D’oh! EA Lands Simpsons Games Deal

Electronic Arts has landed an deal to create video games based on The Simpsons.

Electronic Arts, Twentieth Century Fox Television, and Gracie Films have announced an long-term deal which grants EA rights to develop multiple videogame titles based on the long-running animated television series The Simpsons.

No financial terms of the deal were disclosed, no dates have been laid out for Simpsons games, and no indication of the duration of the agreement has been released. Electronic Arts said the first game would be developed for next-generation gaming consoles (presumably including Sony’s PlayStation 3, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and/or Nintendo’s Revolution). The arrangement marks the first game development deal between Fox and Electronic Arts; if successful, it’s possible the partnership could enable EA to develop other entertainment titles based on other Fox television properties.

Keeping things lighthearted, The Simpsons’s Executive Producer James L. Brooks noted, “I think this is a great opportunity for us, primarily because it brings with it the possibility of free EA games.”

Electronic Arts recently entered into an exclusive arrangement with famed movie director Steven Spielberg to develop three original game titles.