“Challenge everything” and “It’s in the game” are just two taglines that gamers are more than familiar with. Electronic Arts is one of the biggest and best-known video game companies in the world, with a huge roster of popular franchises, fromMedal Of HonorandThe SimstoMass EffectandFIFAto name just a few.
The 2000s was an enormously successful decade for EA, seeing them release a range of excellent games and acquire some very talented game development studios. While they published and distributed several well-received titles, they also developed some fantastic games themselves.
EA kicked off the millennium with a slew of excellent games with new entries in several flagship series, such asSimCity,Need For Speed,Medal Of Honor, andCommand & Conquer. This was even the year they releasedShogun: Total Warand a game adaptation of the latestJames BondfilmThe World Is Not Enough, along with the first sports games of the millennium. However, there’s no debate that 2000 was defined byThe Sims.
The Simskicked off an enormous franchisethat’s still going strong over two decades later. Praised for attracting even casual gamers,The Simsis a life simulation game in which players create whoever they want and manage their lives. At the most basic level, players just have to keep their Sims alive, instructing them to go to the bathroom, eat, and go to bed. But players can go further by choosing their job, skill, and both how and who they socialize with. It’s even possible to customize a Sim’s appearance, personality, and house, giving players complete freedom.
2001 was another year of great games for EA. They kicked off their run ofHarry PotterandJames Bondtitles, and continued their successful run of sports games, withNHL 2002andNBA Streetbeing particular highlights. But it wasSSX Trickythat proved to be the sports game that stood above the rest.
SSX Trickyis the second game in theSSXseriesof snowboarding gamesthat made several improvements to the original. Players choose from twelve characters to play as and take part in races and competitions. These characters aren’t just silent, passive snowboarders, though. Each are voiced and have their own personality. In fact, players are encouraged to interact with other characters by knocking them down and making them react. Unlike other EA sports games,SSX Trickywas never meant to be realistic – it was all about having fun, hence the Uber Tricks that unlock when players fill the adrenaline bar, allowing them to perform ridiculous, over-the-top stunts. This is a captivating snowboarding game that still has fans begging for a remake to this day.
Madden NFL 2003andNCAA Football 2003made big splashes this year, along with several other titles. EA released their latestNeed For Speedgame,aBuffy The Vampire Slayeradaptation, and even introduced the world toTy The Tasmanian Tigeralongside fan-favoriteHarry PotterandJames Bondtitles. However, EA’s 2002 was defined by war, whether it was fantasy war inThe Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers,Battlefield 1942, orMedal Of Honor. EA only developed one of the twoMedal Of Honorgames they published in 2002, but it was an excellent one.
Steven Spielberg himself kicked off theMedal Of Honorseries shortly after makingSaving Private Ryan, and EA’s fourth entry in the series continued the high quality that the series had enjoyed to date.Medal Of Honor: Frontlinefollows Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson as he fights his way into Germany during the Second World War. Players battle through a range of different missions in the game, from landing on D-Day to infiltrating a German U-boat. The whole experience feels impressively immersive thanks to the authentic briefings before each mission and the use of historical weaponry.
For EA, 2003 marked a successful continuation of some of their best franchises.SSX 3,NBA Street Vol. 2andF1 Challenge ’99-’02led the way for sports games, with new releases for theirSimCity,Command & Conquer, andBattlefieldseries. Surprisingly, though, some of EA’s most beloved games were inspired by fantasy films. Although some fans adoredHarry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, it’sThe Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King that has stood the test of timeto become EA’s best game of 2003.
EA’s adaptation of the final film in Peter Jackson’sThe Lord Of The Ringstrilogy seems like a simple hack-and-slash on the surface, but remains a game that’s adored by fans who have been longing for a remaster. It shares many similarities toThe Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towersgame released the previous year but improves on it in many ways. Besides multiple storylines and better interactive environments, players could unlock a greater roster of characters, from Gandalf to Frodo, and level them up. For many players, however, the best part of this game was playing co-op with a friend and defeating Sauron together.
In 2004, players enjoyed the return ofTy The Tasmanian Tygeras well as anotherDef Jamgame and the hotly anticipated release ofThe Sims 2. Driving games were also particularly popular, with the release of titles likeNeed For Speed: Underground 2andBurnout 3: Takedown. But it was games inspired by cinema that were the most interesting. Although many fans dislikedCatwoman, EA enjoyed success with their latestHarry Potterentry, two more games inThe Lord Of The Ringsworld, and a fan-favoriteJames Bondgame.
Hot on the heels of the success of bothAgent Under FireandNightfire,Everything Or Nothingwas the 007 game fans had been yearning for. A departure from previous titles, this one wasn’t a first-person shooter. Instead, fans could enjoy Piers Brosnan in his final outing as Bond. Even better, Judi Dench and John Cleese reprise their roles as M and Q, as well as Richard Kiel as Jaws. Along with Willem Defoe as the villain, both Heidi Klum and Shannon Elizabeth as Bond Girls, and a globe-trotting plot about nanobots,Everything Or Nothingfeels surprisingly cinematic. Its gameplay is varied and high-octane too, with a range of weapons and gadgets on hand as well as adrenaline-fueled driving levels to make players feel like 007.
EA continued to delight movie fans in 2005 with the release of bothBatman Beginsand007: From Russia With Love, while comic fans were treated toMarvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects. However, racing games reigned supreme this year. AlongsideNASCAR SimRacing, EA released two more games in the highly successfulBurnoutseries. WhileBurnout Legendspleased gamers on handheld consoles, others were even more delighted byBurnout Revenge.
After impressing EA so much withBurnout 3: Takedown, EA had high hopes when they acquired Criterion Games. Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint.Burnout Revengeis once more all about fast and furious driving as players participate in races during rush hour traffic. The Takedown mechanic from the previous game was included again, encouraging players to use their cars as weapons wherever possible. With 169 events across three continents, seventy-seven cars to unlock, and several game modes available, each race feels fresh, fun, and frantic.
EA continued some of their popular franchises in 2006, such as a newNeed For Speedgame, aCommand & Conquercollection, and a string of sports games – not to mention two popular expansion packs forThe Sims 2. However, they also focused on game adaptations of films. AlthoughSuperman Returnswas considered a flop,The Godfather: The Gamewas a success, as was the sequel to a previous Middle-Earth game.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth 2is a real-time strategy game based on Tokien’s Middle-Earth. This series was a departure from their hack-and-slash film adaptations or the turn-based combat ofThe Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age, requiring more thought and planning. Players command a range of units, from infantry to cavalry and even hero units that feature famous characters. These characters depend on whether players select Good or Evil campaigns. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are available for Good campaigns while the Witch-King, Saruman, and even the Mouth of Sauron are unlocked for Evil campaigns.The Lord Of The Ringslore works particularly well with the real-time strategy genre, and this game remains a beloved one by fans to this day.
2007 saw the release ofThe Simpsons Gameand the latestHarry Pottergame adaptation, but it’s perhaps more famously remembered for being the year that gamers were introduced toRock Band. However, although distributed by them, EA didn’t developRock Bandand so can’t take full credit for its success. Nevertheless, EA still saw huge success with their release ofCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.
After the success of their last twoThe Lord Of The Rings-inspired real-time strategy games, 2007 was the perfect moment for another EA flagship franchise to make a comeback.Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Warswas thefirstCommand & Conquergame since 2003and a direct sequel to 1999’sCommand & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. As with the other games, players assume the role of a military strategist, ordering units and commanding attacks as they battle against the Brotherhood of Nod and the Scrin. EA also introduced new mechanics to make the franchise’s comeback more impactful, such as tech buildings, unit upgrades, and special abilities for each faction.
Hot on the heels of the success ofCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, 2008 saw EA release an expansion to this game as well as another entry in the series. They also distributedRock Band 2andLeft 4 Deadwhile introducing the world toSporeand releasing some more excellent sports games, such asNHL 09andFIFA 09. However, 2008 is best known as the year in which EA releasedDead Space.
Dead Spaceis the award-winning survival horror game that kicked off the popular franchise and is now considered to be one of the greatest games ever made. The player assumes the role of Isaac Clarke, an engineer onboard the Ishimura mining spaceship, whose sole aim is to escape from the deadly Necromorphs. Inspired in part by horror games likeResident Evil 4, players explore the spaceship and solve puzzles, occasionally in zero gravity, while doing their best to find upgrades and conserve enough ammunition to stand a chance against the Necromorphs.Dead Spaceis an innovative game that focuses on sound and even removes the HUD to truly immerse the player into the horror.
EA continued distributing popular games likeLeft 4 Dead 2andThe Beatles: Rock Bandin 2009, as well as releasing the latest game in the belovedThe Simsfranchise. However, 2009 also heralded the downfall of game adaptations of films, with the likes ofG.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra,Star Trek: The Video Game, andThe Godfather 2disappointing many gamers. But fortunately, 2009 was still a strong year for EA, thanks in no small part toDragon Age: Origins.
After successfully starting theDead Spacefranchise one year earlier, EA kicked off yet another one in 2009.Dragon Age: Originsis the start of EA’s famousDragon Agefranchise. It’s an RPG set in the fantasy kingdom of Ferelden, a world inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. Players create their own main character, choosing both a class (warrior, mage, or rogue) and a race (elf, dwarf, or human). The player then joins the Grey Wardens before teaming up with somewell-written companionsand setting off to defeat the Archdemon and save the world from the Blight. The gameplay is familiar to many gamers and bears a striking resemblance toDungeons & Dragonsvideo games, such asBaldur’s Gate(1998) andNeverwinter Nights(2002), and sparked a successful, well-loved franchise with fans eagerly anticipating a fourth entry.
