Sid Meier on EA/Take 2

[Thunderfall]

Last Friday at a lunch meeting at the Algonquin Hotel in NYC, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal managed to ask Sid Meier a few questions about the potential EA buyout of Take-Two. Below is Sid's response:

We worked with Electronic Arts ten years ago. We respect them highly as a company. They're a great company. We enjoy working with Take-Two. We'll let them sort that out [laughs]. Take-Two has been very good about giving us the creative freedom to do the best games that we can, and I think what Electronic Arts is saying is really along the same directions. That's really our priority, to really be able make the best games that we can. And both those publishers would give us that opportunity. We'll let them work that out.

He also said that EA has a commitment to great games and that's what's important to Firaxis.

 

[Agent327]

Very diplomatic.

"Hey neighbour, whaddaya think about 'em clouds o'er yonder?"
- Tmight rain, tmight not (chuckle, chuckle), but either way it'll be awright, I reckon.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Very diplomatic.

"Hey neighbour, whaddaya think about 'em clouds o'er yonder?"
- Tmight rain, tmight not (chuckle, chuckle), but either way it'll be awright, I reckon.

----------

 

[ecc]

So EA is going to expand their sweatshops to the reaches of Firaxis, sounds wonderful.

 

[Ranbir]

Um...just remember it was with EA we got SMAC.

EA buyout puts the license back in Firaxis' reach.

Come on people; SMAC2!!!

 

[Toni1]

Remember Origin Systems...

If it's not mainstream, game series is likely to die out in hands of EA.

 

[milan]

What else can he say, one of them is their current boss, the other may be their tomorrow's. I wonder what does he really thinks about this takeover?!?

 

[General_W]

please give us SMAC 2!!

 

[Ace of Gold]

before that we need civcity rome 2

 

[toft]

before that we need civcity rome 2

___:suicide:____

 

[Ace of Gold]

civcity rome was good. i liked it, i think it was his (sid) 2nd best game he made (behind civ 4) or bts

 

[Northen Wolf]

Ea does crap, they just bling-bling stuff and then think it is awsome. It is, in the beginning but, most EA games do not deserve more than 90 hours game time. Most games I have on PC and laptop (same things?) are games that need more than 90 hour game time (elder scrolls, civs, AoE[It is for mapmaking thing ])

 

[krantzbucks]

It's funny isn't it? Back in the dawn of computer gaming (before it was called PC gaming) Electronic Arts was known for celebrating the talents of its programmers. Heck, they called them artists and the packaging from classic EA games (Archon, Mail Order Monsters, Racing Destruction Set) made it seem like you were buying a product from people who really cared about their output.

 

[AljayBoy]

Command and Conquer Pre EA ---->

Command and Conquer Post EA ---->


. . .

 

[Pikkis]

civcity rome was good. i liked it, i think it was his (sid) 2nd best game he made (behind civ 4) or bts

As far as I've understood, and according to Wikipedia, CivCity: Rome cannot be considered as a "Sid's game", because the main responsiblity of its design was on Firefly Studios, and it's main designer was Simon Bradbury.

That was a bit offtopic, but about the EA's offer, I think that Firaxis may very likely have greater creative freedom if EA doesn't take over Take-Two. Sid's comment was, as earlier said, very diplomatic.

 

[Toni1]

Consider the advantages : Well be getting Civilization 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013... Difference is in scale of one unit graphics and welll get to pay full price each time! Wouldn't that be fun! In decade or two they'd probably even add new feature in the game!

 

[Ranbir]

Can we please stop living in the past about EA?

I imagine everyone here has already condemned Bioware games from here on in to be complete tripe? Gimme a break.

 

[Ace of Gold]

As far as I've understood, and according to Wikipedia, CivCity: Rome cannot be considered as a "Sid's game", because the main responsiblity of its design was on Firefly Studios, and it's main designer was Simon Bradbury.

That was a bit offtopic, but about the EA's offer, I think that Firaxis may very likely have greater creative freedom if EA doesn't take over Take-Two. Sid's comment was, as earlier said, very diplomatic.

its still a firaxis game though

 

[Pikkis]

its still a firaxis game though

As I said earlier, the main responsibility of the design was on Firefly Studios and Firaxis being mentioned as a developer doesn't (as far as I've understood) contain much more than the use of "Civ" name etc. I didn't even find a mention of the game from the Firaxis site at quick look.

Sorry for continuing offtopic.

Consider the advantages : Well be getting Civilization 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013... Difference is in scale of one unit graphics and welll get to pay full price each time! Wouldn't that be fun! In decade or two they'd probably even add new feature in the game!

That's one of the worst scenarios I can imagine for Civilization game series (apart from discontinuing it).

 

[Ranbir]

And a silly scenario at that. It only happens in sports games.