Forget generic Tetris, craptastic Space Invader knock-offs and Boggle, Electronic Arts has cut a deal to provide their brand of games on in-flight airlplane entertainment systems.

EA has teamed up with DTI Software, the company that made all of those abortive games I listed above, to pump The Sims 2, Poppit!, Word Whomp, Phlinx, Tri-Peaks, Solitaire, Harvest Mania, Tumble Bees, Great Escapes Solitaire and Turbo 21 to a slew of airlines.

EA's Tammy Schachter tells me that while The Sims 2 in-flight game will use existing art, assets and gameplay mechanics, the game itself will be built from the ground up for use in the seatback in front of you. Schachter points out that there are 20 different kinds of in-flight entertainment systems on planes, so that sounds like quite a challenge.

I just hope they figure out a way to wire in multiplayer support. Maybe this will be up and running when I fly back to Australia for my semi-annual pilgrimage with the family. Brian Crecente

Contact information for this author is not available.