by Matt Schmidt
and special guest Clark Richardson

Our writers and readers team up to give EA a swift kick in the ass.

MATT:(SG Staff Writer)
Source: Times Online

The CEO of Electronics Arts gave an interview for the Wall Street Journal, which may upset small children, middle-aged housewives, and people who have half a brain to know a double-standard when they see one.

Check out his almighty wisdom:

"We're boring people to death and making games that are harder and harder to play. For the most part, the industry has been rinse-and-repeat. There's been lots of product that looked like last year's product, that looked a lot like the year before."

People, it is really hard to read that quote and not want to slam my head on the table repeatedly. To cushion the potential blow, I went out and bought all 45 versions of The Sims, all 26 Medal of Honor titles, the 12 Battlefield games, and 15 Command and Conquers. EA calls it 'franchise money'. I like to call it the "broken record" method.

Hypocrites go to the 9th level of hell, Mr. Riccitiello. Somehow you make a ton of money anyway. As long as you don't completely botch a sequel to a hit game, it's going to sell. Even if its the same shit, different box.

Mr Riccitiello praised a handful of games, including Guitar Hero, made by Activision as well as Blizzard Entertainment's online role-playing game, World of Warcraft.

Man, he must be playing a new, non-excruciatingly boring version of WoW. Where can I get a copy? --MS


CLARK: (SG Reader)

Video games are boring, according to John Riccitiello, the new CEO of a little known company named Electronic Arts Inc. In the age of the Wii, of unpopular titles like the Grand Theft Auto Series, which promote annoying non-linear storylines, conventional anti-heros and endless variety, Riccitiello seems to think that other developers are making games that are "harder and harder to play."

John Riccitiello is also disturbed by the tendency of developers to create games that add little from the previous version. "For the most part, the industry has been rinse-and-repeat", he was quoted as saying. "There's been lots of product that looked like last year's product, that looked a lot like the year before." Electronic Arts, you see, is best known as an innovator of such titles as The Sims: Unleashed, The Sims: House Party, The Sims: Hot Date, The Sims: Makin' Magic, The Sims Vacation, The Sims: Superstar, and my personal favorite, The Sims Online, a unique MMOG which presented users the novel option of paying to watch their Sims read books and play with pizza.

What developers should do, according to Mr. Riccitiello, is make games that are appealing to "casual gamers." I must admit that Mr. Riccitiello has a point. I mean who really wants to be transported into alternate universes and realities that pit players against aliens, demons, and Orcs? Wouldn't we all be better off playing enduring hits like Solitaire and Minesweeper?

You forgot the ultra-innovation that comes every year with each new Madden game! Love me some Quarterback vision!

This is what happens when business people and not people who actually understand games are put in charge of video games companies. I bet he doesn't even own a console.

Great job, Clark. I couldn't have said it better myself ;D

Thanks man, I enjoyed what you had to say as well, especially the part about the Battlefield series. I'm more of a PC gamer than a console gamer, so when EA bought out what was arguably the best MOD for Battlefield 1942, Desert Combat, and turned it into Battlefield 2, they took out some elements that really made that game great, such as the Apache helicopter. Instead of including it in the original game, they included it in the Special Forces expansion pack. But that is of course, how they make their money.

When I originally read John Riccitiello's statement, I really felt he should be bitch slapped. We are in a Golden Age of Games right now. I mean, I've been around since the early days of Nintendo, so I understand completely how far along these games have come. The peak for me really was Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Metal Gear Solid, and Grand Theft Auto III. Half-Life and Counterstrike brought us closer to having a virtual reality construct in our lifetimes (where we can interact in battle with real people over the net), while Metal Gear Solid brought a commercial aesthetic that I had never seen in games. Grand Theft Auto brought a level of gameplay, freedom, and environment that no one has able to duplicate.

I initially was drawn to Grand Theft Auto because a friend of mine told me that he had played a game on a Playstation where you could have sex with hookers and run down people on the street. My curiosity peaked by the improbability of such a game, I bought the PC version and was blown away. Not because of the sensationalism, but because it was something I had never seen. I can't wait to play Grand Theft Auto IV.

Anyway, I was surprised that Jeremy Adams published what I had to say. I was raving against John Riccitiello in an e-mail and he asked me for an opinion piece. I happily obliged. Thanks Jeremy!