EA Mobile and Blue Planet Software Celebrate Industry Milestone
MONTREAL, Jan 21, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Blue Planet Software, Inc., the company that manages the exclusive
licensing rights to the Tetris(R) game, and EA Mobile(TM), a division of
Electronic Arts Inc., today announced at a press conference at the EA
Montreal studio that Tetrishas reached over 100 million paid
downloads on mobile phones since 2005, making it the pre-eminent game
for the platform. Since becoming the exclusive mobile publisher for
Tetris in 2006, EA Mobile has brought a number of Tetris games to almost
all mobile platforms including the App StoreSM.
"Tetris on mobile will never go away," said Henk Rogers, CEO of Blue
Planet Software. "As mobile devices get into the hands of more people,
so does Tetris. People are always looking for ways to fill their time --
be it in waiting rooms or on the bus -- and with the advent of touch
screens and improved platforms, our eyes are opened to a whole new way
to develop games. After Tetris' success with the Game Boy in 1989, we
always hoped that potential would carry over into today's mobile
devices. It's a testament to the game's staying power that it remains
popular on today's most modern technology."
Over its 25-year history, the Tetris game has been sold on almost every
gaming platform. Currently, the game's greatest growth is occurring on
mobile platforms.
"Tetris is the biggest franchise in mobile gaming, which speaks to the
evergreen nature of the brand and the fact that it translates to any
platform," said Adam Sussman, VP Worldwide Publishing for EA Mobile.
"Our strong relationship with Blue Planet Software has enabled us to
optimally adapt Tetris to the ever evolving handset market while keeping
the true spirit of the game alive. 100 million paid downloads are
testament to this."
Created in 1984 by Russian-born mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, the
Tetris game has become a worldwide success model for the gaming
industry. Tetris was first available on mobile in 2001, the product of
collaboration between Rogers and Takeshi Miyaji of Japan's G-mode.
"Tetris provided the crucial building blocks for our company when we
started 10 years ago," said Miyaji, president of G-mode, the exclusive
distributor of Tetris in Japan. "Just this past year alone our 'Tetris
League' game in Japan has been played nearly 100 million times. As
G-Mode and Blue Planet Software grow alongside each other, we hope to
continue our contributions to Tetris' recognition and popularity."
In addition to reaching this mobile milestone, the Tetris brand has
created numerous headlines in the past year. It is currently celebrating
its 25th Anniversary, which officially kicked-off in June
2009 at an event attended by thousands of videogame enthusiasts and
journalists from E3 in Los Angeles. And in September 2009, a scientific
study published by BMC Research Notes showed that participants
who played the Tetris game over time had increased efficiency and a
thicker cortex in areas of the brain linked to critical thinking and
coordinated movement.
* EA Mobile internal data, includes
iPhone and iPod touch downloads
About the Tetris(R) brand
The Tetris(R) brand is one of the leading and most distinctive video game
brands and franchises in the world. In the game's 25-year history, over
125 million units have been sold. Loved globally by people of all ages
and all cultures, the Tetris game continues to be one of the most widely
recognized video games of all time. According to researchers, the Tetris
game is an excellent tool for neuroscience research and has been used in
over 30 scientific studies. Research published in 2009 in BMC
Research Notes found that study participants who played Tetris
showed increased brain efficiency and, relative to controls, an increase
in brain tissue. Tetris Holding, LLC is the owner of Tetris rights
worldwide and The Tetris Company, LLC is its exclusive licensee. The
Tetris Company, through its agent Blue Planet Software, Inc., licenses
and manages the Tetris intellectual property and franchise worldwide.
Today, Blue Planet Software continues to work with licensees to deliver
top quality Tetris products that are relevant, fun and challenging for
its millions of players. For the latest information about the Tetris
brand and Tetris products, please visit www.tetris.com.
About EA Mobile
EA Mobile(TM), is the world's leading wireless entertainment publisher with
award-winning games such as Tetris(R), Bejeweled(R), The
Sims(TM), and Need for Speed(TM). The EA Mobile portfolio also
includes casual games based on the company's partnership with Hasbro,
Inc. including MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE (in the U.S. and Canada)
as well as sports blockbusters from the EA SPORTS(TM) brand, including Madden
NFL Football, EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R). EA
Mobile develops games for multiple mobile platforms including mobile
phones, smartphones, the iPhone(R) and iPod(R). For more information about
EA Mobile, please visit www.eamobile.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is
a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in
1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless
devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under
four brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA(TM), EA Mobile(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2009,
EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold
more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com.
More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can
be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, Pogo, The Sims and Need for Speed are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S.
and/or other countries. Tetris is a registered trademark of Tetris
Holding, LLC. Bejeweled is a registered trademark of PopCap Games, Inc.
MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE are trademarks of Hasbro and used with
permission. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR are the
property of their respective owners and used with permission. App Store
is a service mark of Apple Inc. Apple is a registered trademark, and
iPhone, iPod and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Connecting Point Communications
Curtis Sparrer, 415-442-4034 (direct)
csparrer@cpcomm.com
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