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10 years on, Unity CEO and president John Riccitiello finally OUT before this Halloween

604 View2023-10-10

October commemorates a decade since former EA CEO John Riccitiello took a rather dramatic course of action and steered EA into what many consider to be a destructive era for games. This ten-year milestone is marked with remembrance of the rise of EA, now infamous for its management of acquisitions and projects or, as it’s sometimes called, the "serial killer of the gaming industry."

Under Riccitiello's leadership, EA infamously bought out numerous high-profile studios, only for them to be systematically dismantled down the line. Another notable blow to the gaming industry struck ten years ago this October when EA abruptly killed off the highly anticipated Command & Conquer: Tiberias. This game had been under development for about three years, including two years of initial planning phase. This disappointing decision reportedly tarnished faith in EA's at-the-time fresh-faced management team, undoubtedly pointing toward Riccitiello, who had been in his CEO position for around 18 months at that point.

In a pivotal interview, Riccitiello stated, "When a project doesn't meet expectations, choices are made: pour in more time, more money, reinvent the concept or terminate the project altogether. When quality is your focus, you'll need to choose one of these routes. If not, expect subpar results." Tragically for many game fans, EA's ensuing strategy exhibited a consistent habit of pulling the plug on one or two games annually, laying credence to Riccitiello's ominous words, "Always will."

In a major shake-up at Unity, CEO John Riccitiello will be stepping down as the leader of the pioneering 3D engine developer. James M. Whitehurst is set to step into the role as Interim CEO and President, following an announcement by Unity. This executive shift comes in the wake of heated backlash against Unity's controversial decision to implement an install-based charging system for developers.

Riccitiello's absence from public discussions surrounding these policy changes sparked conversation, especially given his previous visibility during Unity's controversial plan to join forces with Israeli-based company IronSource, a monetization services provider in 2022. His confrontational comments about game developers in a pocketgamer.biz interview generated an outcry from the developer community. After issuing an apology for his unguarded remarks, Riccitiello then receded from public engagements.

It's also key to note that in 2019, Riccitiello was accused of sexual harassment by Unity's then director of recruiting, Anne Evans. This crucial turn in Unity's leadership is sure to reverberate in the industry.

God help those who stand in devs' and players' way.

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