Electronic Arts' Sequels Questioned (August 15, 2005)

[ChrisReid]

The New York Times has posted an interesting article about Electronic Arts' reliance on sequels. Part of the issue is that EA has acquird such a vast library of franchises that it could pump out a highly anticipated sequel for each week of the year and not go through them all. A few key series, and not just sports titles, have fallen into an annual cycle, and the article wonders if the company needs to focus a greater portion of its resources on more creative projects.

By year's end, Electronic Arts plans to release 26 new games, all but one of them a sequel, including the 16th version of N.H.L. Hockey, the 11th of the racing game Need for Speed and the 13th of the P.G.A. Tour golf game. The company also relies heavily on creating games based on movies like the James Bond and Lord of the Rings series, rather than developing original brands...

Lawrence F. Probst III, chairman and chief executive of Electronic Arts, dismisses that view. "The teams that work on the franchise properties have a great deal of pride in constantly looking to improve the product," Mr. Probst said. Besides, he said, sequels, because they have a steady following among consumers, appeal to Wall Street investors.

He added that the company had a goal of putting out at least one entirely new game every year, and had several major original games in its pipeline.

The eighteen iterations of Madden have accounted for more than 43 million copies sold. A team of 50 people is already working on Madden '07.

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Original update published on August 15, 2005

 

[Chevieblazer]

oh, great, another golf game...there's one brand of gamed that DO cause agression.
no mentioning of a WC game, huh?

 

[McGruff]

Do they really think that golf would be more profitable than Wing Commander

 

[Death]

How much cash did the latest Tiger Woods game bring in, compared to the latest WC game?

I'd say they aren't thinking it, they know it.

 

[Eder]

It's pretty sad for gamers to know that the largest gaming company in the planet has a goal of putting out *one* entirely new game a year.

 

[ChrisReid]

Do they really think that golf would be more profitable than Wing Commander

Tiger Woods 2004 for the PS2 sold a million copies on its own. The 2005 version is past 750k, and it'll surely hit a million once it gets marked down to $19.99 when Tiger Woods 2006 gets released next month. This is just for the PS2 version. Essentially the same game is ported to half a dozen other platforms for little cost. They can base a lot of the sequel off the core principles of the previous game, and develop each new title in under a year. Golf is more profitable than Wing Commander ever was.

 

[McGruff]

Maybe, but seven years from now Tiger Woods 2006 will not even be remembered, I will probably be banned for something or another, but the CIC will still be going strong.

Besides, last I checked golf is boring - both real and computerized. Space combat with an intelligent storyline and a rich established history is not. What the hell is wrong with consumers anyway?

 

[Chicken]

EAs thrown variety out the window as usual...

 

[ChrisReid]

A quarter of their annual lineup might be sports, but even among that there's quite a bit of variety..

 

[cff]

Maybe, but seven years from now Tiger Woods 2006 will not even be remembered, I will probably be banned for something or another, but the CIC will still be going strong.

Unfortunately while very fanatic, we are too few...

Besides, last I checked golf is boring - both real and computerized. Space combat with an intelligent storyline and a rich established history is not. What the hell is wrong with consumers anyway?

Big thing would be the complexity level and the need for a (good) joystick. You have an idea how many (different) keys you have to remember for each space-sim? Far too many for the average, causual gamer. Heck, besides for WC I don't know them by heart anymore either. Hardcore players won't mind because we have programmable sticks, but again this is a LARGE barrier to almost demand a $100+ stick for a single game.

 

[Aplha 1-1]

Big thing would be the complexity level and the need for a (good) joystick. You have an idea how many (different) keys you have to remember for each space-sim? Far too many for the average, causual gamer. Heck, besides for WC I don't know them by heart anymore either. Hardcore players won't mind because we have programmable sticks, but again this is a LARGE barrier to almost demand a $100+ stick for a single game.

No different from the cost of buying a decent wheel for the endless generic street/rally/F-1 racing games pumped out buy EA. I don't mind sports games myself, but the only differences between tiger woods '04, '05 and '06 are the graphics. For $100 AU I want a totaly new game, not last years crap with re-done graphics. This dosen't limit itself to sports games either *cough* battlefield *cough*
People are glad to pay for something new with a decent story over MP only and sports games anyway

 

[Death]

People are glad to pay for something new with a decent story over MP only and sports games anyway

Unfortunately, reality has a nasty way of biting people in the ass, as it is in this case. MP games are raking in money hand over fist, as are sports games. Between them and FPSes, you're talking $BIGNUM dollars each year (or month, for MMOGs like EQ, UO, and so forth).

Sorry, Charlie.

 

[Delance]

Games like Wing Commander can be profitable, but not in a way that interests EA. Smaller companies can produce and profit from games like this, but they don't own the franchise. So EA figures out the market doens't make WC interesting for the right now. One can hope they might want to produce something to a console in the future.

Look on the bright side, at least they didn't do something like X-Com Enforcer.

 

[cff]

No different from the cost of buying a decent wheel for the endless generic street/rally/F-1 racing games pumped out buy EA.

About twice that much I'd say. Anyhow you can very well do any driving game with a cheap analogue stick (or gamepad) or even the keyboard. What do you need? Like 10 keys? Space sims need a programmable joystick, for driving a wheel is more atmospheric then needed (unless you plan to play competetive)

 

[Happy Camper]

About twice that much I'd say. Anyhow you can very well do any driving game with a cheap analogue stick (or gamepad) or even the keyboard. What do you need? Like 10 keys? Space sims need a programmable joystick, for driving a wheel is more atmospheric then needed (unless you plan to play competetive)

Well, while having a programmable joystick is nice. I've always managed just fine with a four button joystick and freelancer didn't even allow you to use a joystick. Personally I really like the interface for Freelance and I think it was a smart move given that it was the first well piblicised space sim for quite some time, and they knew that a lot of people wouldn't have joysticks anymore.

 

[ChrisReid]

Personally I really like the interface for Freelance and I think it was a smart move given that it was the first well piblicised space sim for quite some time, and they knew that a lot of people wouldn't have joysticks anymore.

Yeah, and they had to make sacrifices to achieve that. Clicking on bad guys, popping shield potions.. it was a fun game, but it was a space sim crossed with Diablo.

No different from the cost of buying a decent wheel for the endless generic street/rally/F-1 racing games pumped out buy EA.

EA hasn't done a rally or F-1 game in a couple years, and Burnout 3 was one of the best games of any time released in 2004. The Need for Speed franchise sold more than 15 million copies in the last fiscal year.

 

[Aplha 1-1]

EA hasn't done a rally or F-1 game in a couple years, and Burnout 3 was one of the best games of any time released in 2004. The Need for Speed franchise sold more than 15 million copies in the last fiscal year.

I was using a general example to say that if the games are good, people will but better equipment to play them. I remember when PS2 was brand new and Ridge Racer was cool so I bought a cheap wheel and needless to say it just plain sucked. So after saving extra cash I bought a high-end wheel and it rocked.

About twice that much I'd say. Anyhow you can very well do any driving game with a cheap analogue stick (or gamepad) or even the keyboard. What do you need? Like 10 keys?

If you've ever played one good racing sim you'll soon notice that the keyboard just doesn't cut it. Theres a reason real car's use a wheel and not Digital

 

[Maj.Striker]

I'd like to address the comment that you need a nice big expensive joystick to play space sims...that's not true. I still play with my $20 Saitek digital joystick that still works like a dream. Never had a single issue with it. It has four buttons and in all games that I've played that's always been enough. (1 button to fire guns, another to fire missiles, one button for afterburners and one other for whatever you deem appropriate). I've had this joystick for pushing 6 years now I believe and it's never failed me. Heck, they're probably so cheap now that they could make a WC game and include one of these joysticks with every game... Would a big powerful awesome joystick be better? Absolutely...is it needed? Absolutely not.

 

[cff]

If you've ever played one good racing sim you'll soon notice that the keyboard just doesn't cut it. Theres a reason real car's use a wheel and not Digital

You haven't seen my steering with keys ;-) But as I said at least for racing sims a gamepad (like the console ones) seem to work very fine (and costs about $15-$30). In fact many people actually prefer it to a wheel. Cannot say so for space-sims.

freelancer didn't even allow you to use a joystick. Personally I really like the interface for Freelance and I think it was a smart move given that it was the first well piblicised space sim for quite some time, and they knew that a lot of people wouldn't have joysticks anymore.

Freelancer was an awesome idea at this aspect. However the market still didn't seem 'to have waited' for it.

Would a big powerful awesome joystick be better? Absolutely...is it needed? Absolutely not.

My opinion as I said is more or less "the less you play the MORE you need a big powerful awesome joystick". You 4 button stick is fine for flying, sure. For most of my space sim-time I used the keyboard alone or a 2 button stick. HOWEVER you need type on the keyboard quite much that way which is a pain for most people, in particular those who only play occastionally. And not even the keyboard cover does help much in this case.

 

[Fenris Ulven]

it sounds like EA is most interested in making new games that is not realy new, if you understand what i mean. What big diffrence is it from tiger woods 2006 and tiger woods 2005 (if that was the prequel)? very little i would guess: some change in graphic and some new golf courses and names, but not much more, just minor change, ergo: it is very cheap game to produce....

I think that EA should be renamed to EGMPC; Electronic games mass produciton company...