EA is the name behind games such as "Need for Speed Most Wanted," "Madden NFL 06" and "The Sims."

"It's a similar trend in all three countries...console software started at around 15 percent of all entertainment software two years ago. In 2005 it will probably be 35 percent and for 2007 we expect it to be around 65-70 percent," he said. By comparison, Intat added, software for consoles accounts for about 80 percent of sales in the United States and only recently topped the 50 percent mark in Germany. He said growth in the games market in the three countries which joined the European Union last year was being driven by rising purchasing power and by the relative youth of their populations, particularly in Poland. "It's the purchasing power, and it's also the society, which is very modern and very curious about new technologies," Intat said, adding that 34 percent of Poland's population is under 24 years old, compared with 26 percent in Germany.

All three former communist countries are regularly criticized by international media associations for failing to protect intellectual property rights from piracy, but Intat said he believed the problem was exaggerated. "The stereotype is that copying and piracy is more widespread in those countries than in others. Frankly speaking, I think it's more similar," he said.

He said Electronic Arts was fighting piracy by seeking tougher law enforcement, but also by luring consumers away from illegal bazaars and into legitimate shops. "It's a carrot and stick policy. Definitely we have to pursue whatever we can legally, but I think the bigger driver is actually to come up with localized products, which are more attractive -- where people see a big value in purchasing them in stores," Intat said. He said the shift to consoles also helped fight piracy, because the format makes copying less convenient.

Asked whether EA would seek acquisitions in the region, Intat said only that the company was always looking for opportunities to expand. He also praised the region's programming talent. "This is definitely a stereotype that holds true -- you have a lot of very creative programmers there. And they're not only 'cheaper' because the salary levels are lower, they're actually just excellent."