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Nexon's relationship with EA is much less exciting than we heard before
US game publishing giant Electronic Arts isn't being purchased by South Korean social game company Nexon anytime soon, but the two companies are in talks. Not talks about an acquisition, mind you, but regarding Asian distribution of EA's FIFA Online series. Those two things are what we might call, "totally different," but Bloomberg's unnamed sources apparently didn't see a huge difference between the two when they informed the publication last week that Nexon was seeking a purchase of EA.Bloomberg's backtracking on that report – which pretty much everyone called very unlikely at the time – is saying now that "three people with knowledge of the matter" tell the publication a deal is being brokered between Nexon and EA for distribution of the online-based soccer title in Asia. Specifically, EA could employ Nexon's "online servers and developers in Asia" to help bring FIFA Online to the continent. An announcement of the partnership is expected "as early as June," which, you know, would line up pretty well with E3 2012.
Free FIFA Online kicks off closed PC beta in February
EA Sports is close to launching the "free-to-play" version of its footy franchise for PC, called EA Sports FIFA Online, in Europe and North America. A closed beta begins February 3, and the publisher is looking for feedback to help shape the game before it goes into open beta this June. EA will allow 20,000 testers in the first phase, so sign up now if you're interested. The game will officially launch "over the next 12 to 24 months" across "Europe and then in North America." FIFA Online has been available in Asia for years. It's not like sales of "regular" FIFA are hurting, so who is this game for? Executive Producer Kaz Makita says FIFA Online is for the "large number of football fans who do not want a console gaming experience due to time and other priorities in their personal lives, but they still want to be able to play a top-quality football video game." Ohh, we get it now, it's the FIFA game you play at work! Gotcha. %Gallery-84230%
