EA to make next-gen Simpsons

20th Century Fox and Gracie Films have signed a long-term deal granting Electronic Arts the right to develop next-generation games based on The Simpsons, inviting those of us writing news to spend 20 minutes clicking through thesimpsonsquotes.com and then pass it off as research. Yip!

There's no launch date for the first game yet, but EA Redwood Shores is apparently handling development. We understand that the game features "BS", a young kid who returns to Springfield after the death of his mother and finds himself quickly embroiled in a local turf war between his old friends and foes, bound to serve a crooked cop, slave to a destiny that he thought he'd managed to escape. For BS, fame was like a drug, but what was even more like a drug were the drugs. It's all true. And by true, we mean false. It's all lies. But they're entertaining lies. And in the end, isn't that the real truth? The answer is: No.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed in this morning's announcement, but producer James L. Brooks, speaking on behalf of Gracie Films, was able to shed a little light on the philosophy behind it, remarking, "I think this is a great opportunity for us, primarily because it brings with it the possibility of free EA games."