General manager of EA Partners Jeff Gamon explained how EA Original's new focus on larger games will influence its partnerships with small indie developers.
Launched in 2016, EA Originals, a publishing label owned by Electronic Arts, initially focused on smaller niche games. Over time, the label has expanded its scope to include independently-created games of various sizes and budgets, as well as AAA games from well-established teams.
GamesIndustry.biz spoke with Jeff Gamon, the general manager of EA Partners, which is responsible for overseeing the operations of the EA Originals label, to find out how the label's new approach influenced small indie teams and their partnerships with EA Originals.
The outlet recalled that EA Originals' first projects were niche indie games like Unravel and Fe and that when the label started its work it shared 100% of profits with developers. However today, it became a successful division of EA, publishing bigger games like It Takes Two and even AAA games like Immortals of Aveum and Wild Hearts.
Speaking of the evolution of the label, Gamon explained that EA Originals shifted its approach when it realized its desire to release larger and more "bold and audacious" games from outside development studios.
"We've discovered a desire for bigger, better and more innovative titles that complement the EA portfolio," Gamon said. "We are moving away from niche, and towards bold and audacious. And we are attracting a lot of positive sentiment from press and consumers. We are riding high on the success of It Takes Two, but even the other titles we've released in our history have been critically very well received."
"Everything that we do is in collaboration with the studios we work with. We open the doors to all the resources and talent that any of our internal studios have, and channel that into our partner studios. All the while, we shield them from the bigger EA corporation, and make sure to protect their creative freedom," Gamon said.
Gamon noted that the terms of the EA Originals program and the benefits it provides will vary depending on the needs and capabilities of the partner studios in terms of game development and promotion. He likened it to a menu, saying that it depends on what the studios want and when they need it.
The concept of transitioning from one partnership to the next would remain a fundamental aspect of the program as well. According to Gamon, the label is still dedicated to collaborating with talented studios and supporting the release of multiple games under the EA Originals label.
You can learn more by reading the full interview here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform, our Reddit page, and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.