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With Blueprint, EA Trying To Get All Creative
Posted by Brian Ashcraft at 9:00 PM on February 26, 2008
Electronic Arts doesn't just want to buy Take Two. It also wants to make smaller, more original games. The publisher is best know for huge, ubiquitous franchises like The Sims and Madden, but is looking to get creative with its new development arm, Blueprint. The Blueprint games will be made with smaller teams. So far, Blueprint is involved with Steven Spielberg's BOOM BLOX and Will Wright's Spore — both of which are massively hyped games. Former EA Los Angeles studio head Neal Young is helming EA Blueprint and says:
We want to find a new way to make games with smaller teams.Blueprint is starting with games, but Young says it could expand to things like the internet, live events and even clothing. Clothing? Does that mean we'll see the same styles year after year with only slight color and fabric tweaks?
EA Lays Out Blueprint Division [Variety] [Pic]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
All fashion these days is stolen from other countries or recycled from some period in the past anyway.
Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.
xeleion
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
"Clothing? Does that mean we'll see the same styles year after year with only slight color and fabric tweaks?"
Maybe we'll see clothing that's constantly updated with the new trend data and more DLC.
xeleion
otakucode
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
@Nocturne: Why the hostility? I'm just wondering if EA has any interest in improving conditions for their beleaguered workers.
otakucode
Modus_Operandi
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
Same clothes year and year out with slight color variations? The Gap has been doing that for years....ZOMG....EA is trying to buy-out Gap also!!! {races to the Assumption-mobile}
Modus_Operandi
Nocturne
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
@otakucode: What a strange thing to say - no, it doesn't mean that. It actually means "We want to find a new way to make games with smaller teams."
Fuck.
Nocturne
Sollus
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
I'll believe this when I see it.
Sollus
otakucode
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
@dunetiger : apples are red: They could do it. Imagine if they buddied up with Steam and XNA and WiiWare and PSN and did exclusively digital distribution stuff. No need to worry about supply chain, distribution of boxes to stores, etc. They could charge reasonable prices for their games and give large royalties to developers and make it actually possible for developers that have lots of big ideas to get them done. Instead of those developers having to work on sequels and licensed properties they'd have enough money to have the freedom to relax and be creative. Competition from the established players would be minimal if at all because those established guys have to kow-tow to the retailers which would cripple them in the face of a real digital distribution model.
They could also pioneer detailed content labelling of their games and ignoring the ESRB. Instead of telling parents how old their kid should be to play the game, it'll tell the parent what is in the game and let the parent make their own decision. Then we'd see games that actually have mature content - stuff that will shock you or disturb you or make you cry your heart out like great movies do.
Ahh but we can dream...
otakucode
otakucode
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
So by smaller teams and smaller games do they mean a dozen people sleeping under their desks making below average salaries working 110 hour weeks for 3 months instead of ten times that many doing the same thing for 30 months?
Treat your employees better, EA. You're not getting my money until you do.
otakucode
The Dark Defender
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
@dunetiger : apples are red:
We've seen this before, once they get big, they'll start behaving just like EA has been doing till now.
Love for money+shareholders > love for you.
The Dark Defender
dunetiger : apples are red
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
The best devs in the world need to link up and form their own label a-la Image Comics (minus Liefeld) and go head to head with EA in a battle for intergalactic supremacy. I'm sure this is probably not a feasible solution, but it'd be nice.
dunetiger : apples are red
stokes0224
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
is that the jalapenos?
stokes0224
Fyren
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
@CrimsonAngel: :)
Fyren
CrimsonAngel
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
I think EA is doing all this becaus they got Issues about being smaller then Activistion and Blizzard
CrimsonAngel
burningranger01
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
Thats what the home depot did, and look at what shit they have become..Well you can have smaller teams, just pay them more for the work load.
burningranger01
osiris83
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
@RazorandBlade: Amen to that.
I felt its one of those 'Gawker Artists' advert image.
osiris83
ShaggE
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
EA Clothes? Thanks, but, uhh.. no thanks. I have the EA logo on enough items in my apartment as it is. And I don't want to open the closet every morning just to hear that voice say "EA Clothes. It's in the threads!"
ShaggE
Fyren
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
EA is trying to be Roc-A-Fella of videogames. We all know the state of Roc-a-fella after 12 years :/
All we need is a crunk juice from EA and gateway to hell is complete.
Fyren
The Dark Defender
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
"Does that mean we'll see the same styles year after year with only slight color and fabric tweaks?"
OWNED!
The Dark Defender
GeckoUK
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
"Does that mean we'll see the same styles year after year with only slight color and fabric tweaks?"
Um I'm pretty sure my new cloths are already just like last years clothes, with a few cosmetic tweaks...
GeckoUK
Glasseater
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
"Does that mean we'll see the same styles year after year with only slight color and fabric tweaks?" HA, that joke will forever haunt EA Sports. lol.
Glasseater
RazorandBlade
Posted 8:09 PM 3/3/08
that picture is really frickin scary
RazorandBlade