Electronic Arts (EA) is an American video game company based in Redwood City, California. Founded in 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company pioneered early home computer and console games. In the early years of its operation, EA was known for such titles as Madden NFL, NHL Hockey, Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf, and John Madden Football.
Initially operating in the business software market, the company debuted with its first video game John Madden Football in 1988. Later titles such as SimCity and The Sims laid the groundwork for later successes such as Command & Conquer (1995). EA has grown to be one of the world’s largest game publishers; not only do their games span several different genres, but also across a wide variety of platforms, from consoles to personal computers to mobile devices.
Meanwhile, the company expanded into other industries; is one of the major publishers of sports video games, and has recently launched educational software under the EA Kids brand. Under the EA GAMES banner, it also publishes military-related titles; among them there are both original titles as well as games created in cooperation with the United States Armed Forces.
With over $ 4 billion in revenue in 2008 alone, EA is now one of the world’s largest video game publishers, behind competitive Nintendo.
On November 9, 1982, Trip Hawkins founded the company after leaving Apple Inc., where he served as Director of Software Development and Creative Director. He set up a company in his home in the living room of co-founder Larry Probst (the current Chairman of the Board) with a capital of about $ 10,000. They chose to set up a company based on what Hawkins considered favorable tax law.
Their first games were produced for the Apple II series: Skiing (1982); Pinball (1982); and the opening title for Electronic Arts, Astronomy.
Hawkins wasn’t impressed with most of the game industry in 1982, companies that were growing too fast. They consisted of young people who just went out, collected money, and hired other young people with little or no experience. Hawkins disliked all the companies entering the computer game business just to get rich quick.
He wanted companies to enter the “software entertainment” business because it doesn’t require special hardware, just good software and good marketing. He also saw that interactive games would be the next step in entertainment as they would attract people to the game over and over again. So he decided that his company would start with small projects and hire new game designers who had good ideas. The company remained very small until 1985.
When there were only about 12 people left, they rented their first office, which was Larry Probst’s living room with three desks. While the three founders (Hawkins, John “Magical Alex” Mavor and Larry Probst) went into the design, the early adopters did everything else.
They sold their games themselves, setting up stands in toy stores such as FAO Schwarz. The team set up a booth at the New York Toy Fair to highlight their new game, which was still half-finished. When it was time for the fair, Hawkins was so shy he looked out the booth window to see how people were reacting.
They created a 12-page brochure about their products, including screenshots of each game and the game code in case customers would like to order it. It cost $ 25,000 to print the brochure, but only brought in about $ 20,000, so the company was still in debt.
The first game they sold was the $ 45 Pinball Construction Set. It became so successful that it began to sell faster than the company was able to produce it; Electronic Arts had to hire external companies to help with production. It was then that Hawkins discovered that they didn’t need all of their own developers, and that third-party companies could help make their games.
The most popular game series from EA and EA Games:
- The Sims
- Madden NFL
- FIFA
- Battlefield
- Need for Speed
- Dragon Age
The Sims games
A lot of people consider The Sims to be one of the greatest game franchises of all time. Unique gameplay, combined with endless possibilities, has kept players in suspense for years.
The original game The Sims was released in 2000 and was an instant hit. Players could create their own characters and control their lives by making choices that impacted their relationships, careers, and homes.
In 2004, the sequel, The Sims 2, was released. It offered even more possibilities, including aging and death of characters. It was also the first game in the series to be released for Mac computers.
The Sims 3 was released in 2009 and allowed players to control their Sims in a completely open world.
Madden NFL games
Madden NFL is a series of American football video games that are created and published by EA Sports. The game was developed by John Madden, a former Oakland Raiders coach and creator of the Madden NFL franchise.
The game is named after him and his image appears in the game’s logo.
The series was a great success and sold over 100 million copies.
The first Madden NFL game was released in 1988 for the Commodore 64, Apple II and PC. New versions of the game are created every year, until today.
FIFA games
The FIFA series is the popular soccer video game franchise created and published by EA Sports. The games in this series are among the most popular in the world, with millions of copies sold.
The first FIFA game was released in 1993 and was a great success. The game allowed players to control their favorite soccer teams and players from around the world.
Another sequel, FIFA Soccer 95, was released in 1994 and featured new graphics and gameplay improvements.
FIFA 96 was released in 1995 and was considered the best FIFA game ever made. The game featured realistic animations and player movements, as well as the voices of real soccer players.
FIFA 97 was released in 1996 and introduced the Club World Cup mode, allowing players to take part in the new tournament.
The next parts of the games are created until today, introducing the virtual world of football to a higher and higher level.
Battlefield games
Battlefield is a first-person shooter video game franchise created and published by EA DICE. The games in this series focus on large-scale multiplayer combat, in which the player takes on the role of various classes of soldiers in the realities of World War II and in modern times.
The first game in the series, Battlefield 1942, was released in 2002 and turned out to be a great success, selling over 2 million copies.
Another sequel, Battlefield 2, was released in 2005 and offered improved graphics and gameplay.
The most popular game in this series is Battlefield 3, which was released in 2011. In the first week of release, it sold over 5 million copies.
Since then, several more versions of the game have been created up to Battlefield 2042, which is happening in the future.
Need for Speed games
The Need for Speed franchise is a popular racing video game franchise created and published by EA Games. The games in this series are known for their fast-paced action and intense racing.
The first game in the series, Need for Speed, was released in 1994 and was a great success. The game allowed players to race against opponents in exotic locations around the world.
Another sequel, Need for Speed II, was released in 1997 and offered improved graphics and gameplay.
The most popular game in this series is Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, which was released in 1998. It allowed players to play as policemen or racers and offered improved graphics and gameplay.
Since then, there have been several more series that are produced regularly until today.
Dragon Age games
The Dragon Age series is a popular series of role-playing video games created by BioWare. The games in the series are dark and dark, with epic stories and intense combat.
The first game in the series, Dragon Age: Origins, was released in 2009 and was a huge success, selling over 3 million copies.
The sequel, Dragon Age II, was released in 2011 and was also a huge success, selling over 4 million copies.
The most popular game in the series is Dragon Age: Inquisition, which was released in 2014. In the first week of its release, it sold over 6 million copies.