• May 7, 2008

Electronic Arts Inc., Redwood City, Calif.-based game maker EA Sports has launched a sub-brand called Freestyle.

The new division is, per the company, aimed not at the hard-core gamers, but at casual players, a growing segment. The company says the Freestyle division will make sports-based games that are "Playful, inclusive, casual, and easy to pick up and play for kids and parents, women and men, and casual and hardcore sports fans of all ages."

Freestyle will include three new games in development and slated for release in the next 12 months. One is "FaceBreaker", an arcade-style boxing title set for release in September and the first new console game from the company since 2002.

--Karl Greenberg