According to the L.A. Times, Electronic Arts has decided it no longer wants to produce any Godfather video games. Although the production schedule for Godfather extends out three years, Frank Gibeau, president of the EA Games label, told the newspaper that after April's release of The Godfather II, his company has decided it's done with the classic film franchise. "We're not going to do another one," he stated.
Despite Gibeau's matter-of-fact comment, EA and Paramount publicists both seemed uncertain. "Plans for the next Godfather game have not been decided," a Paramount spokesperson told the publication. An EA representative then added, "We do not currently have a Godfather game in development. Nothing has been decided as to future sequels. Paramount is a great partner."
Perhaps it's for the best that EA no longer wants to make Godfather games. The games have been mediocre at best (the second one has a Metacritic of just 65) and sales for The Godfather II have come in at just 241,000 units in the U.S., according to NPD figures. The games were also somewhat controversial in nature, as some gamers and Godfather fans felt that their cherished movies shouldn't be tarnished with a game that doesn't necessarily live up to the pedigree of the big screen counterparts.
Creating these games also sort of flies in the face of EA's renewed focus on new IP and moving away from licensing deals. As L.A. Times reporter Ben Fritz points out, EA has given up on other big licenses of late, including Lord of the Rings and James Bond. "The bloom is really off the rose for licensed games," Gibeau commented.
EA still has the rights to Harry Potter and the Jason Bourne novels, but we're encouraged by the fact that the publisher is looking to focus more on original IP. It's better for gamers, and hopefully for the industry in the long run as well.
