EA Signs Up Rhyming Digital Download Duo

Shank and DeathSpank aren’t just the first two downloadable indie titles to be published by EA Partners, they also just so happen to rhyme beautifully. Not that it really matters.

But anyway… Yes, EA Partners has entered into partnerships with Klei Entertainment and Hothead Games to publish their respective digital download hits-to-be, Shank and DeathSpank.

Described as an “evocative cinematic brawler,” Shank is a 2D side-scrolling action game with with a thirst for blood and a gorgeous graphic novel art style. In fact, it’s up for an “Excellence in Visual Art” award at the Independent Games Festival. Shank will be out this summer for PC, PSN and XBLA.

“Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “The team at Klei Entertainment is among the best in the world at developing fun and engaging titles for digital distribution platforms, and Shank is an amazing experience.”

“As an independent development studio, we always focus on creating great, authentic experiences for players. Working with EA Partners expands our distribution and allows us to bring Shank to a much wider audience,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “They have been a fantastic partner and their understanding of the space is incredibly exciting.”

DeathSpank is perhaps an even more exciting production considering it is the latest brainchild of The Secret of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert. DeathSpank is a “Monkey Island meets Diablo” combo of witty, humorous adventuring and addictive action-RPG hack ‘n slashing and loot collecting. A time frame for release has yet to be announced, but you will see DeathSpank on PSN and XBLA before 2010 lets out. A PC version would also make sense, but I guess that’s something Hothead would have to consider self-publishing since EA’s announcement only confirms console versions.

“The team at Hothead Games is a perfect fit for EA Partners. They are a great example of how the EA Partners program continues to emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with the world’s top indie developers,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “DeathSpank is an engrossingly fun and hysterically funny experience, and we are all excited to have the opportunity to help introduce DeathSpank to gamers across the world.”

“We are proud of our independence, but are very excited to be working with EA Partners on a title as big as DeathSpank,” added Ian Wilkinson, CEO of Hothead Games. “With EA Partners handling distribution and marketing, Hothead can continue to focus on what we do best, making great games.”