Par, EA invest in the Don.(Paramount Pictures Corp., Electronic Arts Inc.)(Brief article)

Video Business, March, 2006 by Fritz, Ben

* EA's vidgame version of The Godfather hits stores more than three years after Paramount first started shop ping its film franchise as an interactive property. Par is counting on the No. 1 game publisher to reinvigorate the franchise for a new generation. Success will mean both game royalties and bigger DVD sales; failure could leave a crack in one of the studio's crown jewels.

It's a big risk for EA as well. The publisher paid handily for the license, and it's treating The Godfather like a top property, with a budget on the high end for vidgames--more than $15 million--and a huge marketing campaign.