EA to distribute Taito mobile games in Europe

PARIS, May 20 (Reuters) - Electronic Arts (ERTS.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Japan's Taito, publisher of games like Space Invaders, for exclusive distribution and licensing rights to all of Taito's mobile titles in Europe.

Financial details were not disclosed. Taito is the arcade unit of Japanese videogame maker Square Enix Co Ltd (9684.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

The mobile gaming market suffered an unexpected slump last year, with many game developers and analysts pointing to weak distribution channels.

"Taito has produced some of the all time games classics -- like Space Invaders, Puzzle Bobble, Arkanoid -- as well as innovating with new titles like Cooking Mama," said Javier Ferreira, vice president of European publishing at EA Mobile.

"This deal gives EA Mobile immediate access to an incredibly popular catalogue on existing devices while offering us the opportunity to bring these titles to new mobile platforms." (Reporting by Tarmo Virki; editing by Sue Thomas)