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EA: "Day we stop doing new IP" is day we go "on life support" and die
Posted: 03.10.2012 13:29 by Simon Priest Comments: 4
EA Games big cheese Patrick Soderlund, formerly of DICE, has reiterated how critical exploring new IP is for the publisher. While there's nothing announced, "we are absolutely working" on new IP.

New intellectual property is needed "for the creatives" as much as the industry and consumers, says Soderlund. It's crucial they have "something different to think about." EA 'do innovate'.

For those that say EA just cookie cutter new releases, Patrick Soderlund points to the likes of Battlefield 3 as proof they strive to better the formula; Most Wanted is another.

"A lot of people criticise EA for not being innovative. But look at what EA has done with Battlefield 3. We said, here’s a game that looks like nothing you’ve ever seen before. We looked at animation, we looked at audio, we looked at every single part of the visual experience and we said: how can we change this?" said Patrick Soderlund.

"I think if that’s not innovation, I don’t know what innovation is. Then you look at Most Wanted this year and Need for Speed really looks cool and different. Those things don’t just happen by mistake, those are all diligent strategies with someone saying: ‘probably not good enough’."

Above all though it's the pursuit of new IP that keeps the juices pumping: "There’s nothing that we’ve announced but we are absolutely working all the time on new IPs," teased the EA Games label boss.

"To me, the day we stop doing new IP is the day we put ourselves on life support and then we’re slowly going to die. It’s not only needed for the industry and for the consumers but it’s also needed for the creatives. They need something different to think about. They have a lot of creativity built into them that they need to get out. The day that we stop thinking about new things that are not Need for Speed is the day that I’ll probably leave the games industry."

Check out the full interview between Patrick Soderlund and MCV.
Source: MCV

Comments

By nocutius (SI Elite) on Oct 03, 2012
nocutius
"... We looked at animation, we looked at audio, we looked at every single part of the visual experience... I think if that’s not innovation, I don’t know what innovation is."

That's not innovation, that's technical progress, lol.
He brings up BF and NFS as proof of innovation, another lol.

I'm not saying that EA is not innovating at all but this guy clearly doesnt know what he's talking about.
By SwiftFire87 (SI Veteran Member) on Oct 03, 2012
SwiftFire87
So EA is saying they have created a new ip in the past 8 years? I must of missed something.
By danfreeman (SI Core) on Oct 04, 2012
danfreeman
^^^^^^
EA you have no creativity left,you just take other IP`s and modify them hoping you get lucky while in reality you just destroy them.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Oct 05, 2012
FoolWolf
LOL nocutius - spot on! :D
I think that these last years alone with an upswing of simple smartphone games, indie developing, XBLA etc shows that it is the gaming "experience" that actaully makes people hooked rather than just fancy graphics and perfect sound. It sure helps in the start to get a few "oh" and "ah"'s - but long term. It has to be fun.