17 minutes ago
Considering the fact that passion projects usually turn out to be some of the best video games, many folks will likely be excited to learn that EA Motive is working on just such a venture. In a recent interview, Motive studio head Jade Raymond explained that the team is working on more than their major Star Wars game for EA, and apparently this mystery project is the one that has her the most jazzed.
In a recent chat with Gameinformer, EA Motive's Jade Raymond explained that there is more going on behind the scenes at the studio than folks might realize.
In Montreal, we have a big IP and then we have a second project, and the thing that I'm really excited about is that project was totally born from three passionate people who just worked on a pitch in their spare time.
Since Motive's next game in the Plants vs. Zombies series is a known quantity, as is their major Star Wars game, we assume Raymond is referencing a game the community has not been looped in on yet. And, since she's so keen on the game being the brainchild of studio members, we're guessing this is likely a new IP. Of course, to sit here and guess at what the game might actually be would be pointless, but it's nice to know the team is staying plenty busy these days.
As with all best grassroots efforts, it sounds like this mystery project started off small and has blossomed over time. Raymond explained that the folks who pitched the game were "passionate" about building a prototype and, once they produced it, Motive was ready to act. Even more intriguing is the fact that, as more folks within the studio saw whatever project the squad pulled together, more and more folks started asking about being involved with the development.
Keep in mind that the studio is working on a big, open-world Star Wars game right now, so whatever is managing to draw everyone's attention must be something unique.
Motive has had an interesting history of late, with the most recent game the team worked on being Star Wars Battlefront II. I feel the need to reiterate that the game itself was pretty great, it was just utterly hamstrung at launch by some dicey systems and premium content that EA eventually removed completely due to negative attention and fan outcry.
EA's record with the Star Wars license got even more choppy recently as the publisher dropped Visceral Studios and has since parted ways with Amy Hennig. The team was working on what is described as a Star Wars game heavily inspired by the Uncharted series, but EA decided it was too linear, due to its being a narrative-driven single-player experience, for their future plans. What came out of that was the project being handed off in order to be built on the games as service model.
While we're still interested to see what Motive is able to do with that particular take on the galaxy far, far away, Raymond now has us equally interested in whatever game has her so excited at the moment.