"EA looks at the top 20 developers in the world and we try to sign anything those guys are working on," DeMartini explained to Multiplayer. On working with Japanese studios, he offered, "That would represent something that is slightly uncomfortable for both parties, but also represents something that is very unique and very special."

DeMartini is keeping quiet on who he approaches, especially within Japan, but "it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess" who EA may be talking to. But the program's recruits may have been promised something special, like cult-following designer Goichi Suda: "He was looking for a breakout hit into the multiple millions of units," DeMartini commented.

The EA Partners program is a hands-off publishing partnership where EA gives more autonomy to the studios it signs to publish games. It has emerged as an "elite" offering, drawing high-power, independent studios like id Software (Rage), Epic Games (Gears of War), Valve (Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box), Harmonix (Rock Band), and others to sign deals.

Recently, the program has inked some unconventional international deals, such as one with Japanese studio Grasshopper Manufacture (No More Heroes, Killer 7) attaching the talents of Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. Others were also announced with Q Entertainment (Lumines) and Epic subsidiary People Can Fly (Painkiller).