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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.
FIFA Online 2 unplugging in China
In a brief announcement this morning from Shanghai, The9 revealed plans to disband operations of EA Sports FIFA Online 2 in China. The publisher is doing so via mutual agreement with FIFA Online 2's developer, Electronic Arts, saying the "license and commercial operation" of the game will end sometime in the "second calendar quarter of 2011." No reasons were cited for the game's premature termination, though this isn't the first American company to end its contract with The9 early. Blizzard ended its relationship with The9 back in 2009, giving Chinese operating rights for World of Warcraft to competitor NetEase. Unlike that situation, however, it stands to reason that The9 won't suffer catastrophic losses this time around.
