EA Jumps on the "Casual Game" BLAHwagon

So Electronic Arts announced today that they were OFFICIALLY jumping on the Nintendo Wii bandwagon...okay they didn't say a word about Wii but still, they said they were joining forces with Hasbro to make several "Casual Games" and have even formed a new wing in honor of this called "EA Casual Games" (http://www.ea.com/article.jsp?id=hasbro21108) then a day later announced a proposed lineup which was Wii-heavy. Ugh.

Allow me to translate: Hasbro and EA both CONTINUE to have dollar signs as
pupils (and I mean both in their "eyes" and "I's") and are going to make several games on the Nintendo Wii and DS because they sell well...This comes as disappointing news to this "Serious Gamer" as it basically says they are not concerned with replay value or gameplay but selling units. Granted, in capitalist America, they WILL sell hundreds of thousands of copies of poorly made Transformers games to fanboys, fanmen, and fankids everywhere. Good for them? Bad for us...this means EA dumps their mighty (2nd to Activision) dollar into games that will sell, not win awards or be WORTH playing to most of us serious gamers.

While I can understand why they make this move...after all they are in DIRE need of a hit outside the Madden Family and, again, Activision has veritably stolen their crown as THE biggest Publisher on the planet...I cannot understand why they would sacrifice their fanbase. I love Electronic Arts, really, I do. We all did at one point, I'm sure. If it weren't for them, gaming would never have taken off like it has today. But seriously...Hasbro? I thought companies like Bandai were reserved for Namco...let THEM fall into a deeper abyss than they are already in.

I understand that EA also has some great looking serious games on the horizon but that is a small consolation. They have a budget and with an increased budget on casual games almost certainly comes a decreased budget on other games. It's a fact of corporate life.

It's sad how corporate Video Games has become...it's always had that "Corporate Sector" but now it seems this epidemic has gone mainstream. I think the result of a move like this could prove devastating for other large publishers. "Hey look, EA is making money off of crap, lets buy a whole Dairy Farm and sell it to our consumers! We'll make a KILLING! And waste perfectly good steaks..." (subtle BS reference)

Okay MAYBE I'm exaggerating here but still, my point remains. I am NOT happy
with this move. It just shows us all that selling out is now a mainstay in the growing Video Games industry...as if Acclaim didn't prove how deadly it could be in the FIRST place!

All bitching aside, the bottom line is the Nintendo Wii and DS may be changing the face of gaming as we know it. We can only sit here and PRAY they are the new "Arcade" audience and they don't slowly but surely drown the industry in subpar titles.