Wow...is EA actually changing for the better? And admitting they screwed up?
This is history in the making, folks.

Heartwork

Are you listening MGS?

kidko

What? No! The lifecycle of a game development studio has been a steady, stable thing for a long time now.

1. Creative people open a studio and through their blood sweat and tears create something fun that brings them a lot of recognition.

2. Big publisher wants a bigger piece of the reward pie that studio was making, so they swoop in and give a truckload of money to the owners of the studio making promises like "you keep creative control", "having our resources at your disposal will free you from a lot of grunt work", and "you won't become a port house". Owners accept out of naivete and greed.

3. Big publisher keeps none of their promises, lets their marketing department mandate everything about the formerly independent studio's creative processes, and stifles creativity while crushing morale.

4. Former studio owners look around and go "gee this place sucks now" and leave the studio. The franchises the publisher was so happy to acquire now languish because the primary creative vision behind them are gone.

5. The creative people who fled the studio in step 4 set up a new independent studio so they can once more have full creative control over the things they make. Also, they really like experiencing step 2 again.

Who knows, maybe EA will actually change this age old formula.

fnc

@danecy:

I'm not sure why you're surprised. I'm far more shocked that no one's come up with a standardized 'M$' for EA now. I mean, you can use the Euro sign, or the pounds sterling one!

There are people who, if EA tomorrow went and gave everyone who had bought one of their games 500$, would complain that it wasn't enough. They are obsessed with having nerdrage and will not be changing.

vsove

EA is a money-making machine. That machine's success is based, at least in part, on its image in the industry. That image has been tarnished by its actions in the past. No doubt EA turning over this new leaf is due to them fearing loss of profits, not because they saw the light and now want to do what's right.

Winterblink

@RJAK: As a former employee of Origin Systems that left after EA 'took over', I don't think its classless to say "we told ya so" =)

Xira

I've despised Riccitiello ever since he made the direct decision to ax Multiplayer Battletech: 3025. A CD quality downloadable game (16mb all told) with over 30,000 active beta testers who were ready to pay the $10 per month for the game which got canceled on the eve of its launch due to the need for cost cutting. What was the biggest drain on EA.com? A game called "Majestic" along with the complete and utter mis-mangement of EA.com that became a running joke at Fatbabies.com

Cell9song

@Sinnbox: what difference does that make? I still think it should be updated with better controls. besides, the DC version was canceled and rightfully so. As far as I know it never saw the light of day. After seeing the Xbox version the DC version probably would have had worse controls, if such a thing is even possible.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

They killed all fun :(

But atleast they know it right?

Irenicus-the one and only

@danecy: I agree. Their very latest developer aquisitions have been screwed with very little in fact.

AceKicker

Good lord. Just read all of the comments above. Did all of the EA haters even read the article? They admit they made mistakes, and they are trying to change their ways. What more do you want right now? I know gamers are an unreasonable bunch, but bashing EA for admitting that they screwed the pooch is just bad form.

danecy

I'll say this once again, I think is really turning a corner in its thinking as a company. It seems like they are really letting their developers run on new projects. I hope it works out for them and the developers involved, because then everyone (including the consumer) wins.

danecy

As a former employee at Westwood, would it be classless of me to say "we told ya so"???

Rjak

Yeah, I miss some of the old PC Bullfrog hits. Magic Carpet and Hi-Octance, to be precise.

EA can make up for killing them by making a XBL version of Magic Carpet.

skrame

Hey, the guy's admitting that he and his company screwed up. Gotta give him at least some credit for admitting mistakes.

EA, the best way you could undo what happened to those three brilliant, brilliant development houses? Take the old licenses you own from these (and any other) devs and let the people who came up with them make the games they want to make.

Huxleyhobbes

Those teams suffered, and eventually lost talent, because creative decisions were escalated to the top levels of the company and creative contributors were "buried in layers of bureaucracy and policy."

Just like the Bioshock team fell apart. Ken Levine told us about what happens when you have to run creative decisions to the top of the corporate flagpole.

Billkwando

2K... that's what I meant to say, not Take 2. Damn, I hate when I do that.

Tenth

@Bones_Jackson:
Uh, then you're doing EXACTLY what he's saying not to do. Don't buy the studio for a name. Buy it for the talent. The creative strength of Bullfrog and the guys that made DK are pretty much all gone. Why revive a property while the muscle behind it is gone? You wouldn't be buying the next Dungeon Keeper; you'd be buying a game with the same name. EA's problem was that they thought this would be enough for people. Obviously, they were wrong. Most of the fans knew it and now they know it. Kudos to them for admitting it publicly. But that's his style and I have to admit it's really refreshing.

It's still EA though. Don't buy their crap until you SEE change.

Boilerbuzz

Hindsight is always 20/20, but most of what he said should have been obvious from the start.

Just because you buy the restaurant doesn't mean you can dictate the recipe to the lead chef.

HeyApples

Oooooh he was calling out 2K there, wasn't he?

Well I totally agree. When 2K renamed Irrational, it was a horribly shitty thing to do.

Sugoi

To keep things in perspective, in Japan, where the industry originated, developers have little to no creative freedom on their own; everything is controlled and mandated by suites up above.

We on the other side of the pond have tasted the results of giving extensive creative freedom to several developer studios, and only after we've seen how well it works do we make a stink about it.

I blame this as part of the reason there's been a huge stagnation in innovation from Japanese gaming.

So please just keep in mind everyone that having complete control over the developers used to be the status quo, and in some places, still is. So when we bitch, it's not about someone ruining a good thing, it's about not making the transition sooner.

AceKicker

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: GV was originaly a dreamcast game that got ported to Xbox

Sinnbox

@Michael McWhertor: A condition I've suffered myself. Good show, sir.

n/a

*sob* They killed Bullfrog! They killed Dungeon Keeper! I need some salsa for this chip on my shoulder please. Bring lots of salsa, it is a big one.

Ghede

Basically John Riccitiello has said with far too many words what I can say with just four.

"Suits fuck up everything."

axiomatic

@Drakron: This article is about Origin ... explains a lot ...

That was a great read... almost brings a little bit of rage to me, against EA.

Tenth

Say what you will, but Riccitiello seems like a pretty solid dude.

mind in rewind

@goldwings:

Theme Hospital was the shit!

Bullfrog made some of my favorite games of all time. Theme Park, Theme Hospital, Dungeon Keeper, Syndicate...

If EA was smart they would revive some of the properties that they own. I would much rather see Dungeon Keeper 3 than FIFA Street 08.

Bones_Jackson

@Drakron: I meant in the way that Irrational Games is no longer Irrational Games anymore. Even before Bioshock released, Take 2 renamed them Take 2: Boston. I don't think the credits list the team as Irrational Games.

Tenth

Fucking shitheads. Still why I don't buy EA. Although I guess I'll have to make exceptions for BioWare games.

GhaleonUnlimited

@Caduceus: Acually, believe it or not, I think they have. They've taken this approach with many of its more recent aquisitions. Talk to EA Mythic and ask them how things are going.

I'm just impressed/surprised that they've owned up to it.

AceKicker

I remember spending many a hour sitting in front of my PC playing Bullfrog's Syndicate and Syndicate Wars. I wish I still had them... alas, the idiocy of my youth.

MrFuzzyPants

How bout you stop treating your employees like shit, stop pumping out shitty sports games at an alarming rate, and start making some GOOD games for a change? Then I might actually buy one of your games, since I haven't in almost 3 years.

rebelphoenix

@Candlejack:
Way back in the day they put out Populous too.

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.:
Paradise is... if you like Burnout games, it's good, but it's NOT the previous games (like 3, Revenge, and Legends) Some good, some bad, but overall worth it IMO.

fuchikoma

Acquiring, and destroying brilliant teams like Westwood, and Origin are EA's biggest crimes against gaming. It's good to know they now realize what huge mistakes those moves were, and it gives me hope they won't do the same with Bioware, and Pandemic.

Gouki4u

@Caduceus: Seconded.

JohnnytheFuture

This article is about Origin ... explains a lot ...

[www.escapistmagazine.com]

Drakron

@SaintWaldo: My excuse for terrible grammar? I was overserved at the bar last night.

Michael McWhertor

@SaintWaldo: I just assumed that he actually meant that EA stifles talent creatively. Rest of the article made much more sense that way.

JustThisGuy

Sounds like EA is saying:

"Hey guys, it's a bad idea to around buying up companies. Instead let us do it!"

exkon

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: No More Heroes! RARAR! 8[]

Ampillion lives a life much like No More Heroes.

As someone who worked for Westwood for years, I'm glad to hear him finally own up to EA's part in what went down. WW wasn't without blame, but it wasn't all just us.

Ishmae1

Anyone think that was leveled at Take Two, and what they did to Irrational Games?

That would be hilarious because of ... this:

[www.ea.com]

They are listing Mass Effect under the new releases.

Drakron

This is great. Riccitiello seems to understand the mistakes of EA's past, and its great that he's doing his part to spread the understanding and story of his mistakes with others.

Perhaps I can feel somewhat better about the Bioware aquisition now. At least they seem like they have decent intentions for not bludgeoning creative talent.

theALLseeingEYE

I'm glad they recognized the problem. I still don't forgive them for Westwood or Bullfrog. Nor do I expect that him saying he messed up will have any change on EA's aquisition and destruction of small, quality game houses.

EA: Hey, look... A company making good games. *OM NOM NOM NOM NOM* That company was good. Now, they will become my poop.

Mobius

If you think you want to buy a developer and take their name off the credits, taking away their autonomy, you're making a profound mistake."

Anyone think that was leveled at Take Two, and what they did to Irrational Games?

Tenth

Isn't "creative stifling of talent" a split infinitive? Was the stifling creative?

Sure, Star trek gets away with this stuff. I've watched Star Trek. I like Star Trek. But you, Mr. McWhertor, are no Star Trek.

Pro Tip - "Stifling of creative talent" is the correct answer.

n/a

@HJungle: yeah, i had fun with PN#3 but the 3D engine was rough and a lot of the models and effects just felt unfinished. PN#3 could have been huge along the lines of DMC if Capcom would have allowed another few months of development and polish.

Dude, I loved GV but the controls were a deal breaker Trust me, I tried my best to get past it and couldn't...and like Shen Mue, I still believe a remake is in order.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: Well I don't know about any of their Wii games (luckily) but you should really give AC a shot on the PS3 - I've played through it just 2 days after launch without any sort of patch and it never glitched, but just occasionally, like 3 times in total, locked up at one of the loading scenes where you can move around in whiteness. Framerate was very stable, too. So nothing actually kept me from playing it or advancing.

Candlejack

Good to hear the CEO speaking so candidly. They'd better not repeat the same mistakes, because if EA ruins Bioware then I will never forgive them.

Stormrider

Let's hope they don't fuck up Warhammer online...

azilla

@Candlejack: true that. true that indeed. there are other factors behind the Splinter Cells and the Ghost recons etc...

for instance, R6:Vegas is better on LIVE and 360, but 360 doesn't support the Splitfish which I use for FPS games. I won't buy r6: Vegas on PS3 because it runs like crap. Assassin's Creed, I want to play it but I don't want it on 360 because I know the RRoD is upon me. But the ps3 version has glitches.

Wii has great potential for FPS games but look at Farcry for Wii. One of the most digusting games to be come out for the Wii since day one. Another UBI Soft game. It's a blurry, nasty mess of a game and UBI should be embarrassed to even expect anyone to buy it in that state.

Red Steel sucks...period. Don't get me started on that.
Especially since the last thing I heard about the sequel is that it was outsourced because the original dev team was having too many problems with the development. All of the games UBI soft have released for the Wii thus far have been terrible with the exception of those screwy Rabbits (original)

Haze...yeah..UBI is publishing it but you know what. I've watched a lot of footage of it and I like the 3D engine, textures etc...but gameplay-wise I haven't seen anything that makes Haze standout. The only FPS that I'm really looking forward to this year is Resistance 2.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

Wait, so letting successful studios continue doing things their way after being acquired will hopefully allow them to continue to be successful rather than shove one's corporate culture is the way to go!?

I guess understanding this 20 years too late is better than never.

Hisame

"Rockstar Games, Valve and Blizzard"

Blizzard = Vivendi Games.
Rockstar = Take Two.

Only Valve is independent ...

Besides EA already broken apart Maxis, how about we add then to EA death list?

Drakron

A big faceless corporation learned a lesson? Awwww, that's cute.

GregoriusH

Interesting and promising words. Definitely a different direction the whole Borg-like philosophy. Saying all this now probably doesn't make the lost talent feel any better but admitting your mistakes is a good first step toward redemption.

Of course, this does nothing to change my perception of the company. Every time I play an EA game I feel like I'm playing a commercial.

One step at a time.

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: Cheers for the GV reference (great game, crippling controls), but I thought PN03 was a lot of fun! A little run-and-gun arcade shooter with a touch of elegance. It would make a perfect Live or PSN game, really.

HJungle

@Candlejack: I wouldn't buy any of the games you mentioned myself, but Burnout Paradise is on my radar, and I'm a sucker for EA's NHL games.

to each their own.. to each their own :)

MrBionic

Of course the "command and conquer" method doesn't work - you killed it, you bastards.

Having said that, the fact that EA are finally admitting killing Westwood was a mistake is a start. Now they just need to APOLOGISE for doing so. =(

And here's hoping he actually sticks to his word and doesn't do the same thing again. I happen to like Bioware and Maxis.

Overlord44

Sounds to me a lot like EA CEO John Riccitiello wants to lump all of the publishers in the same boat of shit he captains. Just because EA ruins good game studios doesn't automatically mean all of the other publishers will, too.

(I'm also not implying that they haven't, I just think it's convenient for a CEO to say 'look, this aspect of our industry sucks and here's a list of people besides us who do it.')

doubtful

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: Yea it does, and it's your opinion on the games, nothing wrong with it. Just down to taste, but they're still quality titles and franchises (at least the ones out by now).

Oh and Haze is published by Ubi, doesn't really have to be an internal production to have the logo on it :P

Candlejack

I am now seriously confused...

Torokun

So they have learned their lesson. Nice.

Sabre_Justice: Look, I have a long name too! Yay! I'm such a trend whore!

@Candlejack: my bad...I should have specified...UBI Wii games.

but I didn't buy any splinter cell, I didn't buy Assassin's Creed, I passed on Ghost Recon and GR2, i passed on R6:Vegas, Haze wasn't developed by UBI but Free Radical and there's a chance I won't be buying that either since it looks like a me-too-itis game, Prince of Persia...no, I like the first one, didn't like the second, passed on the third. Brother's in Arms...uh no

I hope that covers everything

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

I missed Sim ThemePark.

blackadvent

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: my bad...(really need an edit button in these threads) Burnout isn't a yearly outing but damn if there aren't too many of them out already. Give a chance to miss the series.

@Sinnbox: dude, Gun Valykrie. Awesome game that deserved a sequel but had one of the dumbest control scheme of the era. GV gave a glimpse of what a 3rd person Metriod Prime could have been. All it needed was a sequel or even a current gen remake with a better control scheme.

Same with Project Number 3. Great idea but a half baked game. Sequel or remake please to take advantage of the potential of the ideas behind the title.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.: You won't buy Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed, Brothers in Arms, Haze, FarCry (...)? I really don't want to sound like advertisement for Ubi but you are throwing things around too lightly. The crap EA spits out doesn't compare to the games Ubi has been creating.

Candlejack

pretty impressive owning up from the EA honchos. They've really been making some very large changes in that company, I say in 5 years people will have transfered all their EA hate to Activision and see EA as a leader in developer and quality first gaming. The wheels are already rolling on this one.

DarknessMyOldFriend

@DigitalHero: i second that...i miss wing-commander. At least #wing-commander lives on...

asTer0id

I have to admit that EA has come a long way from where they were, their sports division notwithstanding. For the longest time, EA had the same personal stigma that JoWood carries - I just didn't care for anything coming out of their house of demons. With this gen, however, it just seems that they're really getting on top of their game. Hell, I'll go back and say that it really blew up with the Sims. EA realised that if you let someone do their thing, they come up with some great stuff. That's how Skate outsells TH 2:1.

dunetiger

@Everard: Agreed, one of my favorite motto's in life is you cant change the past, but you can use your past experiencs to change the future. Hopefully EA will start to allow creativity. I remember in 1999-2002 Sega diversafied their studios and allowed their producers to create what they wanted, some awsome games came out of that action, but when they shelved the dreamcast and reunited/sold many of their studios they started comming out with the crap that we see today.

Sinnbox

I remember when Criterion mad Vanishing Point for DC. Great Game. I still have it.Now that they're owned by EA, I don't think we'll see another outing like VP. EA is content on making Burnout games each year just like Madden, Need for Speed and others. Basically driving the series into the dirt. Burnout Paradise looks promising though.

I view EA the same as UBI Soft especially after the craptacular Metal of Honor: Heroes 2 debuted. If you see their logo

DO

NOT

BUY

IT

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

NOOO! I now know what happened to Theme Hospital and yes I am serious >:(

goldwings

Show us you've learned from your mistakes, don't tell us.

Caduceus

Well, good for him admitting what we all complained about all those years!

n/a

Nice to see thay've learned from their mistakes. It gives me hope for the future of Bioware.

Everard

Yea, the path behind EA is littered with the corpses of great game franchises and the creative minds who created them, so I guess this makes sense. Kind of like getting Hannibal Lecter to help you catch a serial killer.

DaiMacculate

Bungie. Nuff said.

SigmundTheSeaMonster

@Candlejack: Bullfrog...that's a good drink......

Sinnbox

That 'In Bruges' ad sticking over the type is now past irritating.

gregorza

I don't blame the developers, in my opinion the blame falls on EA for not allowing their creative units the tiem and space they need to create a good product. it's like buying a shark and putting it in a 20gallon fish tank...

Sinnbox

Bullfrog? Didn't they make Dungeon Keeper? Which I loved, even the (considered by many) less-awesome sequel? Then they just killed it off? Right....thanks you fuckers. Excuse my French.

Candlejack

I'll never forgive those guys for Origin and what they did with the Wing Commander franchise.

DigitalHero

Wow, so it's taken them this long and the deaths of how many brilliantly creative teams and studios to wake up?

Meh... if I start seeing a difference I might actually consider buying something with an EA logo on it again. I reckon five zero punctuation reviews all spewing mad gooey love sauce over an EA game should do it.

Get to it.

Tarislar

@Drakron: That's sort of the point. Vivendi didn't get in Blizzard's way, and now they're so flush with money they could put out crap until the end of time and still live like Scrooge McDuck.

RawSteelUT

When I think Bullfrog I think of Populus. I loved that game. Truly that gameplay was what it feels like to be a god.

Ariolander

@DigitalHero: I'll never forgive them for snuffing out Bullfrog - Syndicate. Best isometric strategy game ever.

DELICIOUS BUNNY

So wait, so far the year EA goes toe to toe publically with Fox News over their bullshit story over Mass Effect which I was admiring them for and now they are admitting they seriously screwed up with Westwood/Bullfrog/Origin? Why am I all of a sudden really digging EA's new vibe?

As a former Westwood employee that was there the very day that EA shut the doors for good, I have always had a dark spot reserved for them, but I am very thankful that John had the balls and the humility to come out and state that publicly. It is not easy to admit something of this magnitude in this industry and I admire him for his candor.

Kilbe

""To a degree, I was involved in those things, so I blew it."

Ya think?

GHamilton

Takes a big man to say all that shit infront of an audience.

Lets just now see if he does good on it by making sure the company doesnt repeat the same mistakes.

Army Of Two will be my first test for them, since they did delay it to "fix" the game.

Witzbold

@XIRA ... You guys at Origin were my gods. Props.... :)

Rjak

@ CADUCEUS: Amen brother. Nuff said.

lophat

EA wasn't always the politburo Borg it is now.

During the time it produced album cover artwork for its games it was a shining light of innovation.

Remember the early days on the Apple ][ and then the Amiga? Seven Cities of Gold, Heart of Africa, Mail Order Monsters, the archons and MULE.

User-generated content is all the fad now but who remembers the Construction Set series of games: Pinball Construction Set, Racing Destruction Set and Music Construction Set?

There was a time that EA even made awesome applications software - Deluxe Paint ][, Deluxe Music, Deluxe Video and Deluxe Print.

But it lost its way after Hawkins left and that was a real shame. Now it just produces sports games and swallows a small publisher every now and again, felches its best games, screws the pooch on subsequent iterations, then shuts it down and blames the victims.

NateCochrane