Is Electronic Arts Going To Suck Firemint Dry?

Ever since news of Electronic Arts' Firemint acquisition broke earlier this week, the move has been both hailed and berated throughout the gaming community. Such criticisms are premature, however, because the deal isn't expected to close for another three to four weeks, and any financial details have yet to be divulged. Many view the sale as a decided boon for Firemint, which is now poised to take advantage of the gaming giant's vast resources in delivering new games befitting of the Australian brand's storied pedigree. Rob Murray, CEO of Firemint, yesterday released a letter to reinforce this positive outlook. In addition to confirming that the development house will stay in-country, Murray enthusiastically emphasizes:

It is a good deal for us, because we need EA’s help in order to win. They can free us up a lot to focus on the creative stuff that really matters and they can provide essential resources to help us build better games. EA believe in us, they want us to make great games and they trust that we know how to do that. We will be joining ranks with some of the best developers in the business.

It is also important to remember, says Murray, that Firemint's pre-iOS successes came mainly from contract development for EA Mobile on various franchised titles. Still, the public response has been more negative than not. Even while Murray claims Firemint "will be operating with very high levels of autonomy," there is ample reason for doubt. Having also recently purchased MPP -- a high-profile porting firm focused on the smartphone market -- EA hints at the bigger picture:

The added technical expertise of MPP, combined with the creative talent of Firemint and our EAi studio teams, fuels EA's leadership in delivering top selling, high quality games across mobile phones and smartphones, tablets and future digital interactive entertainment platforms.

Beneath the sugar-coated PR, it's easy to see that EA feels their most recent developer additions are a necessity in expanding their already-huge brand -- with its equally huge lineup of software titles and series -- into the mobile market. And, facing facts, it's undeniable that iOS is gaining traction as an overwhelmingly viable gaming platform; and EA needs all the help it can get to put as many franchises as possible into our on-the-go hands. As a seasoned video game enthusiast myself, I believe this move is a bad one. I don't mean bad for EA, obviously, nor for Firemint. After all, the latter is said to have received something in the neighborhood of $20-40 million in the sale, all while retaining most or all of its existing staff. No, I mean bad for you and bad for me. Personally, I long ago tired of EA as a publishing entity. The company's first- and second-party developers have had exactly zero critically-acclaimed original intellectual properties in recent memory (save for Mirror's Edge, which didn't sell at all well), and -- while they are experts at salesmanship and market saturation -- they just don't exude any of the originality I look for from big-budget game-makers. And it's hardly a stretch to assume that Firemint's team will be tasked with helming or assisting in the further propagation of various Need For Speed titles and other established sequel developments. Sure, Real Racing might not be going anywhere any time soon, but that's part of the problem: Real Racing might not be going anywhere any time soon. Still, I don't think this will be nearly as cataclysmic a transaction as Microsoft's 2002 Rare purchase turned out to be. I'm also thrilled that hack-master Gameloft didn't get its IP-thieving mitts on Firemint to task them with making their pirated efforts more technically polished. I simply believe that Firemint will not be working on any more truly original titles beyond those already in preparation at the time of the acquisition. Instead, we will see more of the EA's console games carried over to the App Store. They'll be more expertly-crafted, to be certain, but rehashes and reimaginings of familiar old series nevertheless. Maybe, somehow, Firemint will remain driven to create new things. Unfortunately, I expect the developer to be forced to spread its talents irrevocably thin. Such a financial windfall, especially in the face of new ownership, can change work habits and bring distractions and new obligations to the surface. Money can sap motivation. Money can keep you quiet. Money can harm the artist. But, I could be wrong. I hope I am.

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