This year’s “winner” is none other than the highly anticipated Spore from EA. With unbelievable hype and quite some backlash due to it’s SecurROM DRM (easily bypassed it seems), Spore was downloaded 1.7 million times by Torrent Freak users, followed by other hits such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, The Sims 2, Assassins Creed Creed and more.

The full list, with place, name, amount of downloads and date of release.

1. Spore
(1,700,000) (Sept. 2008)

2. The Sims 2
(1,150,000) (Sept. 2004)

3. Assassins Creed
(1,070,000) (Nov. 2007)

4. Crysis
(940,000) (Nov. 2007)

5. Command & Conquer 3
(860,000) (Mar. 2007)

6. Call of Duty 4
(830,000) (Nov. 2007)

7. GTA San Andreas
(740,000) (Jun. 2005)

8. Fallout 3
(645,000) (Oct. 2008)

9. Far Cry 2
(585,000) (Oct. 2008)

10. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
(470,000) (Oct. 2008)

Eagle-eyed gaming fans have scrounged up some SEC filings pertaining to the recent assignment of John Riccitiello as Chief Executive Officer of EA, after former CEO Larry Probst stepped down after 16 long years. The offer letter paints quite a nice deal, offering Riccitiello $62,000 a month and a healthy stock options and benefits package. Funny to see the CEO having to attend a “Get in the Game” orientation meeting but depressing to know this gent is clearing more a month than I’ll see in oh, 10 years or so.

Copy of the letter after the jump..

EX-10.1 2 dex101.htm OFFER LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 12, 2007

Exhibit 10.1
February 12, 2007

John Riccitiello

Dear John:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Electronic Arts Inc. (“Electronic Arts” or “EA”), I am pleased to offer you the position of Chief Executive Officer of Electronic Arts commencing on April 2, 2007 at a base salary of $62,500 per month [or $750,000 annualized], minus applicable deductions. As CEO, you will report directly to the Board of Directors. You will be appointed to the Board of Directors effective April 2, 2007.

You will also be eligible to participate in our discretionary bonus program. This discretionary bonus is typically determined by our Board of Directors at the end of our fiscal year. As the commencement of your employment with EA coincides with the beginning of EA’s fiscal year ending March 31, 2008 (“Fiscal 2008”), you will first be eligible to participate in this bonus program during Fiscal 2008. Your discretionary bonus target will be 100% of your base salary. To receive payment of your bonus you must be employed by Electronic Arts at the time any bonuses are paid.

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has approved the grant of non-qualified stock options to purchase a total of 850,000 shares of Common Stock of Electronic Arts under our 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, to vest as follows:

• An option to purchase 300,000 shares that will vest as to 24% of these shares on April 1, 2008 and will then vest in additional 2% increments on the first calendar day of each month thereafter for the following 38 months;

• An option to purchase 275,000 shares that will vest as to 100% of these shares on April 1, 2010; and

• An option to purchase 275,000 shares that will vest as to 100% of these shares on April 1, 2012.

These options will be priced and granted at the close of market on the second trading day following public release of EA’s annual financial results for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2007. We currently expect this earnings release to occur on May 1, 2007, though this date is subject to change.

For your information, I have enclosed several documents that will provide an introduction to life at EA, including an overview of our benefits programs and EA’s Global Code of Conduct. Other EA policies and procedures are on EA’s intranet and will be reviewed with you at orientation. As an officer and member of the Board of Directors of EA, you will be covered by the insurance policies applicable to directors and officers in effect from time to time and will be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses in accordance with EA’s standard indemnity agreement for officers and directors. If you have any questions about this offer or about your eligibility to participate in or to be covered by any of the described benefits, please call me.

John Riccitiello
February 12, 2007

———————

Page 2
In the course of your work, you will have access to proprietary materials and concepts. Our offer is contingent on your signing Electronic Arts’ New Hire/Proprietary Information Agreement. Two copies are enclosed for signature (please keep one for your own records).

This offer letter contains the entire understanding between you and Electronic Arts as to the terms of your offer of employment and specifically supersedes (i) all previous discussions you may have had with anyone at Electronic Arts regarding those terms and (ii) any previous written offers you may have received.

Should you accept this offer, please plan on attending the Get in the Game Orientation to be held on your first Monday at 9:00 a.m. Please complete and bring the forms in the attached package.

This offer of employment is made contingent upon your providing Electronic Arts with proof that you have the legal right to work in the United States. This will be handled as part of your orientation process.

In addition, EA will conduct a background check pursuant to a written notice you will receive under separate cover, and this offer of employment is contingent upon the results of such check being acceptable to EA.

This offer of employment is valid through Wednesday, February 21st, and if not accepted by then, we will assume that you have declined the offer. If you accept this offer, please sign below and return both pages of the original offer letter to me in the enclosed envelope, and we can begin your orientation to EA. Please keep a copy for yourself.

Please join our team and help us be the place where GREAT people create and deliver GREAT games.

If you have any questions regarding this offer, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
/s/ Lawrence F. Probst, III
Lawrence F. Probst, III
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Electronic Arts

Snoop more: EA’s offer letter to Riccitiello

Our brothers from a different mother over at GameSetWatch have dug up an incredibly juicy bit of information. That being that BRIAN ENO WILL BE CREATING THE SOUNDTRACK FOR WILL WRIGHT’S SPORE! If ever I wanted to stoop so low as to use the type of language you’d hear in World of Warcraft, it would be now. Eno, who has been digging deeply into generative music as of late, will be working together with the Spore team to create a soundtrack like only Eno could, one which uses procedural generation just as the game itself. As with Eno’s recent “77 Million Paintings” concept, Eno demonstrated his software tool called “The Shuffler” which creates random fragments of songs that would never be repeated the same way twice. Cunning move Mr. Wright, very cunning.

Read more: Brian Eno creating soundtract for Spore

Whoa ho ho. How can this be an EA title? Granted, this is a Japanese game (for now!!), but wow, EA is looking primed to actually have someone in the Japanese market show some interest in their games. By taking on the visual style of an Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon, EA is bringing the right amount of sickly sweet character-driven fun to a stale property that just might work in their favor. Wow, the Wii is going to be huge folks. You didn’t hear it here first.

Read more: The Sims Wii

With the Nintendo Wii around the corner you can bet we’re excited. Even more so after we saw the first video (that we know of) for Far Cry Wii. Of course we’re not expecting major graphics advancements from the little Wii that could, but damn if the nunchuck control-scheme doesn’t look fun.

Watch the trailed for Far Cry Wii after the jump..

A few days late but whatever, you don’t know me, you don’t know me. Last week, EA announced that they’ve signed an agreement with Microsoft subsidiary, Massive, to begin including dynamic in-game adveritising in future EA titles for the Xbox 360 and PC, starting with the upcoming “Need for Speed: Carbon”. The ads will be seamless and will not disrupt gameplay according to EA, unless you count the horrid eyesore that is the giant hamburger ad glowing and flickering in neon-pink, in such a way that it draws your attention off of the game and to the virtual sign next to the virtual lightpost that you’re about to hit. Additional titles utilizing Massive’s dynamic gaming adveritising network will be announced in the near future.

Read more: EA signs in-game adveritising deal with Massive

Legendary sim-strategy game Sim City will be making it’s way to everyone’s favorite handheld console Winter 2006/2007 according to EA, though exact details haven’t been officially released. This possibly means that the release could occur before Christmas 2006, meaning hundreds of thousands of DS owners will soon be playing god with the little inhabitants of Sim City. Rumours also have it that the DS game will be based on the PC title Sim City 3000 which will no doubt be a must-own DS title when it’s released.

Read more: Sim City coming to the Nintendo DS

It almost feels like EA day here at Playthrough HQ, but it’s not, we swear, we just love juicy gossip involving the industry in our own back yard. There are currently rumours swirling around the industry that an acquisition of German games developer Crytek may be in the works by mega-publisher EA, who already have publishing and licensing agreements in-place with Crytek. EA has been quite active recently in the German market, infusing the once-struggling local industry with an influx of resources and work. A recent article in German newspaper Die Welt quotes EA’s VP and GM of International Publishing Gerhard Florin as stating that Crytek is a “very, very interesting candidate” for an acquisition. However, an interview later with Crytek’s co-founder, Faruk Yerli, confirmed that a conversation has taken place between EA and Crytek, but refused to indicate if an acquisition is pending. Yerli also mentioned that Crytek is considering an initial public offering on the German stock market.

Read more: EA executives hint at Crytek purchase

Several days ago EA announced the purchase of Spellforce developer Phenomic, another in a long line of EA investment in German game developers. The studio will retain it’s existing management structure, which have done quite an amazing job of building up the studio and weathering the rough time of Phenomic’s prior publisher, JoWood. Phenomic will continue creating RTS and adventure games for the PC, console and online platforms as part of the EA family of studios.

As of now there has been no reaction from JoWood, only to their stock price, which in once again in a small downward spiral as management appears focused on their reorganization rather than developing and publishing quality games (perhaps Bingo Online may be a more fitting title, as the casual market seems better suited to JoWooD). Spellforce 2 from Phenomic was recently released by JoWood / Aspyr Media to quite positive reviews and sales figures.

Read more: EA purchases Phenomic Studios, makers of Spellforce