Dana White appears at E3 to announce partnership with EA
Sunday morning the official MiddleEasy Sunday Morning Rumor Mill predicted: E3 will play host to some huge MMA videogame news….
Sunday morning the official MiddleEasy Sunday Morning Rumor Mill predicted:
E3 will play host to some huge MMA videogame news. It seems like a certain MMA game we know and love is not dead, and it will have a greatly expanded roster and licenses with some faces we definitely know.
Now UFC President Dana White has confirmed the rumor, via Twitter.
Dana White @danawhite
UFC had done a deal with EA sports for the UFC video game!!!!!!! 🙂
USAToday has the details:
Video game publisher THQ has lost its grip on the license to create titles based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Rival publisher Electronic Arts revealed it has reached a deal with UFC to start developing video games based on the mixed martial arts league during its press event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
“There’s no one better at creating authentic sports videogames than EA Sports, and we’re excited to have a partner who shares our vision of deep, connected and multi-platform global game experiences,” said UFC President Dana White in a statement.
We’re thrilled to begin a long-term partnership that will bring fans incredibly authentic, and deeply connected, UFC videogames, said Andrew Wilson, EVP and Head of EA SPORTS. UFC has become a global powerhouse because they have the world’s best fighters, competing in the world’s best mixed martial arts events. We share UFC’s passion for the sport, and we look forward to capturing all of the intensity and excitement of the action with unique new game experiences across a range of platforms.”
The deal is a “multi-year, multi-product partnership” with the UFC, says EA’s statement. No word on when the first title under the EA label launches.
Recent titles under the UFC brand had been developed by THQ, most recently 2012’s UFC Undisputed 3, which was heralded by critics.
We’ve relished our relationship with UFC over the last several years and believe that the UFC gaming brand is in great shape. THQ’s more focused strategy moving forward meant that transferring the license to EA made sense to all parties, said THQ CEO Brian Farrell. We’d like to thank the UFC for their great support and partnership and wish EA all the best moving forward.
EA has had experience with mixed martial arts, having launched EA Sports MMA in 2010.
Electronic Arts announced today a licensing agreement with Zuffa, LLC, to produce and distribute videogames bearing its Ultimate Fighting Championship ® (UFC) brand. The new multi-year, multi-product partnership will provide EA the exclusive rights to develop UFC videogames, which will be developed and marketed under the EA SPORTS™ brand.
We’re thrilled to begin a long-term partnership that will bring fans incredibly authentic, and deeply connected, UFC videogames, said Andrew Wilson, EVP and Head of EA SPORTS. UFC has become a global powerhouse because they have the world’s best fighters, competing in the world’s best mixed martial arts events. We share UFC’s passion for the sport, and we look forward to capturing all of the intensity and excitement of the action with unique new game experiences across a range of platforms.
Zuffa has licensed to EA the UFC rights previously held by THQ, Inc.
We’d like to thank THQ for creating some of the most critically-acclaimed sports videogames of this console generation, and we’re excited to enter a new relationship with EA that will help us deepen our connection with fighting fans around the world, said UFC President Dana White. There’s no one better at creating authentic sports videogames than EA SPORTS, and we’re excited to have a partner who shares our vision of deep, connected and multi-platform global game experiences.
We’ve relished our relationship with UFC over the last several years and believe that the UFC gaming brand is in great shape. THQ’s more focused strategy moving forward meant that transferring the license to EA made sense to all parties, said THQ CEO Brian Farrell. We’d like to thank the UFC for their great support and partnership and wish EA all the best moving forward.