EA’s Andrew Wilson has only been CEO for about six months now, but he still has a strong vision for the company. He wants to focus on making great games, regardless of platform. That said, he has a specific vision for new Star Wars games, and I like what he has to say.
I get a bit worried when I agree with statements from EA. Whether or not they’re the worst company, they have certainly screwed consumers on too many occasions. That said, they also release some games that make me happy and proud to be a gamer. Either way, Wilson made sense when speaking to Fortune. He wants EA to be synonymous with games that are innovative, creative, immersive, entertaining and of high quality – no matter which platform they’re released on.
For whatever reason, whether it was because they were pushing the boundaries of innovation and they pushed a little hard and things didn’t go so well. We won’t always get everything right, but my hope is that we’re seen as a company that tries to do amazing things. When we get a little bit wrong, we do our best to fix it.
[…] If the industry can avoid the distraction of platforms, of geographies, of business models, and really just focus on making great games for whatever their target audience is, for whatever that gamer-centric group of people is; then I think we’ll be all right. These other distractions are not without merit and they’re important, but they can’t be your center.
I like the focus on making good, fun games. So then, how will they make Star Wars? What can we expect from the new games in the pipeline? Well, much like the Batman games, it’s all about the IP and making a fun game – not about a movie tie-in.
What Warner Bros. did with Batman was take the core roots of that IP and manifest that inside the walls of Gotham City and delivered an interactive experience that had real ties to what you would see in the films and what you had read in the comics, while having its own life because it could provide such deep and more immersive storylines. When we look at the Star Wars properties that’s how we’re looking at it. We’re not trying to build a game that replicates the storyline of any particular film.
I’m happy to hear it, even as I’m curious and skeptical about the direction these games will go in. There is plenty of lore to work with in the Star Wars universe, so many directions they could go in; there is no need to simply clone the movies. I’d love to see an open world Mass Effect-esque game – travel the world as a Jedi, gathering allies in your quest to save the universe – that could be fantastic.
Last Updated: March 25, 2014
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:10
It is difficult to agree with anything EA says. But lets see where they go from here.
EDIT: Love the play on franchises with the header.
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 10:14
I wholeheartedly agree on your ME concept for SW!!!!
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
March 25, 2014 at 10:18
Yeah that would rock. Although wasn’t KOTOR pretty much that?
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 10:24
Sorta kinda, but you had no control in combat directly
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
March 25, 2014 at 10:36
true
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:18
Lord yes!
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 10:42
I’m Jedi Shepard and this is my favorite post on Coruscant. 😛
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 10:45
lol
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:48
upvoted! 🙂
derp
March 25, 2014 at 13:42
Basically what TOR should have been.
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:18
Sounds like election promises.
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:19
To be honest, we will see what happens with Dragon Age Inquisition.
That game is my last draw. If EA/Bioware F*** that game up then I am out.
So … EA… you better not fuck that up or ELSE!!
If they cannot get DA:I right then Star Wars will not have any hope at all.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
March 25, 2014 at 10:21
I find it hard to trust anything coming from EA… sigh… I hate that I’ve become such a cynical and distrustful old fart…. I’m like Geoff now. only younger and presumably sexier.
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:23
presumably? You’re a banana. You just won.
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:25
I also miss the days of just playing and enjoying games. Ea was the baws before all this DLC and microtransaction bullshit. Buying games these day you have first scrutinize what you get for your cash.
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:28
Fully agree.. Electronic Arts was King on the Sega Mega Drive
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:38
Even when they acquired Westwood. C&C games was tons of fun until near the end. Especially RA3. That was shit.
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 10:41
C&C4 was worse.
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:47
Damn it EA
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
March 25, 2014 at 10:43
Westwood…
http://www.quickmeme.com/img/48/48520b5f335a582f1f2b23aad3962af2e34e1c27c20763931391c85114f9a4df.jpg
Hammersteyn
March 25, 2014 at 10:47
Ikr so sad
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:49
I REALLY miss the classic C&C & C&C Red Alert.
:<
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
March 25, 2014 at 11:08
I miss Westwood studios… sigh! I’ll have a beer in their memory.
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:44
Red Alert 2 was the Best Game. EVA!, Generals was fun aswell
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 10:58
You can see the games get progressively worse as EA meddled more and more in Westwood. The last one none of the original Westwood team was involved.
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 10:32
and yellow and when goes bad attracts fruit flies.
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 10:33
Are you talking about the banana or Geoff? :/
That’s lacist!
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 10:34
about Jimmy. *mumbles* about Geoff what kinda person you think I am..
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:22
Has anyone played Star Wars: The Old Republic? Is it worth the time & effort?
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 10:25
Apparently not, the grinding needed for the F2P part is quite tedious.
Story is good though they say, so I’m tempted to try
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:25
I tried Downloading got gatvol around the 50gig download, apparently.. the Free to play kak.. as the ppl who pay the sub and micro transaction got the better gear..
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:26
50GB? Ouch!
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:27
yea was a moerse downlaod.. never finished it.. just update after update
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:29
At first glance it looks like a Star Wars spin-off of World of Warcraft. I’ve played WoW for a long time so was just curious about this game.
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:29
I believe it is.. just looks more prettier than WoW.. but i still prefer WoW..
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:33
uhm, there is no way in hell it is 50gig.
My SWTOR folder is 25+- gb big….
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:34
apologies.. i just remember it was a long ass download on a 4mb line and lots of updates
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:35
yeah it is a long ass download. I can help out if you need it 😉
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:37
Nah.. I’m over MMOs.. they all WoW rip offs.. 😛
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:34
To answer the question.
SWTOR is worth the download. If you are a Star wars fan and love RPG and a good story then SWTOR is the next best story.
for me, SWTOR is a true MMORPG.
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:35
Thanks Willem. I will look into this then.
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 10:40
I agree that the everything designed was excellent but it did not have a firm grip on the basics of MMO design and would have fitted better as a RPG rather. Could be that the game was way too easy but it is not the p[perfect model for an MMO.
Still worth playing to at least finish all the content (+- a weeks worth)
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:47
All the content is playing all 8 classes 😉 Each class got an interesting story.
At this moment, SWTOR got a lot to offer for a MMO. Space combat, battlegrounds, raiding, group system, LFG, LFR, Arena, PvP, LOADS of quests, F2P model (not true F2P but we can let it slip) and all the other basic things.
Their new expansion will have a housing system…
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:49
other than Space Combat thats every other MMO on the market right now..
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:51
yeah, that is the basics of a MMO. SWTOR just added another pillar to that. A proper solid fully voiced story for each playable class.
No other MMO got that
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:52
Elder Scrolls Online has Dumbledore and John Cleese as the Voice actors 😛
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:55
haha nice 😉
but back to the original question.
SWTOR will be fun for a Star Wars fan who want to play a MMO.
I played about 3 classes from 1 to 50. Each story was different and really interesting.
Still playing SWTOR on and off. That will die out when I get into ESO 🙂
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 11:04
WildStar has more of a grip on me than ESO. But I already have CE pre-Ordered for both.
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 11:21
Got my first CE ever.. it is ESO hahahha 😉
I was never a fan of the elder scrolls games. I got into Skyrim (big change was the Dawnguard DLC from there I was hooked) and now this ESO MMO got me solid into it.
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 11:30
You have a ways to go. I own ever Blizzard Game as a CE (got 4 copies of D3:RoS this morning :P) as well as ME2 and ME3 and a large list of others. 😛
tl;dr: I am a CE slut.
ToshZA
March 25, 2014 at 11:02
GW2 has multiple stories per race. Just saying. And the GW world actually feels alive, whereas the SW:TOR world just feels dead. It’s ok, don’t get me wrong, but I got one character to level 30 and stopped playing TOR because yawn.
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 11:19
GW2 made me yawn. I think I got to lvl 15 then I was over it. Never touched it again.
Every person is different 😉
SWTOR worked for me, GW2 didnt.
Same with this whole Wildstar and ESO discussions popping up now. Just cannot get into Wildstar …
ToshZA
March 25, 2014 at 11:24
Interestingly – I’m all for Wildstar, and meh for ESO. haha, well as you say – everyone is different. 🙂
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 10:22
40 hour+ SP OFFLINE action adventure (if well executed it can by arkham 3rd person action, FPS or RPG) post Episode 6 setting up and not including Episode 7 I’m going to be:
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/71215/star-wars-kid-o.gif
If it is going to a nickel and dime online DRM microtransaction fest:
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:29
That kid with the light saber makes me laugh every time I look at it.
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
March 25, 2014 at 10:40
Instant internet legend…
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:23
Star Wars is a rather Bigger than Batman.. dont think it’l work like a batman game..
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 10:28
can always make a new Jedi outcast kinda game.
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 10:30
Jedi Knight 4, it needs to happen
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:32
as long as its not another Star Wars X-Wing fighter pilot game.., they ‘ll probably fuck it up with the Move and kinect functions or something
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 10:33
Nobody got time for that.
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:34
EA makes time for that…
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 10:35
and sells it to you in 5 second increments.
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:36
it gonna be so glitchy make u character look like reed richards on shrooms..
TiMsTeR1033
March 25, 2014 at 10:35
Sadly You got a point.
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 10:37
Technically Jedi Knight Jedi Academy was 4 but I get what you are saying.
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 10:44
That was JK3
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 10:57
Dark Forces.
Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight
Jedi Knight 2
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Thats how I count 😛
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 11:01
You are right and the Admiral is wrong.
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 11:02
Well I did use the word technically. 😛
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 12:16
Dark forces was not a “Jedi Knight” game
And even in the code files inside the game (JKJA) you saw JK3 references
But in terms of Character and story arc (Kyle K) I’d say maybe, but in terms of the FP, then no
🙂
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 12:18
Admiral … be careful or I will be forced to use my Jedi mind tricks on you!
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 12:20
Pah, Mind Tricks do not work on me, only MONEY, and bacon, but money can buy bacon, so MONEY!
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 12:25
What about?
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 12:27
That….is….brilliant!
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 10:32
I’ll believe it when I see it. Cut too many times.
I’m also going to nitpick – “whatever their target audience”? I’m a who, not a what.
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 10:32
They also had a series where you could travel as a Jedi & gather allies – it was called KOTOR. Maybe ask Bioware or Obsidian about them.
Kromas
March 25, 2014 at 10:36
DON’T make them remember they own Bioware! They will drop a SW game on their laps with a release date the same as Dragon age and BOTH will be shit!
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:38
Well, I believe that Bioware might get the project work to make a SW game.
Dragon Age Inquisition will be a true reflection of EA’s so called … “we are changing” or “we are getting better” words.
Alien Emperor Trevor
March 25, 2014 at 10:40
I’m really interested to see how far they’ll push DLC & MTs with it.
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:41
Those the Same Words a Certain South African Political Party currently in Charge are using for elections..
Willem Swanepoel
March 25, 2014 at 10:50
actions speak louder than words. Politicians do not know that phrase very well 😉
Sk3tz0
March 25, 2014 at 10:47
Actually to be honest.. EA should ignore the Star Wars games and concentrate on remaking URBAN STRIKE, DESERT STRIKE AND JUNGLE STRIKE GAMES. and they better make it good..!!!
Norm the Horrible
March 25, 2014 at 10:48
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HvR
March 25, 2014 at 11:05
I want a new X-wing versus Tie-fighter.
With proper SP campaign and multiplayer skirmishes.
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
March 25, 2014 at 11:57
Open world Star Wars game… Like AC… 10/10 would play and never leave my house.
OMG! And like the ship in Black Flag you have a SPACESHIP!!! YYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!
*jumps and screams like a little girl meeting a fairy princess*
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 12:16
I’d join you in that
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
March 25, 2014 at 12:20
The jumping like a little girl or the game? o.O
😛
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 12:21
Game, hehe, you can be a little girl all by yourself
ToshZA
March 25, 2014 at 12:28
Little girls are never truly alone.
Admiral Chief of Auraxis
March 25, 2014 at 12:33
I’m….not sure what you are trying to say here???
ToshZA
March 25, 2014 at 12:46
They always have ponies and rainbows as friends. And the stickers. Did you ever remember how girls collect stickers, omg. They had more stickers than a nerd had Magic cards.
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
March 25, 2014 at 12:42
More spotlight for ME! MOAR! o/ *dances*
I feel like I am taking this too far, but I am just rolling with it.
ZombieDogma
March 25, 2014 at 12:04
“focus on making great games for whatever their target audience is”. That’s the thing though. The truly great games weren’t made for a target audience, they were made because they were fun, and because the dev team wanted them made. Using words like ‘target audience’ implies spreadsheets and surveys. All excellent ways to ruin a game.
Jedi JJ
March 25, 2014 at 13:16
Yea yea
El Capitan del Blade
March 25, 2014 at 13:35
So… Have one Studio develop 2 games, that are both great, THEN get another Studio to develop the third, which is mediocre, just to build hype for the final installment done by the orginal studio….
Zubayr Bhyat
March 25, 2014 at 16:18
Zoe, in other words you want KOTOR again 😛