The pre-release leak of The Sims 3 essentially served as a "demo program" for Electronic Arts to test its focus on "disc-enabled" services like community and downloadable content, CEO John Riccitiello recently postulated to IndustryGamers.

After jokingly referring to the leak as a "secret marketing campaign," Riccitiello noted that "Sims 3 has a massive amount of content, and a lot of it is downloaded once you register with EA." For example, registered users get an extra city as a free download.

"For the pirate consumer, they don't get the second town, they don't get all the extra content, and they don't get the community. [The piracy] was only concentrated on Poland and China, but I think of it as not being that different than a demo," the CEO added.

Use of free downloadable content as a piracy and used sales deterrent is a growing trend amongst the development community, which has been extremely... Read more

Update: "We have nothing to confirm regarding the C&C franchise at this time," Electronic Arts told us when asked about the survey and existence of Command & Conquer 4.

Original: An online survey apparently conducted on behalf of publisher Electronic Arts contains word of the unannounced Command & Conquer 4 and numerous details.

Among those details are gameplay features, such as persistent "RPG-like" progression, along with possible features for a "future version" of the real-time strategy series.

Developer EA Los Angeles, responsible for the most recent entries in the Westwood-created franchise, has previously teased that "there's a really bright future for Command & Conquer, especially the Tiberium universe."

As Command & Conquer 4 has not been officially announced, and this is a survey meant to gauge interest and reactions, there's no confirmation that the below points will make it into the inevitable sequel. We've also reached out for EA for clarification.

Now we would like to tell you about a new Command & Conquer game. Please read the following description.

Command & Conquer 4 allows C&C fans to finally experience the epic conclusion to the 15-year Tiberium saga with innovative... Read more

Publisher Electronic Arts has announced that former chief operating officer John Schappert will return to that position on July 14, ending a two-year stint at Xbox 360 maker Microsoft.

While at Microsoft, Schappert served as a corporate vice president and oversaw various elements of Xbox 360 operations, including Xbox Live and Microsoft Game Studios.

Schappert will replace current EA COO John Pleasants, who is now leaving the company, and marks the latest former EA executive to return to the company. John Ricitiello, who left his position as EA COO... Read more

Electronic Arts today announced that it will publish Realtime Worlds' upcoming cops vs. robbers MMO "APB" under its EA Partners label.

No new details on the title, but a short trailer featuring in-game footage was played. We'll have the video shortly.

Update: The PC edition of APB will hit North America and Europe in early 2010, EA added in a later press release. No mention was made of the previously announced Xbox 360 edition.

EA Partners will publish Crysis 2, Electronic Arts and CryTek announced today. Though devoid of any details on the game and no release date estimate, today's announcement did reveal that the CryEngine 3 powered game will head to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in addition to a PC release.

"The development of Crysis 2 marks a major stepping stone for our studio," said Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli, adding "This is not only the next game in the Crysis franchise, it's the first title we are developing for consoles and the first title being built on CryENGINE 3. We are excited to have the support of EA Partners again as we work together to make the launch of Crysis 2 a huge event."

CryTek previously teamed with EA Partners for Crysis and Crysis Warhead.

During a quarterly earnings call, Electronic Arts executives expressed their optimism for the digital download market on reports of strong financial progress in the sector.

EA CEO John Riccitiello reported that the company had seen its digital direct revenue grow to $400 million in the last fiscal year, while CFO Eric Brown noted that digital game distribution alone nearly doubled in revenue year-over-year to $80 million.

"This is a big year for us," said Brown. "The online part of our business is growing as much as 60% year over year."

"In terms of distribution, the way we look at a lot what's happening in the future is, we've got probably a billion PCs out there in the world," he continued. "Very rapidly the PC is becoming the largest gaming platform in the world, just not in a packaged-good product."

"As you look at what that means in terms of distribution of product, we think that's incredibly exciting because it's going to open the market to new demographics, new countries and new types of gameplay," he added.

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello told investors today that his company is viewing the current console cycle as an "extended" one, and said that the need for racing to new hardware has lessened.

"I think that [console] arms race, while I can never say that it's done, the relevance of doing that faster.. seems to have subsided," said Riccitiello.

Riccitiello noted that while new platforms such as the iPhone are providing reasons for publishers like EA to invest in research and development, he doesn't expect the traditional console cycle to turn over anytime soon.

"Those big changes are not something we're seeing in the immediate term, nor are we expecting it in the immediate term," he added.

Publisher Electronic Arts today reported that its net loss over the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009 totaled to $1.08 billion--an increase of over $500 million in losses over the previous year.

The company reported total revenue of $4.2 billion over the year, up 15 percent from the previous year's figure of $3.6 billion.

Meanwhile, the publisher's fourth quarter results rang in to the tune of $42 million in net loss--less than expected by analysts. According to EA, sales in that quarter were largely driven by Skate 2, Rock Band 2, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Left 4 Dead and Need for Speed Undercover.

Following third quarter losses of over $600 million, EA quickly moved to cut back its operation, presenting plans in February to close 12 facilities and cut 11% of its workforce.

"EA's strong cost actions in Q4 FY09 together with our investments in our digital service businesses will set us up for a stronger FY10," said EA CEO John Riccitiello today. "EA is well positioned with the right strategies in a growing industry."

Following the hiring of several gaming industry executives, Apple has been rumored to be considering a takeover attempt on Electronic Arts--though one analyst isn't buying it.

Apple recently picked up former Xbox division director of strategy Richard Teversham, along with Bob Drebin, the designer of the Gamecube graphics processor. The hirings have fueled speculation that Apple is looking to make a move into the wider gaming industry, and specifically that it is currently eying Electronic Arts.

But hard-nosed Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter isn't buying it.

"Sounds retarded to me," said Pachter to Gamasutra. ... Read more

Now PSP owners can look forward to EA's own special brand of Hell, as the publisher has announced its third-person Satan-puncher Dante's Inferno will also hit the PSP.

Translating EA Redwood Shores's vision of Hell to the PSP is WET creator and porting veteran Artificial Mind and Movement, perhaps better known as A2M--a second-circle sin.

Ostensibly based upon Dante Alighieri's 14th century allegorical poem Divine Comedy, Dante's Inferno is a blood-soaked God of War-style action adventure into Hell itself.

Dante's Inferno is scheduled for a simultaneous release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PSP next year, with the game's animated feature likely to be released alongside.

Beloved game creator and Maxis co-founder Will Wright (The Sims, SimCity, Spore) today revealed that he is leaving Electronic Arts and Maxis to pursue one of his old side projects.

Dubbed Stupid Fun Club, the company is described as "an entertainment think tank developing new Intellectual Properties to be deployed across multiple fronts including video games, movies, television, the internet, and toys."

Stupid Fun Club was initally formed around 2001, to explore Wright's love of robots.

Though Wright is for all intents and purposes leaving Electronic Arts, he will continue to work with the publisher, as Wright and EA now own equal percentages of Stupid Fun Club. Maxis VP Lucy Bradshaw will keep running Maxis, bought by EA in 1997.

In addition, Electronic Arts holds the right to develop any game concepts... Read more

Shacknews has learned that Electronic Arts is currently in the process of resurrecting Bullfrog's classic isometric sci-fi action series Syndicate.

This lends further credence to recent rumors that Riddick and The Darkness developer Starbreeze has been tasked with the project.

Starbreeze and Electronic Arts partnered last year on Project RedLime, which was teased as a revival of one of EA's "most acclaimed classic franchises." RedLime is slated to hit PC, PS3 and Xbox 360--the same platforms as the new Syndicate.

Further evidence of Starbreeze's involvement comes from GamesIndustry.biz and CVG, both of which independently reported the news at different times.

At this point, it's unclear if original producer Peter Molyneux will assist with the project. It's unlikely, given that he currently heads up the Microsoft-owned Lionhead Studios, though Molyneux has expressed a desire to eventually resurrect the series.

Now available on FileShack is the EA Game De-Authorization Management Tool, a 5.42MB download meant to help owners of EA PC games balance install limits.

While the publisher has already released a variety of game-specific de-activation tools, this one serves as a catch-all, scanning your system for any Electronic Arts game released after May 2008 that may have authentication limits, and then providing information on the amount of authorization slots in use and how to disable them.

Games covered by the tool include:

• Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3... Read more

EA continue their multimedia onslaught today by announcing an animated version of Dante's Inferno, its upcoming title loosely based upon Dante Alighieri's epic poem.

Minds behind this animated adventure include the producer of EA's 2008 video game tie-in Dead Space: Downfall and the director of Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron.

"The feature will explore aspects of the poem that the game does not," promises creative director Jonathan Knight, leaving one to wonder exactly which elements of the classic allegorical epic are overlooked by the brutal God of War-style hack 'em up.

You can go to Hell with Dante's Inferno the video game on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2010. EA has yet to announce when the cartoon will unleash its torment.

The Sims 3 will feature greatly simplified copy protection with no online activation when it launches for PC and Mac on June 2, The Sims label head Rod Humble has announced on the official Sims 3 website. In his words:

The game will have disc-based copy protection - there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed.

We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorization server access in the distant future.

DRM proved a thorny issue for EA when Spore's SecuROM online activation technology initially only allowed owners to install the game three times before having to contact EA. Reactions ranged from comical protest creatures in Spore to class-action lawsuits.

Two of the top blokes behind EA's charmingly British platformer-puzzler Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure have ventured forth from the publisher to found DreamRift, a new independent studio.

Hatsworth lead designer Pete Ong and lead programmer Ryan Pijai are joined by unnamed diamond geezers from across the industry. DreamRift is wooing prospective publishers with its first project this week at the Game Developers Conference.

Released March 17 for the Nintendo DS, Henry Hatsworth is a charming platformer-puzzle hybrid where players match blocks in the lower screen to destroy enemies and charge up special abilities in the top's platformer. Amongst these powers is the fabulous "Tea time," which seats the Pompous Adventurers' Club's top adventurer in an invincible steam-powered robot--just another Tuesday in England.

Continuing to expand in the lucrative iPhone and iPod Touch gaming market, publisher Electronic Arts plans to bring a number of major franchises to the devices this year.

Those upcoming titles include the extreme snowboarding series SSX, Wolfenstein RPG, Red Alert, FIFA 10, Madden 10, NBA Live 10, American Idol, Spore Creatures, Clue, Risk, Mystery Mania, Connect 4, Battleship, Tiger Woods and Star Trek, according to reports from game journalist Patrick Klepek and Kotaku.

More details on the above games are expected in the coming hours, days and weeks.

As had been expected, Electronic Arts today officially announced Army of Two: The 40th Day, the co-op action game sequel featuring the two-man team of Salem and Rios.

In the game, Salem and Rios find themselves in Shanghai, China, which has been almost completely ruined. As they make their way through the city, they'll try to uncover the secret of the 40th Day.

According to EA, gamers can expect a lot more co-op moves (more ways to slap butts please), resulting in a more "organic and immersive" experience.

In development at EA Montreal, Army of Two: The 40th Day is out this winter for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP.

Electronic Arts will publicly announce a new project from Army of Two developer EA Montreal next Thursday, March 12, the company revealed in a press release today.

Specifically, the release was a publicly-distributed invitation for "local media" to attend an advance presentation on March 9 at EA Montreal. A release announcing the game will hit March 12, and any subsequent impressions and interviews are embargoed until March 16 at 9 AM EST "in order to ensure fair coverage for media across the globe."

No clues or hints as to the game's identity or platforms were provided. Recent projects out of EA Montreal include Army of Two (PS3, 360), Boogie Superstar (Wii), and Skate It (Wii, DS). The studio is known to be working on Need for Speed Nitro (Wii, DS), and Electronic Arts has previously suggested that an Army of Two sequel is coming.

Electronic Arts today announced that EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 will hit Wii on June 16, and confirmed that the two will the first Wii games out of EA that support the upcoming MotionPlus controller add-on.

Nintendo unveiled the accessory last summer, promising that it would improve the accuracy of the Wii Remote's motion-sensing capabilities to an almost 1:1 scale. At last official word, the add-on was to be bundled with Wii Sports Resort this spring.

When played in conjunction with the MotionPlus accessory, Tiger Woods is said to "allow golf fans to experience a near-perfect 1:1 swing." Meanwhile, Electronic Arts vowed that Grand Slam Tennis is "the deepest tennis experience ever for the Wii," and noted that both Grand Slam and Tiger Woods 10 would eventually hit other platforms.

Those versions of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for other platforms will ship in June, the company added, while stressing that Grand Slam Tennis is "available first for the Wii."