Topic: EA to Predict Next Generation Console Launch

[WindyMan]

Apparently, EA has a Magic 8 Ball that will tell them whether or not the new systems will be out in 2005 or 2006.

Before the end of the year, the publishing giant will have a good idea of whether or not there will be a new line of consoles out in time for 2005.

In a Reuters interview, company CEO Larry Probst talked about this, as can be seen in an excerpt from the news article:

"We will know when we begin to get first-generation development systems, because typically we get our hands on those about two years before launch," Probst said, speaking at the company's headquarters after its annual shareholder meeting. "So if they start showing up in the fall of this year, then we can pretty confidently predict it's 2005.

"If we don't start to get them until '04 then it's probably an '06 launch." he said. "So that's going to get sorted out in the next four to six months."

For reference, both Sony and Nintendo are reported to be focusing on a 2005 launch of their respective new systems.

[Ian Sane]

I think it would be funny if, just to be dicks, Nintendo and Sony gave EA their development kits on January 1 2004 and then still launched in 2005.

[mouse_clicker]

Hahahaha- that'd be hilarious.

[Djunknown]

hmmm... I guess once you're the top publisher in the U.S, you think you can start talking the talk eh?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't Nintendo and Sony ALWAYS released their consoles in Japan first then hit Stateside? Microsoft is the exception of course, but I think EA's out of line here. They may be on top now, despite the downsizing, restructuring, merging, and some big-wigs going on their own in this business, but that can change in a while.

[anubis6789]

Personaly I think that EA personafys everything that is wrong with the industry, and it is getting to big(and to arrogant) for it's own good. If another video game crash happens I feel(and hope) that EA would be the first casualty.

Or maybe I'm just a little bitter about them not supporting the DC.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't EA a canadian company?

[Grey Ninja]

EA is American.  EA Big is Canadian.  (I am not really that patriotic, but I think that EA Big is better than EA myself...)

Personally, I think developers such as Factor 5, Silicon Knights, Square-Enix, Capcom, and Konami will get first dibs on the dev kits from Nintendo.  EA will no doubt get first dibs on the Xbox2 devkits, but I think that the Japanese corporations are more likely to give theirs to close Japanese developers first.

[mouse_clicker]

I doubt Square-Enix will get GC2 dev kits for a while after everyone else. I get the distinct impression that Square's only developing for the Gamecube so they can develop for the GBA. Look at how many Gamecube games they have planned (1), as opposed to how many GBA games they have planned (at least 3 or 4). I doubt Square really ever wanted to develop for the Gamecube and I have a feeling that the GBA connectivity thing was forced on them, or at least very heavily suggested.

[Grey Ninja]

They have one game announced.  I am sure that there are more.  I do not presume to know Square's reasoning for coming back, but they took one hell of a publicity blow when they came back, and they have about as many GBA games as GCN announced right now.  I am thinking that there's more in store.  RPGs take a very long time to finish you know.

[Bill Aurion]

Maybe it's Game Developer Studios working on the rumored Paper Mario for GC?  Perhaps a reason it has not been officially confirmed.

[Grey Ninja]

Heh.  Wouldn't that just shut up the people complaining about Paper Mario for N64?