EA and Endemol to Create Virtual Me

Electronic Arts and the Endemol Group, an international television and audiovisual entertainment company, announced a partnership for the development of Virtual Me, a digital entertainment concept that "bridges the divide" between traditional TV and videogames and is scheduled to debut during the TV show "Big Brother."

Virtual Me combines EA's avatar creation technology with popular Endemol TV formats to provide consumers unique ways to meet, compete, and socialize in online digital worlds. These life-like cyber-clone-style avatars can be created with easy-to-use tools that allow for highly customized appearances and identities.

In addition, Virtual Me offers players the chance to participate in virtual versions of shows like Fame Academy and Deal or No Deal, and to form relationships with other Virtual Me avatars on the web with the launch of virtualme.com.

Peter Bazalgette, Chief Creative Officer of Endemol said "People are starting to spend more time online than they are watching TV. ... Our opportunity with Electronic Arts is to develop ideas that fully embrace the way people are consuming entertainment today."

Gerhard Florin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of EA International commented, "With Virtual Me, we are at the forefront of a new hybrid form of entertainment that takes gaming beyond the console".

The two companies will share their respective expertise and develop entertainment formats and experiences for a wide range of platforms.