Square and EA Join Forces

On Monday, Electronic Arts and Square Co. Ltd. announced that they have formed two joint ventures to publish and distribute games in North America and Japan - Square Electronic Arts LLC and Electronic Arts Square KK.

In North America, Square Electronic Arts LLC holds the exclusive publishing rights to all future Square titles - including all PC titles. Located in Costa Mesa, California, the new company is 70 percent owned by Square, 30 percent by Electronic Arts. The first four games to be released in 1998 under the new label will be console titles Parasite Eve, Xenogears, Bushido Blade 2, and Brave Fencer Musashiden. Jun Iwasaki, vice president of marketing at Square Soft Inc. (a US subsidiary of Square), will be Square Electronic Arts' president. Two PC titles from Square, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy V will both be published in the US by Eidos Entertainment. A Square USA staffer confirmed today that FFV would indeed get a US release. Should Final Fantasy VIII make to the PC, that title would come from the joint venture.

In Japan, the two companies will form Electronic Arts Square KK, which will publish and distribute EA's US lineup in Japan. That includes the company's highly successful EA Sports titles, Theme Hospital, and the Ultima series. Tamio Yamamoto, previously president of Wilson Japan Inc., will be the president of the newly formed company. Electronic Arts Square will be 70 percent owned by EA, 30 percent by Square.