Recently, I threw a glance at the releaselijst of software giant Electronic Arts. What is apparent; between now and december, this year, the developer-cum-publisher, with almost fifty new titles. Many of them are also multiplatform, so that means many hundreds of EA games in the coming months to the attention of the press, the consumer and the retailer will compete.
The joust between the trias politica – the press, the consumer and the retailer is, and remains intriguing. So can the press a certain game all the way down; as well as the shops there are a lot of shelf space to make room, then buy the consumer the game in some cases just yet. Example was a few years ago 50 Cent: Bulletproof. However, there are also other variations occurred. The gamejournalistiek was unanimously enthusiastic about Ubisoft’s Beyond Good & Evil, the shops were full of games and promotional material, but the audience had the game not. Or now with the new Alone in the Dark: the press is very critical about the game and the consumer generally follows the advice of the same press.
Many of the games of Electronic Arts mean for the shops good convert. Thus, we will be again this autumn a lot of attention for Fifa 09. The audience of this franchise is true and it doesn’t have much of that, most journalists go again you brooding that Pro Evolution Soccer is still better… eventually sells every Fifa part better than the previous. It is a predictable conflict. And even though he is not yet officially announced: a new Need For Speed coming this year also. Also that is such a annual blockbuster, all fell Prostreet not everyone is equally good in taste.
But EA comes with so much more this year – so much so that the top titles are really over each other tumbling. Take the new franchise of Battlefield-creator Dice. This Swedish ontwikkelstudio is the property of Electronic Arts and will introduce this fall a brand new game: Mirror’s Edge. Ubisoft would make such a title a year and a half ago in the press have revealed, to slowly build up to a momentum. EA on Mirror’s Edge striking silently, but the game should be from July – when the E3 trade show in Los Angeles takes place – until the release on everyone’s radar. EA is very confident about this new title – a first-person platform adventure game with an attractive Faith as an illegal courier in a totalitarian world – and has sky-high expectations. However, the company has less than a half years to the world of to penetrate. Until now, only the potential and the beautiful, almost architectural design of the game is known, but no one knows yet how the game or what the game exactly entails.
In the same period of time that Mirror’s Edge is released – somewhere at the end of October, beginning of november, I expect to appear, however, also Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, already mentioned, Fifa 09, the survival horror of Dead Space, the new Harry Potter, the long awaited mmo Warhammer Online, and Valves latest addition to Left 4 Dead. Piece by piece, so-called triple-A titles in their genres. Of course, the audience is in many cases not the same, but there is certainly overlap. Is this just EA’s own portfolio. Also, Ubisoft, Activision, Vivendi, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and Sega in that period, their crown jewels in the window display.
And in the months prior to that, it is also not in the least quiet, in regards to EA titles. In september and October are Spore (the new game of Sims creator Will Wright,), Mercenaries 2, the expansion for Crysis (Warhead), the entire EA Sports line-up, several Sims 2 expansion packs, and spin-offs for the consoles and the free teamshooter-with-a-wink Battlefield Heroes on the schedule. Again, no small names, but I’m beginning to almost feel sorry for the pr and marketing departments of Electronic Arts that all of these games are just as enthusiastic and attention should go. And who have been busy enough for rock Band must also be still with us come true.
When I finally, a personal preference should not speak: I sincerely hope that Mirror’s Edge the big hit of the fall. Must EA the media offensive for this title soon, also really go to bet and at the same time ensure that it is not drowning in his own line-up… A Beyond Good & Evil scenario for Mirror’s Edge would be an eternal sin.