Mon, Jan 18, 2010 | 08:08 GMT

EA: Lasky “needs to try de-caf”

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EA has hit back at an anti-company rant from former company executive Mitch Lasky last week, saying he “needs to try de-caf.”

Burn.

“Mitch needs to try de-caf,” said communications head Jeff Brown, speaking to VentureBeat.

“It’s never easy being turned down for a job, but most people don’t spend three years obsessing about it. Since Mitch left EA, Apple invented the iPhone, Facebook evolved to include a gaming platform and EAMobile became the world leader.”

That “job” that Lasky was turned down for was apparently CEO of the company: the role John Riccitello now holds as of 2007.

Last week, after EA lowered full year guidance, Lasky went on a no-holds-barred anti-EA rampage.

He said on his blog that the company had “destroyed” over $11 billion in market value, and went on to say that EA relied on three old skool business facets: EA Sports’ recurring titles, big name EA Games’ titles and the company’s digital assets.

Lasky said that he advised then-CEO Larry Probst to cut expenses by $200 million a year and reduce headcount because of the upcoming changes to the games industry: this was just before JR returned.

Lasky: EA has “destroyed over $11 billion in market value”

2 comments

Grimrita
18/01/10, 8:15 am

I do feel kind of sorry for EA and Riccitello. He has had to make some very tough decisions and taking a giant like EA through the process of change isnt a) going to be easy b) be popular.

It kind of reminds me of when Maggie Thatcher took the UK out of the mess it was in back in 1979 after a spell of Labour. Although to some, she wasnt popular, she made the tough decisions needed to ensure that the country moved in the right direction.

All I ask is that EA a) dont screw up the Battlefield series and b) SWTOR isnt a cookie cutter MMO

Blerk
18/01/10, 8:55 am

lol! Bitchy!

I await Lasky’s come-back with bated breath.