Electronic Arts has never been a particularly popular company in the eyes of consumers, but Hazelight Studios founder Josef Fares, who collaborated on three titles with the publisher, was willing to go up to bat for it during a recent interview.
Speaking to The Game Business, the Split Fiction director said that there are "a lot of great people at EA" who "respect" Hazelight's work and "leave [them] be." Then, in classic Josef Fares fashion, he argued that "there’s not a publisher in the world that hasn’t f****d up now and then."
While EA has an infamous reputation, "earning" the title of "Worst Company in America" from the website Consumerist in 2012 and 2013, Fares still believed that "EA is getting more sh*t than they deserve."
The list of reasons for video game players to roast EA is long enough to warrant its own Wikipedia page. Fans of studios like BioWare and franchises like Titanfall and Battlefield have raised grievances over EA's management of them. In the past year, the company reportedly cancelled anticipated titles and underwent mass layoffs. EA is far from the only big gaming company that engages in such business practices, though.
"I mean, come on, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, everybody’s done something that’s not good," Fares continued. "But for some reason, EA has become this bad guy."
Fares emphasized Hazelight's "great relationship" with EA, while acknowledging that the company has made "mistakes like every other publisher." And it's been a lucrative relationship for Hazelight as well, with Split Fiction vastly exceeding EA's sales projections when it launched last year.
As valid as Fares's points may be, EA's reputation will certainly be tested going forward, with the company's proposed sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund sparking concerns that new ownership will lead to shifts in the company's culture and content.
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Speaking to The Game Business, the Split Fiction director said that there are "a lot of great people at EA" who "respect" Hazelight's work and "leave [them] be." Then, in classic Josef Fares fashion, he argued that "there’s not a publisher in the world that hasn’t f****d up now and then."
While EA has an infamous reputation, "earning" the title of "Worst Company in America" from the website Consumerist in 2012 and 2013, Fares still believed that "EA is getting more sh*t than they deserve."
The list of reasons for video game players to roast EA is long enough to warrant its own Wikipedia page. Fans of studios like BioWare and franchises like Titanfall and Battlefield have raised grievances over EA's management of them. In the past year, the company reportedly cancelled anticipated titles and underwent mass layoffs. EA is far from the only big gaming company that engages in such business practices, though.
"I mean, come on, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, everybody’s done something that’s not good," Fares continued. "But for some reason, EA has become this bad guy."
Fares emphasized Hazelight's "great relationship" with EA, while acknowledging that the company has made "mistakes like every other publisher." And it's been a lucrative relationship for Hazelight as well, with Split Fiction vastly exceeding EA's sales projections when it launched last year.
As valid as Fares's points may be, EA's reputation will certainly be tested going forward, with the company's proposed sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund sparking concerns that new ownership will lead to shifts in the company's culture and content.
Source