[b] By: Scott Schopman[/b]

[b] EA[/b] has announced that [b] Hypnotix, Inc.[/b] has joined with [b] EA?s[/b] development studio, [b] EA Tiburon[/b], to start creating action-oriented games. For those who aren?t familiar with [b] Hypnotix[/b] they are the creative mind behind the popular [i]Outlaw Golf[/i] and [i]Outlaw Volleyball[/i] series of games.

The first title planned for development will be [i]Arena Football[/i]based on the Arena Football League license. The game is set to be released during the 2006 AFL(Arena Football League) season.

Over the next four years, EA SPORTS(TM) will partner with the AFL on both media and retail marketing.

“EA Tiburon shares our enthusiasm for sports and our passion for making great games. By joining EA, we are becoming part of a world-class studio organization, home to some of the industry’s top designers, best artists and most sophisticated technologists. We couldn’t be more excited,” said Mike Taramykin, President of Hypnotix.

“Arena Football will be a completely new football experience. Hypnotix’ proven ability to deliver creative gameplay and unforgettable sports experiences makes them perfectly suited to create this new franchise and develop new action-oriented games in the future,” said Steven Chiang, VP and General Manager of EA Tiburon. “They are a great addition to our studio.”

Stay tuned for future updates on the [b]EA[/b] and [b] Hypnotix[/b] team along with game announcments.