EA will develop for X-Box.............Shocking News

Gameinformer.com
Microsoft certainly ain\'t no start-up company, despite the fact that the fall 2001 home console, the Xbox, is the giant\'s first. Reuters and Gamers.com now report that Bill truly is using live ammo... Electronic Arts has just officially signed on with Microsoft to create games for the Xbox. The initial fruits of this venture are to be up to ten titles within a six month launch window for the platform.

Back when Microsoft signed around 160 gaming companies, Electronic Arts\' name was scarily absent. Just ask any kid with a PlayStation 2, and they can tell you what a relief it is to have the largest third-party publisher cranking out the hits for ya. Microsoft\'s chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach says so himself. "This is significant in terms of the direction we\'re heading with Xbox, and a significant sign of momentum building with the platform."

Perhaps more interesting is EA chief executive Larry Probst\'s shedding of PS 2 loyalty when he says, "If any platform is successful then we will support it fully. Obviously, we think that the Xbox can be a successful entrant in the category." With a reported 500 dev kits already on order, the potential for the system has just grown exponentially.

This is just like election nite, how will Square favor?????  The decision for Square to develop is now to close to call.  They can develop but will have stock issues with Sony, but if Sony will be smart they will let them develop so that Microsoft can pay them through stock.  

What\'s Next from Microsoft.

Well duh EA develops for everyone. What\'s the word on Square?

Originally posted by animal_mother1
Well duh EA develops for everyone. What\'s the word on Square?

Since EA and Square are partners, you would assume they would develop for X-Box but that\'s the not the case.

But this is still too close to call about Square developing........

There\'s a 85% chance they will.

But it\'s a toss up now.

EA will probably develop for Gamecube. Who cares. MS will probably dominate this console war.

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MS is set to do what Sony did 5 years ago. How ironic. No one expected Sony to dominate the market. They did. Now MS looks to dominate it pretty soon.

 

If Square does develop for X-Box, that\'s it Microsoft has won this war.

Sony and Microsoft are equal both billion dollar corporations, I believe this will end up in a buying war then end up in court.  Lawsuits are going to be very known in this fight, you just watch.

Sony has options in this war.

They still have Time Warner-AOL backing them up......

AOL will be providing there Internet Access "just wanted to confirm that"

PS2IGN reprot

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Well, Sony may have AOL backing them up. But, is AOL enough? No. MS has the MSN network backing them up, and the list goes on. Square will not be the end of the war, but they will be keeping Sony alive, until Naughty Dog pulls a rabbit out of their hat. Still, if MS gets Square it will be a huge nail in the coffin for Sony. It will be interesting to see how hard they try to get Square now.

Also, I\'m waiting on the offical confirm on MGS2, that would be another strike against Sony. Wonder why Konami won\'t tell what MGSX is "officaly"..

Microsoft will NOT dominate like Sony did

Unless they were taking on Saturn and cartridge based N64 too.  A key piece of Sony\'s "dominance" was Sega and Nintendo\'s asinine decision making.  PSX had 80 million users worldwide.  PS2 is following that, and has a full one year headstart on the XBox.  The ONLY thing that is helping Microsoft in that timespan is the shortage of PS2 hardware.

Microsoft can NOT dominate.  It is completely impossible.  Nobody will ever do that again - unless their competition makes the same mistakes.  If they were the first to launch - maybe.  If Dreamcast was like Saturn and PS2 was cartridge based - most debnitely.  But no way in hell they\'ll "dominate" against 70 million PSX owners waiting for the next machine (PS2), and a wiser Sega/Nintendo.

Here\'s the article from Reuters:

Microsoft enlists Electronic Arts to make Xbox games


Embargoed for release at 0001 EST (0501 GMT) on Wed., Dec. 13

By Scott Hillis Wednesday said the top independent video game developer, Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS.O) will make titles for its upcoming Xbox console, giving a huge boost to the software giant\'s push into the $20 billion-a-year video game market.

The long-anticipated partnership gives Microsoft a key weapon in its quest to unseat Sony Corp.\'s (6758.T) PlayStation 2 game console from its throne atop the industry.

"There is no question. This is a crucial relationship," said Steve Kleynhans, an analyst with technology consultancy the META Group.

"EA is the biggest player in games. If you don\'t have them producing games for your platform, well, I wouldn\'t say it was impossible, but it would be a fairly significant negative on the new platform," Kleynhans said.

Known for its popular sports games like Madden Football and NASCAR auto racing, Electronic Arts, or EA, would make up to 10 titles within six months of the Xbox\'s launch, scheduled for fall 2001.

"This is significant in terms of the direction we\'re heading with Xbox, and a significant sign of momentum building with the platform," Robbie Bach, Microsoft\'s "Chief Xbox Officer," said in an interview.

WIN FOR EA

The deal was important for EA as well because the Redwood, Calif.-based company stood to reap huge gains if the Xbox takes off, analysts said.

"It gives EA some more robustness to its offerings," said P.J. McNealy, an analyst with the Gartner Group, a technology consultancy.

Noting that a huge part of EA\'s revenues come from sales of PlayStation titles, McNealy said, "EA doesn\'t necessarily care which platform is more successful, they just want to sell software."

Bach and EA Chief Executive Larry Probst declined to disclose financial details of the deal, which capped months of negotiations and private comments that an agreement would be reached sooner or later.

"We\'ve been working together really since the beginning. EA was one of the first we briefed on our thinking, and they gave some great feedback," Bach said.

A handful of games would likely go on sale at the Xbox launch, and Electronic Arts had ordered 500 development kits to start work on the titles, Probst said.

Development of more EA titles would depend on how the Xbox fared in the market, Probst said.

"If any platform is successful then we will support it fully," Probst said. "Obviously, we think that the Xbox can be a successful entrant in the category."

But EA may also have to handle its Microsoft relationship with care given its cozy ties to Sony and a budding partnership with Microsoft Internet rival America Online Inc. (AOL.N) to offer online games, Gartner\'s McNealy said.

TOUGH MARKET

In addition to the PlayStation 2, the Xbox will also face Nintendo Co. Ltd.\'s (7974.T) upcoming GameCube and the Dreamcast from Sega Enterprises Ltd. (7964.T).

Microsoft has also signed up some 150 other game developers, including heavyweights like No. 2 Activision Inc. (ATVI.O)., to ensure there are enough titles to make an Xbox purchase worthwhile.

Featuring a 733-megahertz Intel Corp. (INTC.O) processor, a hard drive and a modem for high-speed Internet access, the Xbox uses PC-based technology to power what Microsoft says will be the most powerful game machine on the planet.

The Xbox is also the software giant\'s biggest push yet into hardware, and the company\'s determination to win is signaled by the $500 million marketing warchest it is throwing behind the product.

Shares in Microsoft rose 5/16, or 0.5 percent, to $58-3/8 on Tuesday, while EA shares rose $1-15/16, or almost 5 percent, to $41-11/16.

Hmmm...they have been in it from the start? They must have some footage ready for TGS and E3 soon.

Since EA and Square are partners, you would assume they would develop for X-Box but that\'s the not the case.

EA and square are TOTALLY seperate.  Their deal relies on bringing games from overseas as in PUBLISHING games released in the Japanese market for the US market.  I\'m sure that without EA, most Square games would fail to see the light of day here in the states.  EA has strong ties here in the states and Square knows this so they are taking advantage of it.  EA knows they can make a nice profit from porting the games overseas so they say what the hell and pays squaresoft for the rights, but the contract they have is the exclusitivity agreement that NO ONE other company can publish games in the United States other then Squaresoft themselves or EA.

The deals EA makes with other companies or consoles do not affect those of Suaresoft themselves.

Ktulu-There is either 70 million or 80 million. Pick one. And there isn\'t either, as many (maybe not you, but many others) have had multiple psx\'s. There is not 70 million ppl actually playing PSX by any stretch of the imagination. Also, the gaming market is much bigger than it was then. MS can get as large a number of customers as Sony did, with Sony and Sega still being successful (Nintendo too).

Ryu-That doesn\'t mean that Square won\'t be a XB developer. Both EA and Square had been making suggestions that they were looking into XB development. EA has confirmed. Square hasn\'t. That doesn\'t mean they won\'t or are less likely too.

Everyone-EA isn\'t that great anyways. I don\'t care how \'big\' they are, 90% of their games are ****.

i agree EA isn\'t god.

Ryu-That doesn\'t mean that Square won\'t be a XB developer. Both EA and Square had been making suggestions that they were looking into XB development. EA has confirmed. Square hasn\'t. That doesn\'t mean they won\'t or are less likely too.

I never said they weren\'t either.  I know a lot about this industry and to say that a developer is "looking into" a platform is totally different from confirming it.  When Square announces that they will be porting games across multiple platforms, the first time in 3 generations, then i\'ll get really surprised.  EA was inevitable, who cares if they are going cross-platform, LIKE THEY ALWAYS HAVE, anyways?

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Goodness, I\'ve never seen so many posts about a software company.

EA signed, does not mean Square is signed, like Ryu said. They publish the games that is all. It does not affect on if Square will sign. And Squage natrually looks into development for a system. They have no choice, they are a buisness. Buisness\' need to look into development for others and see which is the safest route. As for EA...They are always multi-platform. Did some of you really expect that to change this generation? Thats naive. EA will always be multi-platform. They make the most money that way. They now will sell GC and Xbox games along with Xbox...So, think about it..It makes  sense. That and they are a third party developer.