EA exec discusses Star Wars IP, creating new games
GamesIndustry.biz recently posted an interview they had at gamescom with EA’s vice president Patrick Soderlund.
I previously wrote about Soderlund’s comments on the Galaxy in Turmoil project, but this time he talked more about the Star Wars IP in general.
Of note, he said that the development teams revolving around Star Wars projects are motivated because they enjoy working on the famous IP:
We decided to take a couple of our best development teams, from the whole ecosystem, and put them on Star Wars. They could have built new IP otherwise, but the opportunity for us as a company, and for our development teams, what we can build within that framework… Anyone that works on it, they’re so happy. That’s a very important aspect. If they’re happy, if they’re motivated, if they’re thoroughly enjoying what they do, better products will come out.
He also noted that Rogue One is allowing for EA to branch out more in terms of creative freedom within the Star Wars universe.
“[Rogue One is] great for us,” Soderlund said. “We can go anywhere we want in that sense.”
Soderlund also mentioned that they are “continuing to invest in something new” with regards to Star Wars, as well as their Battlefield and FIFA franchises.
EA and DICE are also taking a “more scientific approach to development” in the form of researching customers:
In Stockholm, we recently opened up a facility for the DICE studio; these UX labs, where there’s a ton of game stations and cameras up. We bring consumers in and we film them playing our games and interview them afterwards. But we can see things – where people get stuck, levels of frustration, what they like and dislike – in a much more honest way than what they can tell you in an interview.
Soderlund added that EA hopes to have a “dialogue with the players” who enjoy IPs like Star Wars.
While nothing too revealing came about in the interview, hopefully this means that EA will be listening to players more as they move forward with the Star Wars IP. The company certainly seems to be moving in the right direction, especially with the additions of Skirmish and space battles to Battlefront. Of course, only time will tell if EA truly succeeds.
(H/T Cinemablend)
