Does EA Still Manage the "Arts" Part of Electronic

[Nz17]

What I'm saying is, does EA still make what might be called artworks, or is it too late for that anymore? Does artistic talent and inspiration still shine through in some of what they do, or has it really turned into a game mill that cranks out slight revisions every year?

Back in the day, I remember some really original computer games that Electronic Arts put out. Some of them were even edutainment titles that were actually fun and educational! And the first few Need for Speed games seemed really special. What could have happened to change the spirit that made these game so superb?

[JJNova]

Although it's ridiculous to reply to a thread, just to boycott it, I am doing exactly that.

Other DPers, please, refrain from responding to threads that are open invites for flamewars and arguments over personal preference.

or don't.

[shoes23]

OK here is past rebuttal of mine for Madden haters, but it fits with this topic as well:

It's FOOTBALL...how exactly are the creators of football games supposed to present their product. Essentially since the inception of football videogames (and the actual sport for that matter), the concept has been the same...because it's football. All the devolopers can do is add new features because its played the same every year, follows the same rules every year, and plays exactly as it has since football abolished the leather helmet. It seems to me that the people that hate on Madden aren't even fans of football! Everyone else who I talk to (who enjoy football) find the games to be spectacular year after year.

The above statement applies to all sports games produced and devoloped by EA. Their is nothing more to change in these games except features and presentation each year, and those are the 2 areas that EA focuses on each and every year!

As far as publishing goes: they may be at the top of the industry. Sim City 4, Burnout 3, Timesplitters, Bond Games, LOTR Games, ect. A great company IMO.

[Cauterize]

E must stand for Electronic
so... A... Hmmm....
Arts???

[Promophile]

Anything can be considered art, but I don't personally consider their releases art, especially when you compare them to games such as, say, Katamari.

[evildead2099]

What I'm saying is, does EA still make what might be called artworks, or is it too late for that anymore? Does artistic talent and inspiration still shine through in some of what they do, or has it really turned into a game mill that cranks out slight revisions every year?

Churning out slightly revised editions of the same games year after year seems like a process which is more mechanical and centred on profits than it is artistic and concerned with originality.

[njiska]

I know what you're talking about. Yes all games are art, but EA has stopped making good art.

I'm not touching madden because that will get me flogged, but looking elsewhere, EA has massively cut down on artistic quality in favour of profit. There are some shining gems like Burnout 3, but all in all EA is becoming Atari in the early '80s.

That's all i'm going to say because if i go on i'm gonna royally piss off an EA fans on here, because i truely hate them and their style of business because of what they do to the industry.

[evildead2099]

OK here is past rebuttal of mine for Madden haters, but it fits with this topic as well:

It's FOOTBALL...how exactly are the creators of football games supposed to present their product.

I don't think most of us would have such a problem with EA if their yearly rehash of the same titles wasn't completely driven by money. There's nothing wrong with a new edition of your favourite football game so long as that football game features improvements which are substantial enough to warrant its release. The problem with the Madden series is that all EA ever seems to do is update the rosters and throw in a new diving animation or two.

And EA's yearly rehash of the same titles means that the copy of Madden that you buy this year will be worth jack shit by the time next year's edition comes out (despite the fact the the only updates you're likely to see will be frivilous).

[Overbite]

More like Electronic FARTS! ahahahahaha

aahahaha

They made Road Rash so I don't dislike them.

[classicb]

OK here is past rebuttal of mine for Madden haters, but it fits with this topic as well:

It's FOOTBALL...

I'm a huge football fan and me and my friends have been buying football games everyear since they started these types of release. But I normally wouldn't buy the same brand 2 years in a row. If I got Sports Talk Football one year I'd probably get Madden the next. This year with no licenced compition I decided to pass and maybe pick up the new Blitz instead. I don't hate Madden I just wish it wasn't the only choice.

On topic with the "Arts"

I look at EA like a big budget movie studio that puts out mostly action movies with big stars. I'd like to see EA do what some of these big movie studios have done and open a seperate division that develops smaller games with more imaginitive controls and stories.

I think it will happen too since I remember reading an article awhile back that talked about all the sequels that companies put out (not just EA) that make tons of money and allow the developers to take chances on smaller more original games.

[sabre2922]

When I think of original or experimental games EA is NOT the first company to come to mind.
That being said they do make good games but nothing truly outstanding except for Burnout wich EA cannot take credit for just like they cant take credit for "making" football

EA is loved by the casual masses and seen for what they truly are by those in the know> meaning us here at DP and other gamers that know there is more that a PS2,Xbox or GC have to offer than yet another Madden year after year

The fact is that many casual gamers out there will only take the time to play one of 3 genres or games if you want to get down to the truth: Madden (sports), GTAs and Halos.
Now this isnt necessarily a bad thing its just the way it has been for the last 3-5 years.

I say let them all feed off the vanilla tree all they want hell it helps keep our favorite hobby alive and well after all.

The way I see it is we are the lucky ones and without the maddens selling millions at a time we wouldnt have the ICOs,Shenmues, or Katamaris.

[fpstream]

OK here is past rebuttal of mine for Madden haters, but it fits with this topic as well:

It's FOOTBALL...how exactly are the creators of football games supposed to present their product.

I don't think most of us would have such a problem with EA if their yearly rehash of the same titles wasn't completely driven by money. There's nothing wrong with a new edition of your favourite football game so long as that football game features improvements which are substantial enough to warrant its release. The problem with the Madden series is that all EA ever seems to do is update the rosters and throw in a new diving animation or two.

And EA's yearly rehash of the same titles means that the copy of Madden that you buy this year will be worth jack shit by the time next year's edition comes out (despite the fact the the only updates you're likely to see will be frivilous).

Everything is driven by money! Every developer/publisher always has to have money on his/her mind. In the newest issue of EGM they interviewed a designer for Oddworld Inhabitants, some of the most original and artistic games. They asked him a question, I can't find my EGM, and he said that you have to remember this is still a business. Milking the cashcow Madden is allows to put more time and effort in other games because they don't have to worry about money as much. It allows more developement time, less stress, and all in all a better game.

[Nz17]

People, people, stay on topic please!

My question wasn't about making money, sequels, or sports games, or what EA has done in the past or might do in the future.

My question is, "Do the games EA puts out now, as in three months ago to three months from the present, contain artistic and/or other redeeming factors that make them better than the average game?"

[Vectorman0]

People, people, stay on topic please!

My question wasn't about making money, sequels, or sports games, or what EA has done in the past or might do in the future.

My question is, "Do the games EA puts out now, as in three months ago to three months from the present, contain artistic and/or other redeeming factors that make them better than the average game?"

I think very few games can be considered to be works of art, but EA is pretty close to the bottom of the barrel.

When I think of games that can be considered works of art, I think of Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask, Metal Gear Solid/2/3 as a couple more recent games. You have to care about what you are making. That's why you will often hear the names of the men in charge of the above games. When was the last time you heard the name of some guy who was responsible for an EA game?

[Joker T]

I consider Burnout 3 a work of Art.

[hbkprm]

ea is still an art today

[Flack]

They don't need to make Art. They just need to keep re-releasing Madden over and over and people keep buying it.

[sealboy6]

I consider Burnout 3 a work of Art.

Ya, you would. Every single day you seem to be playing the game.

Art is really an interesting subject. Not many "artists" make art for art's sake anymore. Music all starts to sound the same after a while, architecture is copying off of other generations or each other for inspiration, and what we usually think of as art has hit, to me, an all time low (squares and dots are not art...). I don't think video games, in most cases, are art, but I also don't think that most movies are art. I think that a couple times a year, we do see some art (Sin City, Metal Gear Solid 3), but most of the time it isn't.

I think that the only original art form that is left is writing. Most of it is copied, but each book is so completely different from other things. This doesn't apply to all books, but I think you can read 500 books and not often get the feeling that you are reading the same thing as you have read before.