Maybe this explains why EA is laying on the microtransactions pretty thick. According to Alain Tascan, general manager of EA Montreal, it's "crazy" how much game development costs and new business models must be explored. Tascan is the same executive who said Gears of War lacked innovation -- even though he admitted never playing the game.In an interview with GI.biz, Tascan says, "I'm not sure that the model we have here will be the model in 15 years, and that the EA you know today will be the EA you know then." He doesn't feel that companies like EA are driving big game budgets, saying other companies are spending more and EA is, "Just here to deliver the show."
Apparently things are all puppies and sunshine up at EA Montreal. Tascan goes on to say that they have small 35 to 85 member teams there and "small is beautiful." He expresses big budgets don't mean smaller companies are left struggling, "I think there are other ways to consume entertainment today - mobile phones, casual games... Games that take a shorter amount of your time are something where a smaller company can really have fun." In other words, leave the huge budget console games to the big boys and you little guys go have fun and focus on those cell phone and casual things. Wait, so "small is beautiful," but EA will continue to make the big budget games that require big teams to go with big budgets -- interesting, could somebody start the countdown before we get another EA workplace conditions story? There's something strange in the EA water lately and we still can't tell if gamers will benefit.
