EA Buy Hits Right Note

American Idol wannabes don't always have to face Simon Cowell's acerbic comments in their journey to stardom.

They can reach out to America directly -- at least to whomever's logged on to SingShot Media, a karaoke Web site that lets users record songs, share them with friends, rate and comment on other members' tracks, and customize recordings with photos and videos.

SingShot is American Idol meets MySpace, News Corp.'s(NWS Quote - Cramer on NWS - Stock Picks) online networking site that has also become a sensation.

Not surprisingly, Electronic Arts(ERTS Quote - Cramer on ERTS - Stock Picks) wants a piece of this action.

The video-game publisher picked up San Francisco-based SingShot in an acquisition announced Monday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

On the surface, online karaoke may seem an unlikely bet for the largest publisher of video games. But SingShot is a shrewd buy.

The EA-SingShot deal unites two of the biggest trends in gaming: casual games that draw in users who might not otherwise be interested in video games, and rhythm games that cater to those with an inner desire to be a music sensation.

The year-old SingShot licenses music for its members to sing along to. The service is free for two weeks, after which it charges $9.95 for a monthly plan, $7.95 a month for a quarterly plan, and $4.95 a month for an annual subscription.

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