EA looks to partner with Japanese developers

EA's senior vice president and general manager of EA Partners, David DeMartini, has revealed that the publisher is looking to sign up more Japanese developers under its EA partners program.

Speaking to MTV about future plans to work with independent developers, DeMartini referred to EA's recently announced deal with Grasshopper Manufacture as a "springboard to a successful formula" for working with Japanese designers. The deal will see Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil, and Goichi Suda, of No More Heroes fame, work on an as yet unnamed action horror title.

"If Suda or Mikami were to be publishing with Sony or Nintendo, it would be another one of the great Japanese designers who are working with a Japanese company," commented DeMartini, "It's not as much of a unique story."

"However if EA was to work with some of the best designers in Japan in a limited way, with a limited number of these partners, we would be creating a unique situation where some of the best developers in Japan are actually partnering with one of the largest publishers that are not Japanese. That would represent something that is slightly uncomfortable for both parties, but also represents something that is very unique and very special."

"Hopefully this will serve as a springboard to a successful formula that we can apply to some of the other great Japanese designers," he added.