EA mobile titles head to Verizon, Sprint within weeks

Electronic Arts has announced plans to launch its first batch of mobile phone titles via Verizon and Sprint - the second and third biggest mobile network providers in the US - within a matter of weeks.

Verizon subscribers will be offered titles from major franchises such as Madden, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, FIFA and The Sims, plus Pogo.com games Tri-Peaks Solitaire, Turbo 21 and Poppit. Those with V Cast-enabled handsets will also get the chance to purchase a unique mobile version of Need for Speed Underground 2.

There will be a more limited catalogue for Sprint network at first, with only Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 and Pogo.com games announced so far. Around 20-25 games will be launched by the end of the year, and EA predicts that the deals are worth USD 25 million.

"We are 100 per cent committed to delivering the most compelling on-the-go entertainment experiences to mobile phone users," said EA Mobile VP John Batter.

EA has long declared its intention to expand aggressively into the mobile market, and is currently involved in the sector via a relationship with UK-based mobile publisher and developer I-Play.

However, recent rumours have suggested that the publishing giant is considering a more direct involvement with mobile gaming via an acquisition.

British developer Superscape was recently reported to be in EA's sights, and last week it was reported that the giant publisher is considering a buyout of mobile content company JAMDAT.

This latter deal would give EA an inroad with Cingular - the largest mobile network in the US - as JAMDAT already offers more than 70 mobile software applications to Cingular subscribers.