Electronic Arts Appoints New Asia Online President

Major publisher and developer Electronic Arts has formally announced that Hubert Larenaudie has been appointed as president of the publisher's online division for Asia, and as such will be responsible for the company's online product, technology and distribution operations in the region. Larenaudie brings nineteen years of experience in the entertainment industry to Electronic Arts. Most recently, he served as the president of Vivendi Universal Games' Asia-Pacific operations, during which he brought a number of high profile online PC games to that region, including World of Warcraft and StarCraft. According to EA, Jon Niermann will continue to serve as the company's president for EA Publishing in Asia, leading the business from the company's regional headquarters in Hong Kong. Representatives from the company noted that Erick Hachenburg, formerly responsible for EA's online operations in Asia, has decided to leave the company after successfully completing a two year assignment in China to build the foundation for EA's studio and publishing infrastructure in the region.