EA Signs Xbox 720 Exclusivity Deal, Report Suggests

Electronic Arts has reportedly signed an exclusivity deal with Microsoft for their next-gen platform, tentatively known as the Xbox 720. According to CVG, both companies are expected to make an announcement shortly regarding the exclusivity deal, which is said to have been brokered for a major title.

CVG's sources are unclear about exactly which game the exclusivity deal pertains to, but an unnamed title by Respawn Entertainment and Battlefield 4 were suggested as possible options.

Respawn Entertainment was founded by Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella. They have been quietly developing a game, presumably a first person shooter, for EA Games over the past few years. The studio announced just a couple days ago that they will be making a big appearance at E3 in June this year.

At the present, EA has an exclusivity deal with Sony to release DLC for Battlefield 3 several weeks before every other platform gets it. Similarly, Bethesda Softworks and and Activision have similar deals with Microsoft.

In short, the exclusivity does not necessarily mean that gamers will only be able to play EA's new title on the Xbox 360. If it's anything like what EA is currently doing with Sony, all it means is that gamers on other platforms will have to wait a few weeks longer than their counterparts on the next-gen Xbox.

For all we know, the game involved could be Madden NFL 14.