Spielberg: game for a laugh? Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP
Electronic Arts is well known for being the games industry's steamroller - franchises that dominate the charts - but now it's going for the big guns: Steven Spielberg is going to be working with them on a swathe of new titles.
It's a serious celebrity coup for EA, even if we ignore the fact that Spielberg's been off the boil for some time (did you see The Terminal?).
Some quotes, via MCV:
"I have been playing EA games for years and have watched them master the interactive format," he said. "Having watched the games industry grow from a niche and into a major creative force in entertainment, I have a great deal of respect for EA's understanding of the interactive format. I'm looking forward to working closely with the team in Los Angeles."
"There is no greater storyteller than Steven Spielberg," added EA chairman and CEO Larry Probst. "In addition to his gift for pleasing movie audiences, he has an innate understanding of games and how to immerse players into a fantastic world of action and characters."
Hollywood and the games industry are creeping closer together - as both Keith and Aleks have pointed out in recent Gamesblog columns - but the question has to be asked: is that a good thing?
Update: Keith's asking for suggestions on what kind of games this will end up producing: let him know over on Gamesblog.
