When Electronic Arts bought out Pandemic and Bioware last year, the gaming community became worried about what sort of influence EA’s corporate machine would have on the creative aspects of the two game studios.
Pandemic’s president and co-founder, John Resnick, says that his company is doing just fine under the new management and is still setting its own course as far as what it wants to do in producing games.
As Phoenix Wright, ace attorney would say, Objection! Many believe that EA has a history of just the opposite, but Resnick says that everything is different now.
To emphasize the point of his studio’s independence, Resnick remarked, "Yes, it says Pandemic on the box, we’ve got Pandemic email addresses and we’re making Pandemic games.
"John [Riccitiello, EA’s CEO] has said that in the past interfering with the internal studios hasn’t worked for them. That’s not the model that EA is now following…
"It just doesn’t make logical or business sense for them to change a development studio like that. John and all of the executives at EA have very loudly said that in public. They want to empower their creative talent."
As bright and rosy as Resnick’s view is on what EA said about their hands-off policy about interfering with game companies they have brought into the EA fold, it should be pointed out that EA also said big game companies buying out other studios wasn’t good for the industry, that they wanted to make new games instead of cranking out sequels and that they were moving away from being dependent on franchises.
So far, EA’s track record for making good on what they say isn’t exactly stellar.
We’re not too certain if EA corporate hands can really leave Pandemic and Bioware alone, but let’s hope that ts new business model of "empowering creative talent" holds true. If not, get ready for Bioshock 8 and Destroy All Humans 10.
[via gamesindustry]
