Riccitiello takes "opportunists" to task for putting profit over creativity

EA's former CEO John Riccitiello has taken what he calls opportunists to task who only get into game development in order to make money instead of for creative purposes.

Speaking with GI International, Riccitiello especially chided those which he feels are "working on a Puzzles and Dragons rip-off," and only changing the colors and boast about creating "the next generation of new ideas."

"Let's be realistic. I'm going to be cynical for a minute," he said. "I find this terribly hilarious - you talked about game companies, things you write about on the website, these game companies who are going to create the next generation of new ideas, they're all about fun etc. And they're working on a Puzzles and Dragons rip-off, except they're going to change one of the colors to blue.

"I mean, wait a minute. Are you in this because you want to create something or does it look like the easiest way to make money is to take one of the top-ten games and tweak it?

"One of the reasons we're seeing a lot of stuff that looks alike and plays alike is because that's how a lot of stuff gets born. It gets funded that way. I think we're going to start seeing a lot more differentiation as people get bored of seeing the same apps in the top 200. They're going to come at it and realize that if you don't make a fundamentally different product then it's very difficult to replace something that's up there with your own original design."

"What I don't like in the games industry today is that there are too many opportunists who are there to make money. I think making money is a fine byproduct when you're trying to do something great, but I don't think you do something great because you set out to get rich. I think you get rich by trying to do something great."

There's plenty more from the man himself through the link.