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Game publisher Electronic Arts to buy 15% in Chinese firm
MUMBAI: Interactive entertainment games publisher Electronic Arts has made an equity investment in one of China‘s largest The two companies have also announced a licensing agreement that gives The9 exclusive publishing rights for EA Sports Fifa Online in China. Upon completion of the equity investment, EA will own 15 per cent of the common shares of The9. The investment is roughly $167 million. |
The agreement builds on EA‘s strategy of partnering with proven regional operators to bring online games to Asia, and The9‘s strategy of expanding its game product offerings in the Chinese market. EA Sports Fifa is EA‘s leading international sports franchise and is seeing early online success in Asia. Last year, EA and Seoul-based Neowiz partnered to launch EA Sports Fifa Online in Korea, now one of Korea‘s most popular games, consistently ranked among top performers with more than 4.4 million registered subscribers. The9 has exclusive publishing rights for the game in mainland China. |
The9 chairman and CEO Jun Zhu says, “EA will be a strong partner for us in the rapidly expanding online game market in China. We are seeing strong interest in online sports games in China with the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Fifa World Cup in 2010, and Fifa Online is set to be a top favorite in the Chinese market.” EA Asia Online president Hubert Larenaudie says, “This is another significant step in EA‘s strategy to build an online presence in Asia. The9‘s proven expertise will be a tremendous advantage in bringing FIFA Online to a growing market and we look forward to partnering with them to bring the best online football gaming experience to millions of Chinese gamers and football fans.” |
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
