Veteran video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has been at the heart of the gaming industry for decades, with a wide variety of games in its oeuvre.
With EA’s record $55 million acquisition earlier this week by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium steering the company into a new direction, THE WEEK revisits seven classic titles that defined the publisher’s legacy.
One of the first games from FIFA and EA to go international, this game won not only hearts, but also a BAFTA award for Best Sports Game. That sweet soundtrack also went on to inspire the soundtrack for many more titles to come.
Despite lacking the popular appeal that the FIFA games had, ‘The Sims’ established its own fanbase in the early 2000s—especially among PC gamers.
For the layman gamer, this is EA at its finest. Gamers from the mid-2000s—and even nostalgic folks returning to the game now—will tell you that there are few joys like tearing down the streets of Fairhaven with a BMW M3 GTR.
Often touted as the last great cricket simulation game before the franchise was discontinued, it appealed to India’s cricket-loving majority. Modding communities have kept it alive with updated players and tournaments.
This free battle royale game from EA and Respawn exploded globally due to its availability on PC, consoles, and (later) mobile, despite the battle royale club being dominated by games like PUBG and Fortnite.
‘Battlefield 2’ was a pioneer in online first-person shooters before they went mainstream. Its large-scale, squad-based gameplay earned it a reputation as one of EA’s most celebrated titles, winning it BAFTA’s Best Online Multiplayer award.
Though it is an extremely casual game, ‘Plants vs. Zombies’ became a runaway hit with its mix of humour, strategy, and addictive gameplay, especially among school and college students who’d play it on PCs—and years later, on smartphones.
