EA talking like a l33t troll
Over at Wired Game|Life they’ve covered EA’s response to the global economic crisis. In a nutshell: the GEC is good for the game industry because it will destroy all the small companies that produce lots of crap titles for consoles. Some would say it’s EA’s seemingly infinite capacity to extend franchises beyond all reason (eg: the Sims + various expansions, numerous EA Sports titles, etc.) that spawns most of the crap of game store shelves. Other might argue that EA’s behavior tends towards the monopolostic and their reluctance to try anything new when they can make a quick buck from putting out another Sims expansion pack is retarding industry creativity. Still others would argue that the game publishing model (of which EA is a sterling example) that makes it all but impossible for small or medium sized developers to get a fresh title funded is more to blame for the crap on the shelves.
It’s perhaps a little ironic that it’s small studios who may be well placed to reap the greatest rewards from the GEC. If digital distribution turns out to be the new game publishing and distribution method of the next decade, it’s today’s small developers who’ll be tomorrow’s major labels, and they won’t be interested in doing publishing deals with EA. Publishers like EA may find themselves whining about the evils of online distribution in much the same way that the once arrogantly powerful record publishing industry was. I’m sure that small startups riding high on digital distribution and staffed by the talented people left in a ditch by EA’s kinicide will weep real tears.
Why so much venom towards EA? Well, as companies go under and real people lose their jobs through no fault of their own, fat cats like EA’s CEO John Riccitiello stand in front of slides proclaiming that the way to stay in business (nay, PROFIT) in a recession is to cut, cut, cut. Gee, I wonder if Riccitiello would be so gleeful if his salary and share options were cut each time he cut one of the EA “family”. I’m guessing not, but then he’s got nothing to worry about. A certain amount of humility would go a long way, Mr Riccitiello.
