FrankGibeau
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EA, Ubisoft execs applaud PS3 price cut, also like things that are good
Well, this one doesn't exactly come out of left field, but it looks like gaming industry execs are starting to sing a decidedly different tune now that Sony has finally cut the price of the PS3. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft bigwig Yves Guillemot said that "it's exceptional news, actually," adding that "I think the machine is a great machine, with the Blu-ray." EA Games president Frank Gibeau was also apparently more than happy to back up that praise, saying that, "I think it's awesome," and that "it's an old line, but it still rings true for us: 'We make the ammunition for the hardware wars.' So the lowest priced hardware possible is a good thing for us." Still noticeably mum on the matter, however, is Activision's CEO, who once threatened to pick up his ball and go home if Sony didn't drop its prices. [Via Joystiq]
BioWare, Pandemic creating 10 new franchises for EA
Electronic Arts has dropped a cold, emotionless reminder of its late-2007 acquisition of both BioWare and Pandemic Studios, announcing that the pair have now been officially digested by the EA collective. While we remain cynical of the whole affair – it is, after all, what we do – EA has announced that the pair has been tapped to create a whopping ten new franchises for EA, based on six different "wholly-owned" properties. 10? Seriously? BioWare alone hasn't touched that much code in nearly a decade, though to be fair EA hasn't laid out a time line for how often these games will emerge. Both BioWare and Pandemic will be overseen by EA Games' top cheese Locutus...erm, Frank Gibeau, and according to the executive the acquisition will broaden EA's game portfolio in the RPG, action and adventure genres. A cloud of mystery continues to hang over the bulk of these new projects, though EA has confirmed that BioWare remains hard at work on Dragon Age and the DS Sonic RPG, while Pandemic is chugging along developing Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Saboteur. At least it seems as though the assimilation hasn't freed the developers of independent thought, though granted it does take some time before the implants take hold.
EA diagnoses Sony as "healthy in 2008"
We didn't know electronics had states of health, but apparently leave it to Dr. Diagnosis (and his sidekick, Bangs McCoy) over at Electronic Arts to give Sony a clean bill of health for next year. EA Games president Frank Gibeau sat down to a lengthy interview with Gamasutra only to dole out some information on a few pieces of PS3-related impressions and predictions.First off, EA's reaction to the PS3's game-to-console tie ratio last year: "Frankly, there weren't any platform-defining titles on the PS3 that first Christmas. There was Resistance: Fall of Man, perhaps. I think as we get more titles, that tie ratio will improve." We think it will, too -- especially if they count the 2 games included in the European bundle as tie ratio games. Plus, for this Christmas, there will be a plethora of titles to choose from!Gibeau commented on the future of the PS3 as well, saying "I think 2008 feels like when you start to see the titles that define that platform start to come out... [the tie ratio] has improved since release, which is good news. I think it really starts to get into the range where we feel like we're bullish and aggressive. It feels healthy in 2008." Again, we're going to agree. While some may argue a lot of good games are coming out this November, we think the big sellers will hit in 2008 and with those, a gigantic leap in console sales.
