Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The focus on simulation has served EA well over the years, especially in
using the company's size and resources to lock up crucial licensing rights.
Beyond promoting their games as having a higher fi delity than their
competitors, EA Sports innovated and embraced a number of changes to
the video game marketplace, most notably in the expansion and integration
of online play into their games. Online content was originally built around
the ability to play other people online, a feature where many casual gamers
“quickly found out the hard way that I was no match for the [high] caliber
elements to match players of similar skill levels, enabled players to build
their own online franchises, and integrated a variety of other features to
move players from focusing on playing against the computer or local play-
ers to being able to play gamers from around the world. The relationship
between EA Sports and online play was summarized when their president,
Peter Moore, contended that the increased connectivity of game franchises
across multiple platforms is leading to a situation where “there will be no
access can be seen in the online vote held to determine which player would
hold the coveted spot on the cover of
Madden NFL
12
and on expanding
EA Sports's
FIFA Soccer
property on to Facebook with
FIFA Superstars
.
Additional innovations include a decision to build tutorials into EA Sports
games, enabling the company to claim they are “going green” while cutting
contend the release of their primary titles is launch day holiday gamers
should celebrate by taking a day of of work.
Another key question for EA Sports is determining the target audience
for their games. Sports games, like many other genres, typically can cater to
all kinds of players, with the most common split being between the 'casual'
and the 'hardcore.' Hardcore players typically invest more time playing,
practicing and honing their skills, which means that games with complex
tactics or a multitude of options better reward their time investment. On
the other hand, casual players are interested in the game, but devote less
time to practicing their craft, which typically makes assistance systems and
a streamlined approach relevant to this broader audience. Beginning with
the version of their games released in
2000
EA Sports actively targeted the
hardcore, adding complex game play elements and seeking to develop a
game where elite players could thrive and professional competitions could
be developed using their games. Things started to change in
Madden NFL
09
,
which introduced “simple playbooks combined with [ex-NFL player
and commentator, Chris] Collinsworth's backtrack analysis” that “are a
step in the right direction when it comes to making Madden more acces-
audience, as “thankfully, the new tutorials help newcomers learn the ropes,
and they're in-depth enough to teach even advanced players some things
