EA's admirable beginnings remembered
This past week, Next Generation continued its gaming industry retrospective with a look back at the formative years of Electronic Arts. Originally conceived by industry luminary Trip Hawkins to be an independent publishing house for fresh talent, EA now resembles more of a Matrix-like incubator of human wage slaves producing endless, disposable iterations of worn-out franchises.
But the company everyone loves to hate wasn't always that way. The article stirs up fond memories of some of the best computer games the early eighties had to offer. Who needed ABC afterschool movies when you could play Archon, M.U.L.E., and The Bard's Tale until dinner? But the publish-only model eventually gave way to development aspirations, and then the fun began! Read all about some of EA's most infamous acquisitions, and what steps the über developer needs to take in order to repair its tarnished image.
For instance, EA is doing its part to make gaming more attractive to the female demographic, so the company can't be all bad. Right?
