EA to publish Deathspank and Shank

by: Chuck - posted: 3/4/2010 11:30:00 AM

EA announced today that they will help publish Deathspank and Shank later this year.  This is good news for gamers as I was really impressed with both titles at PAX last year (Deathspank impressions/Shank Impressions) and I'm thinking people are going to really enjoy the two very diverse titles.

Both titles will be available through Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network so it's interesting that the companies needed that much help to get them to market (Shank will also be coming to the PC).  It's nice to see EA continue to find new games to bring to market instead of grinding the same IP's into the ground year after year (sports titles excluded).

EA Partners and Hothead Games Team up to Deliver DeathSpank in 2010

EA to Publish the Latest Game from Industry Icon Ron Gilbert

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and leading independent developer Hothead Games announced today an exclusive publishing agreement that will bring DeathSpank to Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network in 2010. Developed under the vision of The Secret of Monkey Island creator and industry icon Ron Gilbert, DeathSpank blends a story filled with Gilbert’s unique humor and wit with classic and addictive action RPG gameplay.

“We are proud of our independence, but are very excited to be working with EA Partners on a title as big as DeathSpank. With EA Partners handling distribution and marketing, Hothead can continue to focus on what we do best, making great games.”

“The team at Hothead Games is a perfect fit for EA Partners. They are a great example of how the EA Partners program continues to emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with the world’s top indie developers,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “DeathSpank is an engrossingly fun and hysterically funny experience, and we are all excited to have the opportunity to help introduce DeathSpank to gamers across the world.”

Ian Wilkinson, CEO of Hothead Games added, “We are proud of our independence, but are very excited to be working with EA Partners on a title as big as DeathSpank. With EA Partners handling distribution and marketing, Hothead can continue to focus on what we do best, making great games.”

The game casts players in the role DeathSpank, the Hero to the Downtrodden, a Vanquisher of Evil and Defender of Justice as he fulfills his life-long destiny and searches for a mysterious and magical item only known as "The Artifact". Along the way he'll rescue a few Orphans, defeat a local tyrant and tumble headlong into the even deeper mystery surrounding the legendary Thongs of Virtue in an epic adventure game that includes collecting loot, crazy puzzle solving, witty dialogue, collecting loot, over-the-top animations, fun, accessible action combat, and of course, collecting loot. For more information on DeathSpank, please visit www.deathspank.com

About Hothead Games

Hothead Games is an interactive entertainment company dedicated to creating and delivering innovative and engaging video game experiences to as wide an audience as possible. Hothead's approach combines veteran experience, innovative production methodologies, and an awareness of the importance of controlling distribution channels. The company was founded in March 2006. For more information, please visit www.hotheadgames.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: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM 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 and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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EA and Klei Entertainment Join Forces

Evocative Cinematic Brawler ‘Shank’ Coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation® Network and PC in Summer 2010

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and award-winning independent development studio Klei Entertainment announced today an exclusive publishing agreement to bring the provocative new game Shank to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation®Network and PC this summer. Featuring a unique art style inspired by graphic novels and golden age comics, Shank blends the intensity of classic 2D side-scrolling action games with a gripping and mature storyline. The cinematic brawler is a finalist for “Excellence in Visual Art” at this year’s Independent Games Festival and will be featured at the IGF Pavilion during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next week.

“The team at Klei Entertainment is among the best in the world at developing fun and engaging titles for digital distribution platforms, and Shank is an amazing experience.”

“Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “The team at Klei Entertainment is among the best in the world at developing fun and engaging titles for digital distribution platforms, and Shank is an amazing experience.”

“As an independent development studio, we always focus on creating great, authentic experiences for players. Working with EA Partners expands our distribution and allows us to bring Shank to a much wider audience,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “They have been a fantastic partner and their understanding of the space is incredibly exciting.”

Taking place in a stylized, modern-Western setting, Shank tells a classic betrayal story directed through a sophisticated cinematic lens, with addictive action gameplay found in classic 2D side-scrolling games. Klei Entertainment was represented in the deal by CAA. For more information on Shank, please visit www.shankgame.com and follow the development team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/klei.

About Klei Entertainment

Founded in 2005, Klei Entertainment is an award-winning game development studio based in Vancouver, British Columbia with both the technical and creative capabilities to create original and lasting properties on all platforms. Klei combines world-class talent and passion to craft great games with memorable characters that appeal to a wide range of audiences. It has developed and published games for the PC, PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade. To learn more about the Klei team and its latest projects, visit www.kleientertainment.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: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM 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 and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Xbox and Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.