EA publishing Shank, Deathspank on consoles, PC

Electronic Arts is investing in two independent developers starting today: Klei Entertainment and Hothead Games.

EA will be publishing the former's 2D comic-style action game Shank on Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA), PlayStation Network (PSN) and PC this summer, and the latter's parodic action RPG Deathspank on XBLA and PSN sometime this year. EA's Jeff Green says, "If you're freaking out about no [Deathspank] PC version announce yet, stop freaking out. EA wants as many people as possible to play it..."

"Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games," said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners.

The company certainly knows good work when they see it, as both games look like solid and interesting spins on somewhat tired genres. Shank seems to have a big Comix Zone influence, while Deathspank -- led by The Secret of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert -- is said on the official website to be "better than Lord of the Rings," according to Ron's mom.

"As an independent development studio, we always focus on creating great, authentic experiences for players. Working with EA Partners expands our distribution and allows us to bring Shank to a much wider audience," said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. "They have been a fantastic partner and their understanding of the space is incredibly exciting."

"We are proud of our independence, but are very excited to be working with EA Partners on a title as big as DeathSpank," says Ian Wilkinson, CEO of Hothead Games. "With EA Partners handling distribution and marketing, Hothead can continue to focus on what we do best, making great games."