I’D LOVE EA TO REMAKE MASS EFFECT, BUT IS THE PUBLISHER MORE PRINCIPLED THAN THAT?

Are remakes needed or should developers spend more time on new ideas?

What is it with EA and its refusal to remake its classic games? While most publishers, including Sony and Capcom, have rubbed their sleepy eyes and awoken to the desire to play old games in current-gen clothing, EA remains resolute that its back catalogue should remain untouched. And it’s killing me. Not least because I have to listen to Oscar moan every single day about the lack of Mass Effect on PS4.

It feels criminal that we can’t experience classic games from across such a venerable publisher’s portfolio, titles such as Freedom Fighters, Desert Strike, or any of the SSX games – an SSX trilogy collection given a PS4 coat of paint running at 60fps would be unstoppable.

Of course, there’s probably some complex business reason for never going back. It’s more than possible that there’s a licensing minefield behind many of this publisher’s best games – the James Bond titles in particular. But there’s an ideological reason too: EA as a company doesn’t want to look back.

The publisher’s former COO

Peter Moore once stated: “Remakes, because of who we are, and this broad portfolio of intellectual property… you add all that together, I don’t know where we find the time to do remakes […] We’re a company that just likes to push forward.”

EA REPLAY

To give EA credit, its refusal to consider remakes – though it will release some remasters in 2020 – means it can’t be accused of cashing in on our nostalgia. Why remake Dead Space when it could create a brand-new game or IP?

In taking a stance EA is essentially saying it values new experiences over rehashing existing games from its back catalogue. In many ways the company needs to be commended for wanting to explore new ideas and being prepared to pay the price for it – however much we disliked Anthem, at least it was an attempt at creating something new for this generation of consoles.

Still, a remade Mass Effect trilogy is a no-brainer, if only to keep Oscar quiet in his corner of OPM Towers. We’re a fickle lot, we gamers. Maybe EA can’t win either way?