9 Once-Beloved Video Game Developers That Fell From Grace

2. EA

Obviously EA are more known as a publisher these days, but there was a time their various studios were on fire.

EA Redwood Shores in particular released cult classic Future Cop: L.A.P.D, various incredible Lord of the Rings games like Return of the King's tie-in and The Third Age, the finest James Bond game ever in 007: Everything or Nothing, and even birthed the genuinely brilliant Dead Space 1 and 2. EA Black Box were behind the genuinely missed Skate trilogy, and the short-lived EA BIG label brought us NBA Street and SSX.

I mean, what a lineup. This is but a quick example of a time when EA's "It's in the game!" catchphrase was a mark of quality, and their various movie tie-ins were always something to look forward to.

Now they've got a horrific reputation for not only meddling in their studios' intentions to crowbar in microtransactions and more action-heavy elements (just look at Mass Effect), but on the development side of things it's Army of Two: Devil's Cartel, Dead Space 3 and Battlefield Hardline. Nothing worth writing home about.

Not to mention, the studios EA acquire to do their developmental bidding tend to be stripped of all personality. Only EA could take Burnout devs Criterion, strip away all the appeal and release a thoroughly neutered reboot in 2015, only yielding to let them make Need for Speed: Payback when it failed to sell.