Las Vegas, known for its meeting of slot machines and restless dreams, is also home to D.I.C.E., a business-oriented conference for members of the gaming industry. The letters stand for “Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain.” The acronym’s symbolism is evident.
Between the poles of responsibility and risk-taking, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello delivered a fitting presentation for this year’s conference. His message: the industry needs to focus on growth and ideas, which may require a few gambles.
Riccitiello stated that the recipe often suggested by accountants in times of recession – cutting headcount, closing facilities and reducing creative risk – is one that “you would follow at your own peril.”
He continued by saying that companies cannot save their way to success; investments must be the focus of their efforts. The CEO then proposed three rules for surviving a recession: Decide what’s important, invest in those programs and cut the rest.
Riccitiello said that EA aims to invest in new and quality properties, as well as the idea of gaming as a service. Gabe Newell, founder of Valve, the company responsible for the “Half-Life,” “Counter-Strike” and “Team Fortress” franchises, addressed a similar topic during his own D.I.C.E. keynote.
Following the commentary, Riccitiello announced a new game from developer American McGee – a sequel to “Alice,” the groundbreaking PC adventure game published in 2000. The new game is expected to release on PCs, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Riccitiello did not give a release date.
“Alice,” McGee’s take on the original Lewis Carroll story “Alice in Wonderland,” involves an adult heroine who tries to claw her way out of insanity while trapped in her imagination. The developer hinted at the sequel last year on his blog, when he mentioned an “Unreal Engine 3 based, big publisher, multi-platform, twisted tale project.”
In a post-presentation Q&A covered by GameSpot, Riccitiello wrapped up his thoughts. “I actually think that the economic crisis the game industry moved into in 2008 is a blessing,” he said. One benefit he finds is the likely bankruptcy of “the riffraff” who choke store shelves with substandard software.
Riccitiello admitted that EA has become “a little bit fat and a little bit too reliant on the way things were,” but added that the recession will allow those who act decisively to secure a position for the coming years.
