Electronic Arts Plans Super Software

[+Random Terrain]

The text below is from Arcade Express (April 24, 1983)

 

ELECTRONIC ARTS PLANS SUPER SOFTWARE: "The people that create games are artists," insists Trip Hawkins, president of Electronic Arts, a newly minted producer of computer games, "and that's the way we're going to treat them." What this means is that the company, which plans to have eight computer games available by summer and about two dozen published before Christmas 1983, employs game designers on a freelance basis instead of putting them on staff and trying to make them conform to the work-a-day business world. Electronic Arts assigns a producer to each project who is responsible for getting the programmer any help, such as the services of a graphics expert, that may be needed to bring it to completion. The publisher is also sinking big money into software development aids and tools, which Hawkins believes will eventually make it possible for those whose design talents outstrip their technical programming ability to get games from concept to finished code a lot faster and easier.

 

Among the well-known designers who have games scheduled to appear under the Electronic Arts banner are Jon "Temple of Apshai" Freeman, Bill "Raster Blaster" Budge and Dan "Computer Quarterback" Bunten. The first titles will be playable on the Atari 800 with subsequent releases for the VIC-2O, Commodore 64 and other major systems expected.

 

 

 

 

The text below is from Arcade Express (July 3, 1983)

 

ELECTRONIC ARTS IS SEEING STARS: Electronic Arts is star-gazing, and they've spotted some big ones. The San Mateo, Calif. software firm just signed NBA basketball champs Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Larry Bird to help design a home computer basketball game using on-screen images produced with digital technology. The Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, and Philadelphia 76'er Dr. J are said to be continuing their on-court rivalry as they coach Electronic Arts on strategy and game moves.

 

Electronic Arts also signed cartoonist Gahan Wilson, who'll help a design team develop entertainment software that embodies his unusual humor. Wilson, the first cartoonist to graduate the Chicago Institute of Art, has written several hit books, and his well-loved cartoons appear in Playboy, The New Yorker, Punch and many other magazines. Trip Hawkins, president of the firm, says these are only the first of many relationships the company plans to establish with talent outside the computer field.

[godslabrat]

Wow, those guys at EA really sound like they're passionate about video games. I bet they'll be the best thing that ever happened to this industry.

[macgoo]

Microsoft is the only bad thing that ever happened in computing, 2nd worse is Apple.

[+Random Terrain]

The text below is from Arcade Express (July 3, 1983)

 

ELECTRONIC ARTS IS SEEING STARS: Electronic Arts is star-gazing, and they've spotted some big ones. The San Mateo, Calif. software firm just signed NBA basketball champs Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Larry Bird to help design a home computer basketball game using on-screen images produced with digital technology. The Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, and Philadelphia 76'er Dr. J are said to be continuing their on-court rivalry as they coach Electronic Arts on strategy and game moves.

 

Electronic Arts also signed cartoonist Gahan Wilson, who'll help a design team develop entertainment software that embodies his unusual humor. Wilson, the first cartoonist to graduate the Chicago Institute of Art, has written several hit books, and his well-loved cartoons appear in Playboy, The New Yorker, Punch and many other magazines. Trip Hawkins, president of the firm, says these are only the first of many relationships the company plans to establish with talent outside the computer field.

[Chuck D. Head]

 

Electronic Arts also signed cartoonist Gahan Wilson, who'll help a design team develop entertainment software that embodies his unusual humor. Wilson, the first cartoonist to graduate the Chicago Institute of Art, has written several hit books, and his well-loved cartoons appear in Playboy, The New Yorker, Punch and many other magazines. Trip Hawkins, president of the firm, says these are only the first of many relationships the company plans to establish with talent outside the computer field.

 

Well that would have been one of the more interesting and experimental things they ever did, but I don't think anything came of it. There was a "haunted house" game he did, the was published by Microsoft. I would have loved to see a game based on his "Nuts" cartoons.