EA Sports Eyes Peripherals for Brand Future

EA Sports has entered into agreements with Sakar, Sunflex, and A4T in order to create EA Sports branded peripherals.

EA hopes that these accessory makers will ” help extend reach of EA Sports products across the globe.”  We also suppose they will enhance gaming experiences for consumers, but that’ll depend on the quality and type produced.

Nevertheless, expect boatloads of plastic goodies at your favorite game retailer in the near future.

Press Release:

January 8, 2010 – REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced multi-year license agreements with consumer electronic accessory manufacturers Sakar International Inc., Sunflex Europe and ACCESSORIES 4 TECHNOLOGY Ltd. (A4T). With the agreements, the EA SPORTS label and its partners will bring to market EA SPORTS-branded peripheral products, including for the EA SPORTS Active line of interactive fitness products, to enhance the interactive experience across multiple titles for gaming consoles, PCs and mobile platforms.

Sakar, Sunflex and A4T will be working collaboratively with EA SPORTS and IMG to market and distribute new EA SPORTS-branded peripherals across the globe, designed to enhance the experience of playing EA SPORTS video games and interactive fitness products. These agreements are the latest round of partnerships created in collaboration with IMG Licensing, the exclusive worldwide consumer product and brand licensing agent of EA SPORTS.

“Each of these new partnerships offers EA SPORTS new ways to improve our consumers’ experience and deepen their connection to the fabric of sport,” said Glenn Chin, Vice President of Brand Marketing at EA SPORTS. “With our games, we always strive to deliver innovation, authenticity and fun. We see a tremendous opportunity with these partners to bring those qualities to life in unique and exciting new products for EA SPORTS.”

Details of EA SPORTS’ new licensing agreement include:

Sakar International Inc., a producer of licensed products for leading consumer brands, will create Wii and Nintendo DS gaming accessories as well as youth electronics for EA SPORTS products for distribution in North America. Products will include new gaming controls and a full range of EA SPORTS-branded multi-media and computer accessories. The first items are expected to be released in spring 2010. (Announced today at the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.)

Sunflex Europe, known for its high tech gaming accessories, will bring EA SPORTS-branded peripherals to gamers across Europe in 2010. Sunflex Europe will provide more than 20 products already in production under the agreement.

A4T will develop and produce a range of accessories for EA SPORTS titles for all platforms, including iPod. A4T will have exclusive rights to distribute in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

All three companies will work collaboratively with EA SPORTS and IMG, sharing technology and designs to bring products to market in their respective territories.
For more information, please visit www.EASPORTS.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 of Electronic Arts Inc. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

AboutSakar International
Sakar International Inc. designs and manufactures a wide range of technology, toy, and consumer electronic products. Founded in 1977, the company is the manufacturer of Vivitar camera equipment and accessories, a market leader in rechargeable batteries, and a producer of licensed products for leading consumer brands. Products range from digital cameras and camcorders with related accessories to computer, iPod, GPS and gaming accessories, binoculars, MP3 players, clock radios, gift and toy electronics. The company is privately held and headquartered in Edison, N.J. For more information, visit www.sakar.com .

About Sunflex Europe
The company Sunflex, located in Hemer, stands for reliable and at the same time affordable video game accessories of all types for over a decade. Over time, Sunflex has – based on long-term experience and having built numerous trustworthy contacts – developed two tightly geared business models. On the one hand, Sunflex distributes exclusively the gaming brand snakebyte: starting with a simple adaptor across clever transport and storage solutions right up to elaborated and innovative controllers, high-end cables and high-class peripherals, so for every demanding gamer there are the right accessories in the assortment – partially even with official licences of the original manufacturers and thereby always with the focus on innovation and user benefit. On the other hand, Sunflex is the exclusive distributor of the official PlayStation licensed products “?G Motion Controller” and “?G Wireless Controller” for Sony’s PlayStation 2. For more information, visit www.sunflex-europe.com

About A4T
Accessories 4 Technology Limited, based in Bolton, U.K., is one of the U.K.’s leading video game accessory companies. Founded in 2005, the company’s mission to “PLACE PRODUCT DESIGN THROUGH INNOVATION AT THE HEART OF OUR COMPANY” is central to everything it plans and does in regards to the development of new products, brands and licenses. A4T markets its products under the 4Gamers brand, and is proud to be an official Licensee for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Nintendo of America, as well as for several major IP rights holders. More information about A4T’s products can be found at www.accessories4technology.com .