In an interview with CVG, EA Partners head David DeMartini said that he believes Crysis 2 isn’t just a looker, but is also an amazing game that should be up for Game of the Year when it arrives this holiday season. In addition, he told CVG that EA will publish Crysis 3, 4 and 5 in the future.
CVG asked, “Are you looking to publish Crysis 3, 4 and 5 into the future,” and DeMartini responded saying:
“Yes and yes. The funny thing about Crysis is that people get so enamoured with how great it looks – and it does – it sometimes get labelled as ‘the best looking game’, as opposed to what actually should be its title, which is ‘the best game’.
“Through the suit, what you’re able to do with the suit and the setting in New York – this kind of destroyed beauty – it offers everything. My personal hope is that it’s critically viewed in a category with the Bungie game and the upcoming Call Of Duty – as well as the best things that EA has – as the greatest game of the year. I think it should be.
“By far, it’s the best looking game, but as a studio, Crytek is very focused on the best and deepest multiplayer, the best single-player experience, the best New York that we could possibly create, the most compelling story… They’re going after much bigger prize than just the best-looking.
“With regards to our ongoing relationships with Crytek and future Crysis games – absolutely. We’re always very interested in anything that they’re doing. But the nature of our relationship with them is – to some degree – unwritten loyalty to each other.
“We launched the first version of this franchise, we launched the expansion pack, both to significant success. The guys at Crytek are hugely loyal to their publishers and it’s our intention to go on a project-by-project basis. They’re making great games and as long as we a good job I’m hopeful we’ll have their business.”
CVG then pressed DeMartini, asking, “Do you think we’ll definitely see Crysis 3, 4 and 5 to which DeMartini responded:
“Absolutely, yes. I’m confident we’ll continue to have that series and that relationship. We continue to fulfill what we promised [Crytek] and, as I said, they are fantastic partners and incredibly loyal.”
So, it seems that EA is determined not only to publish a Game of the Year contender in Crysis 2 but that they also feel that they will definitely be publishing many sequels. While Crytek is undoubtedly a fantastic developer, it is unfortunately a trend in the industry to develop numerous sequels rather than encouraging developers to produce original IPs.
We are seeing a flood of Call of Duty titles in addition to a new entry in the Medal of Honor series, a fourth game in the Halo series and a seemingly unending supply of games with sequels in other series. In fact, it would be difficult to find many successful games that stand alone and don’t lead to sequels. But is the flood of sequels good for gamers and the industry?
Producing and developing sequels is an easy way out. Developers know they have a dedicated fan base who look forward to a new game eagerly and they already know what works and what doesn’t. So, they create a story that works with the original storyline to create a continuing world and then add a few changes to the game. In many cases, this leads to an even better experience. For instance, Uncharted 2 was considered a great improvement over Uncharted, and Gears of War 2 was indeed even bigger, better and more badass than Gears of War. But what happens when developers tire of making sequels and want to create a new IP? If they’re lucky, they’ll be allowed to venture out, create their brand new IP and have fun with a new experience. But if they’re unlucky, well, you get the Infinity Ward situation.
Jason West and Vince Zampella were clearly frustrated by Activision’s control over their studio and insistence on creating Modern Warfare 2 and then, subsequently, Modern Warfare 3 and beyond. The success of Modern Warfare bred an insatiable desire for more profit, which could easily be accomplished by creating a sequel. But West and Zampella wanted to create a new IP, something different, and they weren’t allowed to do so. Which is amazing.
This is an industry that thrives on creativity. The best games are those that break boundaries and expand what we expect from our gaming experiences. GTA III showed us what a sandbox world could really accomplish, Far Cry showed that open world could apply to first-person shooters, and Uncharted 2 expanded cinematic experiences beyond what was previously thought possible in games. So its amazing when these same studios that create such unique work are then asked to do the same thing (with minor tweaks) all over again. Rather than trusting in the studios to continue developing whatever their heart’s desire, publishers fear change and enlist sequel after sequel.
Crysis 2 looks like it’s going to be beautiful, and Crytek is a superb developer. But it’s unfortunate to see EA looking so far down the line already, convinced that we can see several sequels in the future. It would be refreshing to have a publisher out there who simply trusted developers to continue creating great works, no matter what direction they want to go in.
Embrace the creativity and let the developers run with it. This is how we will continue to have games that blow our minds, emotionally captivate us, and keep us up well past midnight.
