EA says: games industry is boring people to death
The Wall Street Journal is right on the money when they say that Electronic Arts became the world's largest publisher by creating sequel after sequel of familiar franchises. So it must have come as quite a shock when John Riccitiello, the recently (as of April) reinstated chief executive of EA, sat down and told them that the games industry is "boring people to death and making games that are harder and harder to play."
Criticizing an industry that EA helped to mold, Riccitiello worries that the industry as a whole, including EA Games, creates too many games that lack innovation. He also urges publishers to experiment by looking beyond the typical $50-60 disc with 40-plus hours of play that "few players will ever finish."
The whipping post of the misguided, EA certainly has the portfolio to back up the tough talk. While they'll never stop the Madden mobile (and why should they?), titles like Boom Boom Rocket, MySims, Skate, Rock Band and Army of Two are fine examples of the direction Riccitiello speaks of.
