EA Games and Endemol are joining forces to create virtual games based on popular reality television programming.
EA Games is known for their virtual avatars used in their SIMS and Madden games series, and the basis of these avatars will be used to create online players for Endemol games such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, and Fame Academy. As attention shifts from tv to the Internet, we're seeing all kinds of marketing strategies work their way through the web. Reality television, which is already relatively inexpensive to produce, is a prime target for online, virtual manifestation, as it involves user participation on a wide scale and offers additional platforms for branding recognition.
After the dismal results of SIMS online and Endemol's attempt to recreate Big Brother on Second Life as well as market to the social networking sphere, it's somewhat surprising that they're both trying their hand at online versions of reality tv. EA has long been searching for a way to spread their online communities, and partnering with Endemol moves beyond an organic growth existence. The first online game will be a virtual version of Big Brother, and will debut on VirtualMe.com in the coming months.