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EA gives Xbox thumbs upPosted: December 17th, 2000.
Microsoft’s Xboxplans received a huge boost when it announced that Electronic Arts wouldpublish 10 launch titles to coincide with the console’s launch in Autumnnext year.
The signing of EA is arguably the most crucial that the Seattle giant hasinked to date, with EA the world’s biggest publisher and renowned for hugeworldwide franchises such as FIFA, The Sims, Madden, NASCAR and F1.The alliance is particularly important in the light of the relative failureof Sega’s Dreamcast, which many have argued was at least in part due to EA’slack of commitment to the machine.
The deal between EA and Microsoft was mooted as long ago as ECTS, and willbe a boost to both parties, with EA well placed to take advantage of its PCdevelopment expertise, which will be easily transferable to Xbox.
Over 200 companies are now developing for Xbox, with more than 18 developerscommitted to making exclusive Xbox titles to be published under theMicrosoft label, with the scene set for an huge launch line up. Around 18 ofEA’s worldwide studios will develop titles, some of which are well underway,and some 500 Xbox Development Kits (XDKs) have been ordered from Microsoft.
EA’s chairman and CEO Larry Probst commented: “We’re excited about Xbox andMicrosoft’s commitment to the platform. Microsoft has the vision, thetechnology and the resources required to make a significant impact on ourindustry.”
Robbie Bach, senior vice president of Microsoft’s games division and chiefXbox officer (CXO), said, “With EA on board it further ensures gamers aroundthe world that the best and brightest developers will be deliveringpreviously unforeseen possibilities in gameplay on Xbox.”
“When we saw the hardware specification and talked to the Xbox team, we knewthat this console was going to be popular with novice and hardcore gamersalike,” said Don Mattrick, president of EA Worldwide Studio Operations.“Titles like ‘Madden NFL 2001’, ‘SSX Snowboarding’ and ‘Knockout Kings’are going to look great on Xbox.”
News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2000.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.