At the GDC this week, EA announced its partnership with 38 Studios to publish a single-player RPG prequel to the "Copernicus" MMO

This week at the GDC in San Francisco, Electronic Arts announced its partnership deal with 38 Studios to publish "Project Mercury," a single-player RPG. In a press release from EA, the publisher said Project Mercury "marks the first entry into the company's vast universe created by New York Times best-selling fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, with artistic direction by Todd McFarlane, renowned artist and creator of Spawn." The single-player RPG intends to set the stage, helping to introduce players to the world of the "Copernicus" IP (the code name for 38 Studios' upcoming MMO).

38 Studios founder and chairman Curt Schilling is a former Major League Baseball player, avid WoW fan and frequent guest host on the WoW podcast The Instance. "From day one, 38 Studios has been focused on creating the next generation of entertainment experiences that embrace all mediums, including film, television, comics, novels, toys and, of course, games," Schilling said in the press release. "We are creating an enormous world, with heroes and villains and a rich back story from the brilliant minds of R. A., Todd and Ken at its heart, and I can think of no finer partner than the global powerhouse that is EA Partners. Being able to leverage the expertise of EA's publishing organization to bring our first product to market is a dream come true for 38 Studios."

According to the press release, Project Mercury will be released for the PlayStation3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms. For more news and information about 38 Studios' upcoming MMO, visit our Copernicus portal site.