Holiday Challenge: EA vs. Originality
 

Can anybody name a game developed/published by EA from the last generation (PS2/Cube/Xbox) that isn't based on an existing franchise/property, isn't an original franchise bought out by EA (Command & Conquer, Sims) or simply isn't just a car or army FPS game?

Black?

Does Arena Football or the Godfather count, or do they both count as existing properties?

I don't know.. did Football and The Godfather exist before they made those games?

Hmm.. I guess it's not army based, but.. hmm.. maybe.

Well I didn't know if you meant as game franchises.

Clive Barker's Undying

Disqualification due to having a famous author's name plastered in the title.

You're just making rules up now. ;)

Armies of Exigo

SSX, SSX Tricky, SSX3.

Awesome games.

(SSX On Tour is dead to me).

If three games have the same name, then obviously it's part of an existing franchise. Was SSX an original PS2 game, or was it the gen before that?

IIRC it was a PS2 original.

Sequelitis is everywhere. Nintendo's been profiting off of their franchise games for years, why can't anyone else do the same?

I think the problem with EA is that their games don't really make an evolutionary leaps in gameplay that happen with other franchises. I think the Wii as a whole is a huge leap over everyone else.

Fanboys turn a blind eye to Nintendo? ;)

$1,000 says we will get yet another generation of Mario Tennis, Golf, Kart, etc with new Wii control features. Not that this is a bad thing, but they are just as guilty as EA is.

Yeah... like that new game that came out... completely original... whats it called again... Final Fantasy XII!!!!!!
If your gonna bash EA... might as well bash Square 12 times over.

Yep, and as soon as a new IP strikes a chord with game buyers you know we'll see those franchises dug into the ground too. Gears of War 4 and Dead Rising 3 aren't that far off -wink-.

EA has a pretty bad rap, but just going on some of the games alone, I've had a lot of fun with their output. Burnout 3 was on the top of most peoples racing games lists, but for me it didn't get any better than Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. Talk about white knuckles. Also SSX and SSX 3 gave me hours of joy and LOTR: Return of the King and LOTR: Battle for ME 2 are both awesome.

Final Fantasy games only have two things in common with each other: Chocobos, and Cid.

Regarding the Nintendo fanboyism...i'll just say that Nintendo tends to make their games play differently when they release a new game in an old series. Even then, you can't deny that past games in the series are classics. The same can't be said for a lot of EA's games, which are a kind of hit-and-run when it comes to quality: wow them in the beginning, but the fun dies off soon after.

The thing that bothers me is that Nintendo always makes the best games but they always involve Mario. Mario Golf, Mario Kart, Smash Brothers, are all great games but I wish they weren't all Mario. As for EA, well, to me they are getting better. I'm quite enjoying The Godfather right now.

Um, did you even attempt to read the original post? I was asking what EA has brought to the table that wasn't based on an existing property. I'm pretty sure Nintendo created Mario, Link and the rest of their crap without having to buy up titles and ideas that worked in other media.

Maybe, but I consider that no different than sticking some existing franchise on the cover. They're putting that name in big bold letters on the cover in hopes of duping people into a sale based on outside familiarity.

So far we have SSX and Armies of Exigo. I guess SSX is really just snowboarding but I think it was unique enough to consider it original. I suppose I'll add Black to the list since I specified non-army FPS games.. but I still think like racing, the genre is a bit too saturated currently to credit anything but the "above and beyond" best original.

Ah I see what you mean now. Not that a game is necessarily the continuation of a franchise, but rather a game that is based on an entirely different or acquired franchise. Hm.

Freedom Fighters?

Would Def Jam count?

We can hate on EA all day long, but bottom line...NHL 07 is fantastic with three drunk buddies.

= J

Fight Night? I guess the real boxers would disqualify it though.

They fixed this with the 360, you can now download originality from the Xbox Live Marketplace for only 800 points!

Freedom Fighters works.

EA didn't create Def Jam. ;) But Fight for NY is an awesome game. :)

No hating at all, just curious to see what they've done that they didn't buy up.