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Businesses Entertainment Games

EA's Busy Week 37

Posted by Zonk from the with-i-was-that-productive dept.
Electronic Arts has had a pretty good week. Gamespot is reporting on a number of things that seem to be going their way. Earlier in the week the software publisher led a games related stock surge, with the company up almost three dollars at the end of yesterday's trading. Capitalizing on their foot in the door as regards next-gen software, the company is planning to develop games in Japan so as to get a better feel for the Japanese marketplace. They already have a Japan-specific title in the works there for a yet-to-be-announced console. Finally, EA and John Madden have come to an agreement ensuring that the 'Madden Football' series will be around for a few more years. The sports magnate has signed away his likeness to the series for another multiyear contract.
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EA's Busy Week More

EA's Busy Week

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  • It's sad to see EA stocks rising yet again while Majesco's has fallen to half of what it was. I guess no one cares about companies that release innovative titles anymore?
    • If they aren't innovating, and they're trying to get into the Japanese market (the most innovative game market in the industry), only one of two things can happen:

      1) They fail miserably and start re-thinking the way they make games or

      2) They start re-thinking the way they make games, and they succeed.

      Either way, they're going to start having to make high-quality and innovative games sometime soon.

      • I think you're forgetting this is EA... Sure, they may start re-thinking the way they make games and succeed, but I doubt that we're going to get any innovative games out of the situation any time soon.

        Hopefully, though, we may see employees starting to be treated a little better when EA realizes that they can't be the Wal-Mart of games (ie. underpaid, overworked employees) in every country.

      • You forgot:

        3)EA buys up several innovative japnaeese companies and use product/brand loyalty to break into the market. While at the same time sapping the life out of the bought-up companies.

        Ok, so I don't know who they would buy, but, never discount the ability of large companies to buy their way into a market.

    • Not directed to you specifically, but the response to all of the EA bullshit is obvious.

      You vote with your dollars. Don't buy their games. Take a stance against the evil empire.

      I have yet to play BF2. I won't be purchasing it--and I'm unwilling to pirate games.

      Likewise, I will not be purchasing any sports titles from EA for the forseeable future. Although I will make it a point to purchase games from ESPN (who really does make a great hockey game).
      • I don't buy EA games :)
      • i'm disappointed it took this long for someone to point this out.

        mohaa was probably the last truly great ea game i've played...

        i also bought bf1942 - loved it...the mod's were even great, revolutionary gameplay...

        bought bf:vietnam because i hoped it would be as good as 1942...it was a fun game, loved the chopper flying etc...but was hampered by some major bugs and incredible instability in the menu system & server browser...basically stopped playing - not because the game wasn't fun, but GETTING to t

  • BF2 (Score:4, Informative)

    by wyldeone ( 785673 ) on Wednesday July 13, 2005 @04:24PM (#13057634) Homepage Journal
    What? No mention of the huge dabacle that is Battlefield 2?

  • Fuck EA (Score:4, Insightful)

    by superpulpsicle ( 533373 ) on Wednesday July 13, 2005 @04:24PM (#13057635)
    Gamespot is reporting on a number of things that seem to be going their way.

    After buying everybody out, and releasing shitty products, hogging up player licenses. And marketing the hell out of garbage with the most monopolistic lawyer protections... who wouldn't have a busy week.

  • Pow! (Score:2)

    by Otter ( 3800 )
    Adding to the belief that EA (now in cahoots with ESPN) and Madden would part ways was the fact that Madden will be leaving ABC's Monday Night Football to get behind the microphone of NBC's Sunday Night Football in 2006.

    I must have missed that development -- is he jumping from the sinking MNF ship or did ESPN kick him out?

    I was a fan of the guy back when, but having him explain football as it's played in the 21st century is like having Andy Hertzfeld and Bill Joy on your 1337 new TV show about computers.

    • I must have missed that development -- is he jumping from the sinking MNF ship or did ESPN kick him out?

      Starting in 2006, Monday Night Football will be televised by ESPN, not ABC.

      Also starting in 2006, NBC will be televising Sunday Night Football, not ESPN.

      Since ESPN has a broadcast team with nothing to do (the three morons who did the Sunday night games, I don't know their names) they could do MNF. Which freed up Madden to join the new team at NBC.

  • And on top of all that (Score:3, Insightful)

    by CounterZer0 ( 199086 ) on Wednesday July 13, 2005 @04:49PM (#13057800) Homepage
    They STILL haven't fixed the numerous problems with their flagship BF2 title.

    And why is their stock going up news for nerds? Somebody own evil empire shares?
  • The first priority of a public company is its shareholders who only care about the profit. Their concern is not with innovative gameplay unless it rakes in the money.
    EA has pretty much always been a mass market game company. No sense in typing about how they don't "innovate" (unless perhaps you're talking about Spore). It's not their goal. Don't know why people keep expecting this of them.
    • A. That's why public corporations are a bad thing. [thecorporation.com]
      B. EA does tend to buy out some innovative companies now and then, like Maxis or Criterion recently. Obviously these people's games make lots of money or else they wouldn't have bought them, yet now look at the 101 different Sims games they've released. They buy innovation then ruin it. Spore looks exciting, but I'm scared to see what EA will do to it down the road...I don't want to see Sporz in 'da Ci-tay 2 years from now :(
      • Well, you and I have similar thoughts on this overall. Couple things about Maxis, I'm pretty sure Maxis was about to go under when EA bought into their Sims game so they somewhat saved the company. Fast forward to today, Maxis is responsible for designing the Sims games. They have a product that millions of consumers enjoy. Given its success, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot and disappointing fans if you radically changed what they love.

        For the other companies bought up, they too are responsible for

    • Actually EA used to be one of my favorite game companies, back about 20years ago.
      I used to play a lot of thier titles on the Commodore 64.
      Innovate? well IIRC they did do 'Mail Order Monsters' and 'Earth Orbit Stations' to name two, I'm pretty shure they were also behind M.U.L.E. but i'm not as shure I could be.
      Them, SSI, and Origin systems made about 90% of the games I liked back then.
      Of course now that they've turned into a corporate monster absorbing company after company and rather than focu
  • As far as I'm concerned, EA is the worst thing to ever happen to the games industry. The eat up all the good independent developers and small publishers, and have made the industry less diverse, and less willing to take risks with exciting new IPs.

    They are the main force behind the "Hollywoodization" of the games industry, with bigger budgets and less creativity.
  • A busy week for a games developer meant actually shipping SOME FRICKIN' GAMES!!!

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