Electronic Arts' Domination Of The Market - Bad?

Will writes "A recent article at Gamemethod makes claims about how big companies can squash the little guy, and good gaming along with it: 'With almost 600 million dollars in sales in 2003(not including December), and 20% of the entire market, Electronic Arts is a developing and publishing powerhouse... Why should you be worried that EA rules the American gaming market and dominates sales? Well, if EA becomes too large of a force in the industry, it has some potentially damaging side effects that will hurt us, the consumers.'" It goes on to specify that "competition breeds creativity", suggesting "there's a problem when EA has enough money to buy out any studios that bring out a hit game", and concluding that "the progress of games as a medium will continue, but at a snail's pace in comparison to the previous years of fierce competition."

Comments

Evil Monopolies

[jo42]

Eh, sort of like Microsoft, no?

Madden 2005

[obsid1an]

class Madden2005: public Madden2004 { // Put new roster in here
}

If you're not convinced - LotR Mordor GP

[Mirkon]

The copy of EGM that landed in my mailbox today had this to say:

First PSP Screen Shown
Rings goes racing

Come November when Sony launches its PlayStation Portable (PSP), you'll be knee-deep in Shire...that is, if you pick up EA Games' Middle-earth-set kart racer tentatively titled The Lord of the Rings: Mordor GP. Scheduled for simultaneous release with the system, the promising racer follows the events of the film as you race on tracks situated all over Tolkien's world--from the hobbits' home to the foot of Mt. Doom. All the major characters from the movie will be playable, each with his own custom vehicle.

In a related note, VU Games has announced that it too is making a kart racer for Rings, based on the book license, for release around the same time.

If that doesn't convince you of the problem with EA's market dominance, I don't know what will.