Electronic Arts
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Electronic Arts | ||
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Founded: 1982-05-28 | ||
T-series code: T-50 | ||
Headquarters:
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Electronic Arts (エレクトロニック・アーツ), also known as EA, is an American video game developer, publisher, and distributor.
Contents
History
Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers responsible for its games. Originally, EA was a home computing game publisher, however in the late 1980s, the company began developing games in-house and began to support consoles by the early 1990s. EA later grew via acquisition of several successful developers, and by the early 2000s, EA had become one of the world's largest third-party publishers.
Electronic Arts is one of the most significant third-party publishers for Sega consoles - the Sega Mega Drive being EA's main console of choice for the first half of the 1990s. Initially EA had planned to avoid direct contact with Sega[1], reverse-engineering the Mega Drive which later formed a barganing chip for securing a better deal for EA as a third-party developer than rival firms. EA would go on to make huge gains on consoles, particularly when it came to sports games (starting with John Madden Football in 1990), and supported the Mega Drive until 1997 - well after others had abandoned the system.
Success in the sports genre led to EA establishing a sub-brand, "Electronic Arts Sports Network" in 1991, which would adorn most of its sports games until 1993. However, similarities in the name caught the eye of US sports television channel ESPN, who sued EA for trademark infringement. The two parties settled out of court, with EA renaming its brand "EA Sports" and ESPN giving advertising space for EA Sports games. Curiously EA and ESPN would sign a 15-year deal in 2005 allowing for ESPN graphics to appear in EA Sports games (with ESPN having previously worked with Sega in its 2K series of sports titles).
EA supported the Sega Saturn, but its refusal to support the Dreamcast in favor of preparing titles for the PlayStation 2 is seen by some as a contributing factor to the console's failure. At the 2011 Tokyo Game Show, Sega announced it would be partnering with EA to release FIFA 12 World Class Soccer, Battlefield 3, Shadow of the Damned, The Sims 3 Pets, Need for Speed: The Run, Mass Effect 3, and SSX in Japan, making this the first time EA worked with Sega since the Saturn (with the exception of one 2000 game).
Packaging
Electronic Arts are unusual in that they produced their own Mega Drive cartridges, boxes and manuals from factories in Taiwan and Puerto Rico (on a much greater scale than the likes of Accolade and Codemasters who also took manufacturing into their own hands). EA originally packaged its North American games in cardboard boxes, moving to the "standard" clamshell design in 1991. In Europe it began with much larger and "stickier" clamshell designs before conforming with its rivals around the same period. EA cartridges, however, never changed, being iconically square with a yellow "tab" on the left hand side (colours varied in Japan) which serves no practical purpose.
EA's Saturn PAL games also differ from their competitors, opting for larger clamshell packaging while others were forced to deal with Sega's cardboard/plastic hybrid solution.
Magazine articles
- Main article: Electronic Arts/Magazine articles.
Softography
Hikaru
- NASCAR Arcade (2000)
Master System
- Populous (1991)
- Champions of Europe (1992)
- Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1993)
- PGA Tour Golf (1993)
- Road Rash (1994)
- Championship Hockey (1995)
Mega Drive
- Budokan: The Martial Spirit (1990)
- Zany Golf (1990)
- John Madden Football (1990)
- Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs (1990)
- Battle Squadron (1990)
- M-1 Abrams Battle Tank (1991)
- James Pond: Underwater Agent (1991)
- PGA Tour Golf (1991)
- 688 Attack Sub (1991)
- Centurion: Defender of Rome (1991)
- King's Bounty: The Conqueror's Quest (1991)
- Might and Magic: Gates to Another World (1991)
- The Faery Tale Adventure (1991)
- NHL Hockey (1991)
- Populous (1991)
- Starflight (1991)
- Sword of Sodan (1991)
- Dark Castle (1991)
- Blockout (1991)
- Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday (1991)
- Rings of Power (1992)
- Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? (1992)
- Shadow of the Beast (1992)
- Galahad (1992)
- NHLPA Hockey '93 (1992)
- The Aquatic Games Starring James Pond and The Aquabats (1992)
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (1992)
- Shadow of the Beast II (1992)
- EA Hockey (1992)
- John Madden Football '92 (1992)
- Road Rash (1992)
- John Madden Football '93 (1992)
- John Madden Football: Championship Edition (1992)
- Lotus Turbo Challenge (1992)
- Team USA Basketball (1992)
- EA Sports Double Header (1993)
- F-22 Interceptor: Advanced Tactical Fighter (1993)
- Risky Woods (1993)
- Tony La Russa Baseball (1993)
- Bulls vs Lakers and the NBA Playoffs (1993)
- PGA Tour Golf II (1993)
- Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1993)
- Rolo to the Rescue (1993)
- LHX Attack Chopper (1993)
- James Pond II: Codename RoboCod (1993)
- Power Monger (1993)
- Road Rash II (1993)
- Bulls versus Blazers and the NBA Playoffs (1993)
- Bill Walsh College Football (1993)
- TechnoClash (1993)
- Will Harvey Presents The Immortal (1993)
- Marble Madness (1993)
- Fatal Rewind (1993)
- NHL Hockey '94 (1993)
- Mutant League Football (1993)
- Jordan vs Bird (1993)
- Haunting Starring Polterguy (1993)
- Virtual Pinball (1993)
- B.O.B. (1993)
- Blades of Vengeance (1993)
- James Pond 3: Operation Starfish (1993)
- Lotus II: RECS (1993)
- Jungle Strike (1993)
- Crüe Ball (1993)
- NHLPA Hockey (1994)
- Sesame Street Counting Cafe (1994)
- Syndicate (1994)
- General Chaos (1994)
- Zool (1994)
- Madden NFL '94 (1994)
- Normy's Beach Babe-O-Rama (1994)
- PGA European Tour (1994)
- Super Baseball 2020 (1994)
- Skitchin' (1994)
- Mutant League Hockey (1994)
- F-117 Night Storm (1994)
- Mario Andretti Racing (1994)
- MLBPA Baseball (1994)
- FIFA International Soccer (1994)
- NBA Showdown '94 (1994)
- Bill Walsh College Football '95 (1994)
- La Russa Baseball 95 (1994)
- Urban Strike (1994)
- FIFA Soccer 95 (1994)
- IMG International Tour Tennis (1994)
- Shaq Fu (1994)
- NBA Live 95 (1994)
- NHL 95 (1994)
- Madden NFL '95 (1994)
- PGA Tour Golf III (1994)
- Rugby World Cup 1995 (1994)
- Elitserien 95 (1994)
- NBA Live 96 (1995)
- PGA Tour Golf II (1995)
- Coach K College Basketball (1995)
- Road Rash 3: Tour De Force (1995)
- Theme Park (1995)
- Triple Play 96 (1995)
- College Football USA 96 (1995)
- Toughman Contest (1995)
- NHL 96 (1995)
- FIFA Soccer 96 (1995)
- PGA Tour 96 (1995)
- Madden NFL 96 (1995)
- Australian Rugby League (1995)
- Triple Play: Gold Edition (1996)
- College Football USA 97 (1996)
- NHL 97 (1996)
- Madden NFL 97 (1996)
- FIFA 97: Gold Edition (1996)
- NBA Live 97 (1996)
- FIFA Road to World Cup 98 (1997)
- Madden NFL 98 (1997)
- NHL 98 (1997)
- NBA Live 98 (1997)
- Elitserien 96 (199x)
- Aspect Warriors (unreleased)
- Black Crypt (unreleased)
- Earl Weaver Baseball (unreleased)
- Face Plant (unreleased)
- It Came from the Desert (unreleased)
- Jelly Boy (unreleased)
- Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (unreleased)
- Mutant League Basketball (unreleased)
- Savage Heroes (unreleased)
- Slam: Shaq vs. the Legends (unreleased)
- The Lord of the Rings (unreleased)
- Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi (unreleased)
- Zombie High (unreleased)
- Theme Hospital (unreleased)
Game Gear
- PGA Tour Golf (1993)
- Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1994)
- Road Rash (1994)
- Madden NFL '95 (1994)
- FIFA Soccer 96 (1995)
- Madden NFL 96 (1995)
- MLBPA Baseball (1995)
- NHL Hockey (1995)
- Shaq Fu (1995)
- Urban Strike (1995)
- Championship Hockey (1995)
- FIFA International Soccer (1995)
- Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (unreleased)
Mega-CD
- NHL Hockey '94 (1993)
- Bill Walsh College Football (1993)
- FIFA International Soccer: Championship Edition (1994)
- Power Monger (1994)
- Wing Commander (1994)
- Road Rash (1995)
- Super Strike Trilogy (unreleased)
32X
- Toughman Contest (1995)
- FIFA Soccer 96 (1995)
Saturn
- Victory Boxing (1995)
- Senryaku Shougi (1995)
- Theme Park (1995)
- FIFA Soccer 96 (1996)
- Hi-Octane (1996)
- Road & Track Presents The Need for Speed (1996)
- Shockwave Assault (1996)
- Road Rash (1996)
- Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels (1996)
- Madden NFL 97 (1996)
- Magic Carpet (1996)
- Andretti Racing (1996)
- Crusader: No Remorse (1996)
- Die Hard Trilogy (1997)
- FIFA Soccer 97 (1997)
- Independence Day (1997)
- NBA Live 97 (1997)
- Shin Theme Park (1997)
- Battle Stations (1997)
- PGA Tour 97 (1997)
- Darklight Conflict (1997)
- NHL 97 (1997)
- Madden NFL 98 (1997)
- Soviet Strike (1997)
- NASCAR 98 (1997)
- Warcraft II: The Dark Saga (1997)
- FIFA Road to World Cup 98 (1997)
- NBA Live 98 (1997)
- NHL 98 (1998)
- Battle Garegga (1998)
- Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (1998)
- Rabbit Mihonhin (199x)
- Diablo (unreleased)
- Dungeon Keeper (unreleased)
- Fade to Black (unreleased)
- Nuclear Strike (unreleased)
- Shredfest (unreleased)
- Syndicate Wars (unreleased)
- Viewpoint (unreleased)
- Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (unreleased)
- Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (unreleased)
- Theme Hospital (unreleased)
Dreamcast
- SSX (unreleased)
IBM PC
Gallery
References
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