What Would Happen if Electronic Arts Just Went Away?

[Miktar]

PC World writes: "Test the hypothesis. What would happen if EA suddenly vanished? We'd almost certainly see a destabilization of the speculative investment aspect of video gaming with publicly traded media giants like EA rising and falling on the whims of pundits and misty-magical psychology-driven brouhaha (not such a terrible thing as far as I'm concerned) as well as a whole slew of suddenly unemployed, highly talented designers (a very bad thing, of course). To be sure, the bad would almost certainly outweigh the good for at least the short term, so let's get this much straight: I'm not advocating EA's dissolution, and I'm thoroughly on record by way of reviews celebrating happy events like Crysis, Rock Band, and Command & Conquer 3.

But aside from those, what exactly would we lose if EA folded tomorrow game-wise? EA's long been a stagnant "me-too" publisher in the minds of the gaming press -- clearly not a risk-taker -- and most gaming diehards are sick to tears of the company's perennial sports refreshes, something I think Riccitiello to his credit acknowledges when he admits 'We're boring people to death...there's been lots of product that looked like last year's product, that looked a lot like the year before.'"

http://www.n4g.com/News-134789.aspx

[dawid22]

I used to be a fan of the Need for Speed series up to Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. When they went all Underground I lost faith in the series. As for Sports, I buy one FIFA per generation and Tiger Woods, which I now have both 2006 versions of and will stick with to the next gen.

Besides SSX Blur on the Wii I've not seen anything decent from EA this gen. Army of Two, Medal of Honour Heroes 2 and 1 or 2 others are all mediocre. For them to reclaim their Desert / Jungle Strike days again they'll really need to change the way they approach games. I do not buy EA games at the R600 price point, I wait for sales as their games aren't worth the asking price in my books.

I know they published Valve's Orange Box and so forth, in that sense they're very helpful to the industry... but only when it suits their pockets.

If they had to fold tomorrow I would just hope that Criterion finds someone decent to continue the Burnout series from Burnout 2 onwards and someone to continue SSX.

[Cleric]

I think that if EA didn't bring out Fifa 09, the universe would implode.

[Skeedish]

I fully blame EA for ruining Hellgate London.

[Repline]

A world without EA? hmm hard to imagine, but possible!

I am a EA Fanboy (excluding EA-Sports). However should EA say goodbye it wouldn't touch me in the slightest bit... (unless it is just before the release of spore and the game gets scrapped, then I will go all out bonkers!)

EA is just a company. A Brand. Inside it we have designers/developers/script writers etc etc. They are the people that creates the games. EA might be giving them the "financial backing" they need, it is though not just EA that has money available. The designers/developers/script writers will soon either establish their own companies, or be sucked up into other industry "giants or giants to be".

EA is just a logo nothing more nothing less. The games "created" by them will sooner or later be released again just under another logo.

That is my opinion.

[Deviation]

Another company will simply takeover EA previous position.

[Unknown-Prophet]

I would cry, they have made some great games. I mean every now and then they stuff up but i think their good out ways their bad.If they did go away well after moaning i would just turn to some other brand.

[Chevron]

Don't mean to extend the necro, dut had to just reply to this quote:

Another company will simply takeover EA previous position.

Like Activision Blizzard?

:p

[G8crasha]

EA is a necessary evil really. Admittedly, some other publisher would fill the void if EA closed its doors tomorrow, so the gaming world would be hit hard, but it would find itd feet in a couple of months. We still have Activision, Epic, SEGA, Ubisoft, and other major publishers.

[dolfieman]

The world would be a better place, what with all the other quality publishers out there. Also, unknown companies could step forward. Not all elements of EA is necessarily bad, but I personally had enough kak throughout the years from EA.

EDIT: ****e, didn't check the date on the post, soz for extending the necro as well.