Gaming is an unusual hardware category for Samsung, in that the Korean company doesn’t dominate it. If you were to ask me for hot tips on the best gaming monitor, I’d consult my Asus, Dell, and even Acer catalogs before thinking about Samsung. That’s the perception Samsung is hoping to correct with a new line of curved gaming monitors this year, which it is now promoting in partnership with EA.

EA’s participation at E3 this year is also slightly unusual, in that the US company doesn’t have a booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center and is instead based in its own venue just next door. Renting out the former Club Nokia (now rebranded as the Novo by Microsoft, thanks Mr. Elop!) in the LA Live complex, EA has set up big exhibition areas for its upcoming titles like Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, and Madden, FIFA, and NHL 17. And the monitors that people will be checking out and playing those games on will be provided by Samsung.

It’s a win-win deal for both companies: EA gets someone to provide the hardware to furnish its shiny new digs while Samsung puts its name in front of giddy gamers savoring their first taste of future games. Samsung and EA are also launching a bundle deal that provides a free game with the purchase of a Samsung curved gaming monitor over the next three months — though it’s older stuff like FIFA 16 and Battlefield Hardline. In any case, this deal is just the start of Samsung's efforts to bolster its reputation for gaming, and the company's Seog-gi Kim, senior VP for displays, says "we look forward to further enhancing our displays to meet gamers’ most pressing visual and performance needs.”