UPDATE: "Nintendo Was Dead to Us" After Wii U Launch, Says EA Source

[lacktheknack]

Yep, and it continues to amuse me to no end.

TOTALLY not for kids.... nope.

Which only leads credence to the highly-probable reality that the "anonymous source" is, in fact, a sock puppet.

You know, like pretty much every anonymous source ever.

And yet everyone falls for this one.

Because EA!

Jesus Christ, and people wonder why their ideological opponents ignore "facts" and fall for "obvious shams"... maybe because EVERYONE does, particularly people in this thread.

 

[Compatriot Block]

Yep, and it continues to amuse me to no end.

TOTALLY not for kids.... nope.

Which only leads credence to the highly-probable reality that the "anonymous source" is, in fact, a sock puppet.

You know, like pretty much every anonymous source ever.

And yet everyone falls for this one.

Because EA!

Jesus Christ, and people wonder why their ideological opponents ignore "facts" and fall for "obvious shams"... maybe because EVERYONE does, particularly people in this thread.

You know how this works. It's because EA threads aren't about truth. They're about truthiness. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness]

 

[lacktheknack]

You know how this works. It's because EA threads aren't about truth. They're about truthiness. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness]

DAAAAMN IIIIIT COOOLBERRRRRT! D:

But yeah, that's pretty darn accurate.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

"It became a kids IP platform and we don't really make games for kids. That was pretty true across the other labels too. Even the Mass Effect title on Wii U, which was a solid effort, could never do big business, and EA like Activision is only focused on games that can be big franchises".

Hmmm for all we know this anonymous source could just be mr. Sock, but if this is the general feeling at EA all I have to say is this.

Nintendo have some of the biggest and longest running franchise in the industry and most of them are aimed at kids or kid friendly. To write off "kid games" is incredibly short sighted.

Yeah, especially since you're effectively throwing away the chance to keep growing a fanbase. Too many game companies are obsessed with making all these M-rated franchises or one that just aren't family-friendly, leading to a very homogenized environment as well as basically losing the chance to connect with younger fans. It comes off as something I'd expect from an insecure youth, not from a grown man.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

After the update, it seems to solidify the original...nothing against Peter Moore but if Nintendo is such a great partner then why would EA have abandoned them? EA-owned devs may be making games for the 3DS (since I'm sure Disney will insist upon it for Star Wars games) but I thought EA made it clear they were done with the U before summer of 2013. If Moore is telling the truth though than maybe we can finally have some kind of Mass Effect Complete Collection on the U...or...well anything really.

 

[144_v1legacy]

Seriously, is there some memo I missed where people are obligated to insult EA every single article that involves anything that can be connected to them? Because that describes about half the comments.

As for the article, this is why you should always be suspicious when someone is making inflammatory comments, but insists on staying anonymous. Especially when there is no real reason to. I mean, if he was trashing EA, OK, I can see why he'd remain anonymous, considering that they could fire him if they knew his identity. But in this case, what would be gained by being anonymous?

The only reason for him to be anonymous is that he is a lower-level employee at EA, or not an EA employee at all. Either way, he is professing to speak for an entire company's policies without having any grounds for doing so. As for the possibility that a higher-up was the commenter...if they were a higher-up at EA, why would they remain anonymous? I mean, EA has PR problems, so it's not like their higher-ups have a problem with putting their foot in their mouth publicly.

Right on all counts.

And I don't know why EA is such a lighting rod when there are so many worse companies, even in the game industry, for each categorical criticism laid upon them.

 

[Strazdas]

I wish that publishers would stop using "Kids" as an insult, as if an all ages game is somehow lesser than Ultra-Hardcore-HD-Guns-And-Tits.

I will agree to that when developers will stop using "kids" as an excuse to develop inferior products.

 

[xaszatm]

I would be quiet there child. Okami is a Capcom game released on the PS2 and PS3, ported to the Wii... so it is not a sugar coated candy fest that nintendo tends to spew out these days.

Legend of Zelda's plotlines are not deep on any level in terms of drama or storytelling, often falling back on shallow interpretations of tropes that are predictable at best. There has not really been a Zelda game that has broken too far from the mold of 'Ganon is a bad guy, Zelda is a princess who is kidnapped, Link is the destined one' repeated over and over and over again. Like all of Nintendo's evergreen titles.

Fire Emblem... okay, I will give you that it is a title that has... something... to it. But it offers little that can not be enjoyed from playing other tactical/squad based RPGs. It does have melodrama in spades, I will give it that.

But Nintendo centric titles are that... shallow... or a flash in the pan in terms of really having an engaging story or characters with some form of depth.

Yes, I am an adult... part of that 30+ year old demographic... who would like to have more depth in my plots and interaction with the world than a game that has to explain everything like I am 12 years old and thus needs to have the complexity of a saturday morning cartoon. I have this problem with a good deal of companies. Nintendo is just key amongst them.

So, by insinuating that anyone who makes a counterargument is a child (or as you put it: under-aged brats and twerps), you are showing more of your personality. Furthermore, if you break down any form of media to its most basic form, they too will sound shallow and similar to other things of a lesser quality. For instance:

Wall-E: Robots go save their home world
Robots: Robots go save their home world
The Last of Us: A guy escorts a girl and shoot enemies
Resident Evil 4: A guy escorts a girl and shoot enemies
Bioshock Infinite: A guy escorts a girl and shoot enemies
Shadow of the Colossus: A guy beats monsters to rescue someone he loves
Double Dragon: A guy beats people to rescue someone he loves
and etc.

Furthermore, when you say that Nintendo titles are all shallow, I would certainly disagree. It's true that a few games in Nintendo's library are shallow (Mario, Kirby, and Donkey Kong being the biggest ones). But if you're going to those series expecting anything of a story, I would ask you why. Not all franchises need big, epic, complex stories to be enjoyable. Finally, I too would like to see any company make a game that has more depth in my plots and interaction with the world. I don't see why that game cannot exist alongside a game that everyone can play.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

So, by insinuating that anyone who makes a counterargument is a child (or as you put it: under-aged brats and twerps), you are showing more of your personality. Furthermore, if you break down any form of media to its most basic form, they too will sound shallow and similar to other things of a lesser quality. For instance:

Wall-E: Robots go save their home world
Robots: Robots go save their home world
The Last of Us: A guy escorts a girl and shoot enemies
Resident Evil 4: A guy escorts a girl and shoot enemies
Bioshock Infinite: A guy escorts a girl and shoot enemies
Shadow of the Colossus: A guy beats monsters to rescue someone he loves
Double Dragon: A guy beats people to rescue someone he loves
and etc.

Furthermore, when you say that Nintendo titles are all shallow, I would certainly disagree. It's true that a few games in Nintendo's library are shallow (Mario, Kirby, and Donkey Kong being the biggest ones). But if you're going to those series expecting anything of a story, I would ask you why. Not all franchises need big, epic, complex stories to be enjoyable. Finally, I too would like to see any company make a game that has more depth in my plots and interaction with the world. I don't see why that game cannot exist alongside a game that everyone can play.

The thing is though, that's just narrative. And games are not primarily a narrative medium. Their main purpose isn't to tell a story but just to entertain the player through gameplay. Furthermore, let's face it, most of the so-called "deeper narratives" going on nowadays seem to be ripping off movies and television in the most shallow way possible. It's like watching the 90s FMV fad all over again. Games' primary purpose is gameplay. It's why a game can survive a crappy story, but not crappy gameplay

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

Heavy Rain, Walking Dead, COD MW and onward, Dragon Age series and The Witcher are good examples of mature stories with dramatic story telling.

 

[CaptainMarvelous]

Oh sweet christ, critical thinking guys! Even if EA did write off the WiiU, the 3DS is still prominent, why would they burn bridges like that with Nintendo? They do very well with their IPs, this isn't the WWE, they gain literally nothing by STATING that outright.

And while we're doing this discussion, is there genuinely a guy complaining about media that isn't Grimdark in this thread? How immature do you have to be to not see the fun in a game with a colour palette and a personality? Even going by Zelda and the Tropes, Majora's Mask was about the 5 stages of grief manifested in a world that's going to destroyed in three days, everything heroic Link does has to be undone so he can continue. Zelda doesn't even appear except in one flashback. Link between Worlds deconstructed all three of the main characters by giving them mirror-world doubles who lacked their defining traits but made them stronger for it (Yuga being powerless but always attempting to steal it, Hilda making poor decisions because of the pressure on her, Ravio lacking the courage to actually fight but doing what he can).

Jesus, bring on the day people can be grown up enough to not worry about looking grown up.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

Oh sweet christ, critical thinking guys! Even if EA did write off the WiiU, the 3DS is still prominent, why would they burn bridges like that with Nintendo? They do very well with their IPs, this isn't the WWE, they gain literally nothing by STATING that outright.

And while we're doing this discussion, is there genuinely a guy complaining about media that isn't Grimdark in this thread? How immature do you have to be to not see the fun in a game with a colour palette and a personality? Even going by Zelda and the Tropes, Majora's Mask was about the 5 stages of grief manifested in a world that's going to destroyed in three days, everything heroic Link does has to be undone so he can continue. Zelda doesn't even appear except in one flashback. Link between Worlds deconstructed all three of the main characters by giving them mirror-world doubles who lacked their defining traits but made them stronger for it (Yuga being powerless but always attempting to steal it, Hilda making poor decisions because of the pressure on her, Ravio lacking the courage to actually fight but doing what he can).

Jesus, bring on the day people can be grown up enough to not worry about looking grown up.

I don't think it's a matter of growing up as "embracing your human nature as a brutally flawed human being".

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Nintendo isn't dead to EA. They're just sleeping really, really deeply.

 

[FalloutJack]

Ah, I see what's going on here. You see, the news is on backwards. Clearly, Nintendo actually said EA was dead to THEM. When you read it that way, it all makes sense.

 

[Shaolen]

After milking "The Sims" to death, making the abomination front end DRM that is Origin, buying and sucking the soul out of BioWare, making their once great franchises like Dead Space into micro transaction monstrosities, lazy yearly updates to sports games with diminishing returns on features, releasing a sloppy beta that people paid $60-$120 for (Battlefield 4), destroying many great game companies after their acquisition, AAAAAANNNNNDDDDD to make "The worst company in America" list, hmm, Why would I want to throw my money their way? Go home EA, you are drunk!

 

[Brian Tams]

Escapist needs to hurry up and change the title to something more accurate than just a vauge "*Update*", because we're still getting people clicking on the article thinking its true.

This is some piss poor journalism guys, the kind I expect from third-rate fan blogs. I expected more from you guys, but I guess I'm going to disappointed, eh?

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

UPDATE: Electronic Arts Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore has very pointedly denied the "dead to us" claim on Twitter. "Don't trust 'anonymous sources'. Nintendo's a great partner," he wrote. "They never have been, and never will be, 'dead' to EA."

This is like a guy running towards a burning bridge with a single fire extinguisher. Don't worry, we don't really want to burn down the bridge! It was just the market!

I do hope Nintendo gets some good titles into the Wii U soon, this constant stream of bad news for them is a little worrying.