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Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) has experimented in the Asian market with offering their popular Fifa game in an online version exclusively. It's been a great success, as their ad-supported model of the game brings them $1 million a month in revenue in the South Korean market alone, through in-game sales.

Now they're extending that model to the western market in hopes of duplicating and building on that success. Their first offering will be "Battlefield Heroes," which will be built with the mass market in mind, and will be able to be played on older computer systems.

This newer version an all-new Play 4 Free cartoon-style shooter, which was unveiled Monday at the Digital, Life, Design Conference in Munich, will be more of a cartoon looking game, and will include a matchmaking system built into the game which will ensure those playing it are close to being evenly matched in skill.

That's another way of saying they're making more like the friendlier casual gaming market, which has been growing strongly worldwide. It'll emphasize having fun and taking part in the experience, rather than the competitive side.
 
“Online gaming garners a massive audience,” said Gerhard Florin, EVP Publishing Americas-Europe at EA. “People want to play games in new ways, with easier access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play.”

Battlefield Heroes will be released as a free download for the PC in summer 2008. It won't be available in retail store outlets.