Electronic Art's Past and Future
There is a lot to look forward to in 2020, two new consoles are on the horizon, which means new titles for them, but as we get to the tail end of the two they are replacing, games are getting bigger and bolder, as developers have learnt how to leverage all the power and technical know-how from them, to craft worlds the demand to be enjoyed. So, let’s take a look at what we have to look forward to for 2020 from Electronic Arts.
Electronic Arts or EA as they are better known had a very strong 2019, with the release of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order proving to be a popular title, plus they brought back Need for Speed with an amazing entry, especially given how their recent efforts have fared. Of course, the yearly sports titles were around as well, with Madden, Fifa and NHL all receiving their nominal updates and some excellent new modes, anyone up for some Volta football.
They also managed to let loose a little and released some titles that were unexpected, Plants Vs Zombies Battle for Neighborville brought back the spin off series and players have responded. Sea of Solitude was the next entry in the EA Originals program, which helps indie developers get their game out to the masses, thanks to the massive EA spotlight and while the game itself might have been just ok, it was still a nice addition to their roster. Nintendo Switch gamers saw, at the time, fourth title published by EA come their way with Unravel Two, which released in 2018 for the other platforms, the game was identical, was just now portable and worthy of a second playthrough.
Finally, Apex Legends shot onto the scene with their unique approach to Battle Royales, with multiple seasons now under their belt and the funny and pun-fuelled Holo-day Bash at Christmas time, the series is looking good.
For all the good, there are bad things and that is where Anthem comes in, it had the makings of something amazing, but sadly was compacted by server issues, clunky mechanics and more, which meant players did not stick around and Bioware announcing some months later they were dropping their planned roadmap.
For 2020 though, things are looking a little different, yes, we should once again expect the yearly releases of their sports titles, Fifa, Madden and NHL, but the rest is up in the air. DICE have been hard at work on Battlefield V and Star Wars Battlefront II content in the past 12 months but hearing something new from them would not be unsurprising. Criterion as a developer has become mostly a support studio of late, but they have been quiet for a while, so something new from them would not be unheard of.
DICE LA, a second studio for the acclaimed Stockholm location has been helping out with development on many titles, but with the news that Vince Zampella will now oversee that studio, in addition to Respawn Entertainment, we might hear something, if we do expect it at EA Play or later in the year. Speaking of Respawn, expect more content for Apex Legends, but their reboot of Medal of Honor is also coming, set in VR entirely, this is a new way for the series to find footing in today’s busy and crowded shooter space.
In terms of new IP, that is harder to gauge, Bioware have been silent since Anthem’s future content was abandoned, though rumours of an Anthem V2 have been swirling around. There is also Dragon Age, a series that was quite polarising with Inquisition, and one we have heard nothing about since the Game Awards 2018, when it was teased in a trailer only.
Star Wars is a series they have the rights to, for a few more years and with only three major console titles under their belt, it would not be surprising to hear we are getting something else this year, a remake of some older games would welcome, looking at you Rogue Squadron, but that is a long shot at best.
It is possible that we will see other series make a return, SSX is their biggest sports title that is not branded with the EA Sport moniker, but the last entry was a misfire entirely, missing the point of the series, so they might be hesitant to release something else again.
The mobile side of things will likely see a series or two be brought back, it has been sometime since Real Racing 3 was released and Fire Monkeys, based here in Australia, have been working on that and many others like Need for Speed and BLAH as well. A new title is likely to happen, but what series it falls in, is anyone’s guess.
Maxis is currently locked in creating expansions for The Sims 4 and unless they released The Sim 5 in 2020, that is not going to change, SimCity is likely a dead series, thanks to the bomb that was the last release and while EA own a great many studios, most of them like Baton Rouge and Romania play more the support role than their own development, especially since EA canned original development on Fifa 20 on Switch, gifting it the Legacy Edition title.
2019 was a great year for EA, they got Need for Speed back on track, released a kick ass Star Wars game and added solid titles to their sports library. Respawn were clearly the developer of the year with Apex Legends and Jedi Fallen Order and are heading into 2020 with a lot of momentum. The question is, will that translates to success on Medal of Honor and the answer is that it is too early to tell, but they can fall back onto the success of the EA Originals program should help bolster them again this year, should their usual big hitters like Fifa, Madden and NHL fail to deliver. Bioware could come back strong, but we have no details on the next Dragon Age releasing this year, should that happen, it will need to be a smash hit, but Bioware have been down before, but never out, so fingers crossed.
