Jo Wood Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. today announced plans for Jo Wood to complete its acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA). The companies have unanimously agreed to a merger proposal through which Jo Wood will acquire the remaining outstanding shares of EA, effectively making EA a fully integrated studio within Jo Wood.

The merger is subject to approval by a 2/3 majority vote of shares at the Annual General Shareholders Meeting of EA, which is scheduled for May 24, 2006. The merger is subject to customary closing conditions and is anticipated to close in September 2006.

"The Sims franchise definitely shows potential. Once the Madden franchise is merged with the Söldner franchise -- we take the best from both worlds by fusing the masterful coding of Söldner with the innovative and constantly evolving design principles of the Madden franchise -- I think Jo Wood will be well on its way to establishing its dominance on the North American market," says Albert Seidl, CEO JoWooD Productions Software AG.

The next Halo is coming in March 2007. According to a Microsoft source who asked to remain anonymous and a second source close to the company, IGN today learned that Microsoft will publish the next Halo game (as predicted in January) in March 2007.