12 replies to this topic

[bp9801]

EA's CEO, John Riccitiello, has stepped down from his position with the company on March 30, 2013. Former CEO Larry Probst is taking over on a temporary basis until a permanent leader can be found. Riccitiello wrote the following in his resignation letter:

 

 

This is a tough decision, but it all comes down to accountability. The progress EA has made on transitioning to digital games and services is something I'm extremely proud of. However, it currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued in January, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. EA's shareholders and employees expect better and I am accountable for the miss.

 

So, best day ever or best day ever?

[Stonerboy779]

He's actually proud of what he has down and how he has steered EA?

So alienating customers, shoving DRM down peoples throats, overcharging for crippled games and having incremental DLC just so you can get the full game, creating an unseeded online service and keeping AAA titles of the biggest PC game selling platform.... this is what he is proud of?

[IVIYTH0S]

Don't the door hitcha on the ass

[_TheAlexO]

Now someone even worse can take his place yayy (please don't let this happen)

[freddie]

 Finally

[EuroFight]

I love this, because lets be honest, the reason he stepped down is because he screwed up, now he's leaving it for some other poor so-and-so to take the crap for, then they have to clear it up. If he genuinely thought his decisions were correct I wouldn't have minded so much because he tried to do the right thing, but resigning throws all this into question.

[d6bmg]

At last! Now we can home to something better in future.

[wevsspot]

I hope this means a better direction for EA as they move forward.  How I view his resignation depends on whether this is truly a voluntary resignation or being forced by the Board of Directors.  If this is a "self-inflicted" penalty, then I'd say he is a rare CEO owning up to his poor decisions and stepping down because he failed to achieve the goals he set for himself and the company he was leading.  If this is an involuntary resignation then he falls into the category of the majority of other CEOs that fail to lead, make the right decisions and own up to their own mistakes.

[ComputerEd]

I could care less as to why he left, what I want to know is where does this mean EA is heading. I talked about this on the show this last week, the reason I get so mad at EA is that I was around when they started. I remember this company that really seemed to care about gamers and made it clear that gamers were their primary focus. Today this company shafts gamers any chance it gets when it means more profit and out lies to it's customer base at almost every turn.

[wevsspot]

Company culture starts at the top  

 

In that context maybe the Board was fed up with his "anti" customer / profit above all mentality?  Or conversely, maybe he was fed up with the Board's "anti" customer / profit above all mentality.

[Stonerboy779]

Company culture starts at the top

In that context maybe the Board was fed up with his "anti" customer / profit above all mentality? Or conversely, maybe he was fed up with the Board's "anti" customer / profit above all mentality.

Its amazing how companies don't realise that putting the customer first also helps bring in the profit. Volume and customer dedication to a title are the way to go. Not margin and forced incrimental dlc just to get a full game.

Fuller games with a lower price and expansion dlc only (not here is something we had ready before launch but didn't want you to have yet) are the way to go imho.

[Fogel]

I'm still done with EA.  They can go bankrupt for all I care.  I wish I could share in the excitement here but a better article would be:

 

- Bobby Kotick resigns from Activision Blizzard

- EA calls it quits