(Image credit: EA)
For years, EA has often been mocked for its perceived greed, not helped by a former CEO’s controversial idea to charge players for ammunition in Battlefield. Yet, Split Fiction director Josef Fares believes the criticism is often undeserved.
In a recent interview with Knowledge, the newsletter from Edge magazine, Fares discusses the challenges he faced early in his game development career. He states, “EA definitely never interferes with any of development. And I mean zero.”
Since the launch of A Way Out, developed under his own Hazelight Studios, Fares has collaborated closely with EA. “I’m gonna give EA props for actually believing in, and backing up, the vision,” Fares states. “They never interfere. Sometimes, I think they get so much s**t they don’t deserve. I don’t know how they work with others, but with us it’s super good.”
With the success of It Takes Two earning Game of the Year and Split Fiction selling over a million copies in just 48 hours, it’s no wonder EA gives Fares the liberty to pursue his creative pursuits. Fares seems adept at holding firm to his artistic ideals.
“Developers can sometimes struggle with leadership and clear vision,” he explains. “It’s often that blame is shifted to the publisher, but it’s a responsibility for us both. The ideal scenario is when a publisher respects the developer, who in turn has a clear vision. Without this balance, there’s a risk of the publisher gaining too much control, altering the developer’s course.”
Fares suggests that publishers sometimes make questionable decisions, driven by financial motives, like implementing microtransactions or lootboxes. “That’s why I say clearly: no microtransactions, no lootboxes. It’s essential to prioritize creativity and push the medium forward,” he emphasizes, stating that such practices will never occur at Hazelight.
Fares seems to have found the ideal partnership with EA, a rarity in today’s industry landscape. His insights could inspire other developers to optimize their relationships with big gaming corporations.
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