Spielberg pops into EA 'about once a week'

By Tom Bramwell Published 14 March, 2007

Taking collaboration seriously.

Steven Spielberg is spending between one and four hours a week working on the games he's committed to make with Electronic Arts, according to EA's Neil Young.

"Steven's in the studio about once a week, anywhere from 1 to 4 hours; he swings by and he's in the office by about 8:30 and usually leaves like 11:00 or midday," Young tells GameDaily.

"It's everything you'd hoped the relationship would be but were nervous to ask upfront. It's really wonderful spending time with him... he's incredibly creative and just has such a great sense of what entertains people."

Two of the three videogames Steven Spielberg has committed to work on with Electronic Arts are currently in development in Los Angeles under the production control of veterans Doug Church and Lou Castle.

The first, Church's title, sounds like typical Spielberg material - with Young describing it as "what you might expect", akin to Spielberg's other "intimate stories set against an Earth- or world-changing event". Young also confirms that Lou Castle's Spielberg title is being developed for Wii.

"It's a learning experience I think for us, and I hope it is for him too. He seems very excited."

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dr.Haggard #1 5 years ago

    The Doug Church from Looking Glass?


    Steven who?

  • daedalus2 #2 5 years ago

    Heh, exactly.

  • andyk #3 5 years ago

    "what you might expect", akin to Spielberg's other "intimate stories set against an Earth- or world-changing event".

    - so something like a DIG remake?

  • Eldritch #4 5 years ago

    "just has such a great sense of what entertains people"

    Which is why "Amistad" really knocked my socks off.

  • Blerk #5 5 years ago

    Does he pop in to pick up his cheque?

  • Mashum #6 5 years ago

    (Amistad aside) Speilberg has a really good eye for how people interact with each other - what that could give to a game might be really good if he is working with people who have the same talents as Valve have shown on HL2.

  • peterfll #7 5 years ago

    EA in "might do some good original games but we've still got nothing to show you" shocker.

  • oceanmotion #8 5 years ago

    Must be hard for EA always having to watch their back when he comes strolling in. Better hide those whips and look like we are being creative.

  • crazyhorse174 #9 5 years ago

    Did Neil Young sing a song after the interview?

    /I'll get me coat...

  • frag.uk #10 5 years ago

    Must be a slow news day

  • LOLLERS #11 5 years ago

    It irritates me that there are probably hundreds of people working for EA that are more creative and have a better idea of how to make a creative fun game than Spielberg.

    He comes in an hour a week, spouts off a few ideas and I bet the executives are all nodding, going 'Wow great idea Steven, we hadn't though of that! You're so creative!' but when any of their own designers come up with original ideas they'll get told new IP is too risky and won't make any money or are impossible to make or people won't 'get' it.

    The games industry doesn't need movie designers to come up with great ideas, but it seems being a well known movie director is a great way of getting instant respect in the games industry...Bet it doesn't work the other way round!

    "Hello, 20th Century Fox? You don't know me but I made this great videogame once, and i've got these great ideas about movies I might like to make, can you make them for me?"

  • Bezzy #12 5 years ago

    Right on, Lollers!

    Steve's probably just cramping Doug's style < /total speculation>

  • chrisjm #13 5 years ago

    if i came into work once a week for an hour or two i'd get sacked.

  • mingster #14 5 years ago

    Lets hope its better than the E.T game..

  • YourMessageHere #15 5 years ago

    Maybe he's remaking the ET game. Wouldn't surprise me. Last thing gaming needs is Spielberg-like plotting or direction. Then again EA don't generally help the state of gaming either.

  • freedumb #16 5 years ago

    Speilberg's had a hand in gaming before, with the Dig, and the medal of honour series that dreamworks created and started off the whole WWII craze. He's even on the credits of Allied Assualt isn't he?
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/07 @ 17:46

  • Derblington #17 5 years ago

    I don't really see the problem with it tbh. No-ones making a big deal about Peter Jackson working with Microsoft...

    At the end of the day it's fresh eyes for the industry and I don't doubt for a second that Spielberg doesn't have anything he could lend to gaming from his movie background. It's really not a bad thing that movie types are getting involved in this industry, it'll only help it grow.

  • holy_bazooka #18 5 years ago

    Right on Dr.Haggard