EA Moves To Tap Indian Mobile Market

Officials from Electronic Arts have announced an exclusive licensing partnerships with Indian wireless publisher Indiagames. The deal will see a number of EA mobile titles, including Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 and The Sims 2, become available across multiple mobile carriers in India. "Indiagames is a key partner for us as we expand our business from packaged goods to mobile content in the burgeoning Indian marketplace. They have a strong technological infrastructure and share our passion for delivering top quality entertainment," said Jon Niermann, president and managing director EA Asia Publishing. "Indian consumers are quickly adopting a mobile lifestyle and we believe that this partnership will give people the opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of playing great games on their mobile phone." "We are thrilled to bring such legendary and popular games to Indian audiences. We are convinced that thousands of Indian fans will enjoy the opportunity to experience these games on their mobile phones," stated Vishal Gondal, CEO of Indiagames. The first release through the new deal will be FIFA 06 this year, with other titles becoming available shortly thereafter. Although India is not yet a major market for home or portable consoles, the country’s mobile phone use is considerable, making it an important emerging market for wireless content.