EA to Distribute Half-Life 2 for PC and Xbox

Could this mark the beginning of a much deeper, thicker relationship between Valve and EA?

Publishing giant Electronic Arts announced today that it will distribute Half-Life 2: Game of the Year and Counter-Strike: Source for the PC, as well as Half-Life 2 for the Xbox, currently slated for release in October 2005.

"At EA Partners, our mandate is to seek out the world's top studios and game franchises, build partnerships, empower the development teams and help get these great games to more people in more countries than ever before. We consider Half-Life and Counter-Strike to be two of the best game franchises of all time," said Tom Frisina, Vice President and General Manager, EA Partners. "We could not be more excited to have the opportunity to help deliver these outstanding games to players around the globe."

Following the fallout between Vivendi Universal, the move to go with Electronic Arts comes somewhat as a surprise, especially when the Half-Life 2 developer in the past showed a sense of independence from publishers' timelines. How this will impact future titles by Valve remains to be seen.

The move is especially beneficial for EA in bolstering its lineup, which aside from its critically acclaimed sports franchises, had lacked high-profile properties (Doom, Unreal, Splinter Cell, etc.).

Interestingly, Half-Life 2: Aftermath wasn't mentioned in the press release--expect related news to surface as the expansion's release nears for the PC.

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