more than 300 indie developers all over the world. Through Chillingo, we’re constantly on the lookout for the hidden gems like Sword and Soldiers that bring people games they’ve never seen before.

Finally, we have some exciting social games on the horizon. Playfish is sharing more details about RISK: Factions at the Summer Showcase before the game comes to Facebook later this summer. The Sims Social will also be available for Facebook later this summer, marking the franchise’s highly anticipated entry into social gaming. Both games capture all the best of each well-loved brand while adding fun and engaging social features so you can play with friends and family in a whole new way.

These are the types of mobile and social offerings that are helping to drive EA’s digital growth and leadership. When people ask us what we did this summer, we’re going to have plenty to report. Let the fun continue!

To check out all the action at EA’s Summer Showcase via live stream, click on the following link: http://www.ea.com/1/summer-showcase