Electronic Arts is in the process of sealing a $30 million deal with Shawn Fanning, most famous for founding Napster, for his gaming social network site, Rupture. Though it was originally intended as an ancillary community system for World of Warcraft, Rupture has experienced a faltering development cycle, languishing in a perpetual beta state and endlessly delaying its final launch.

Fanning and his co-founder, Joe Baudanza, will both join EA to work on the project, and while Rupture may have had a narrow focus before, its technology will likely be have a broader purpose under EA’s control, supporting the company’s various massively-multiplayer online games. Bioware’s upcoming MMORPG seems like an especially appropriate candidate.

Between this news and EA’s recent reversal concerning the draconian DRM for the PC version of Mass Effect in the face of public outrage, could it be that EA is taking increasing notice of community? Stay tuned for more information.