14 DAY TRIAL // The Tiberium universe is very important to Electronic Arts. After acquiring Westwood Studios, the owner of the classic Command & Conquer franchise, they gained access to the intellectual rights and began exploring new game opportunities. One of them was a squad based shooter that would portray the story of a young captain set out to battle in one of the Tiberium wars. It was named, what else, Tiberium, and was slated for a 2010 release. But “was” is the correct verbal form because EA made an official announcement according to which the project had been terminated for not meeting their quality standards.
The time for the production cycle wasn't enough to ensure that a quality product was delivered to customers. EA has tightened its quality standards in an effort to escape the image of the big company that launches games too early just for that extra profit.
Here's what Mariam Sughayer, spokesperson for EA had to say, “EA has suspended work on Tiberium effective immediately. The game was not on track to meet the high quality standards set by the team and by the EA Games Label. A lower quality game is not in the best interest of the consumers and would not succeed in this market. This decision will result in some individuals being released. However, EA will make every effort to place talented people on other projects. Eligible employees will receive severance and outplacement support”.
It definitely sounds like the team behind this project wasn't really up to the task, and EA had to take action. Although the C&C franchise is portrayed best as a strategy game, I have to admit that this title got me pretty anxious. The opportunity to see the battles through the eyes of a regular soldier was very attractive. But it's a tough industry out there, and sometimes decisions have to be made to ensure profit and success.