Play’s Republic

I second Garrison’s disappointment with Spore’s delay and am floored by its impact on EA’s stock price. Game releases have become high-stakes, just like the movie industry. In Hollywood, so much of a studio’s financial stature and continuing existence depends on its ability to put out hits or, better yet, blockbusters. The video game has that problem, too, but it also bears the responsibility for selling hardware. Spore hits EA hard, but just think how Microsoft would deal with a Halo 3 flop? Fortunately, it seems like they have invested the right time and resources to ensure that it will be as successful as they need.