EA Wii U 2011

Just recently an EA source was quoted as saying Nintendo was "dead" to EA "very quickly", after an initial show of support for the Wii U at E3 2011 and during its early months on the market. It was a source that wanted to be anonymous but, nevertheless, was cultivated by the major outlet CVG.

It seems EA is keen to go into damage control following the publication of these comments, with COO and well-known public figure Peter Moore taking to Twitter to raise doubt on the comments attributed to an EA employee; this prompted a brief exchange with CVG's associate editor Rob Crossley.

https://twitter.com/Rob_Crossley_/status/426446164016529408

https://twitter.com/Rob_Crossley_/status/426449263376486400

It's hardly surprising that EA is seeking to downplay comments attributed to an employee claiming the company disregarded Nintendo, while making statements such as "we don't really make games for kids". It has often been EA's policy to defend and talk down quotes — even when from executives in the company — that suggest any hint of Nintendo being "dropped" by the publisher, even if evidence is to the contrary.

It's surely EA's actions that define it in its relationship with Nintendo. With the Wii U it evolved from stepping forward as a key supporter — and that "special relationship" — at E3 2011, to releasing Wii U launch games that were a step below equivalents elsewhere (FIFA 13) or simply poor value (Mass Effect 3 as opposed to the Trilogy on other systems), to essentially dropping all support for Nintendo's home console. While there are perhaps sound business reasons behind those decisions, talk of Nintendo as a "great partner" in the present tense can certainly be debated.

In any case, Peter Moore has stepped in to succinctly state that EA and Nintendo maintains a partnership at present; let us know your thoughts below.

[source vg247.com, via twitter.com]