SNW is vandaag 9 jaar oud! Nou heb ik niets speciaals daarvoor gepland. Het werken aan de nieuwe website heeft mijn planning een beetje in de war geschopt. Maar ik vind het nog steeds wel de moeite om het even te noemen!

Hiep hiep hoera!

EA heeft vandaag aangekondigd dat de huidige CEO, John Riccitiello, eind deze maand zal aftreden. Totdat de nieuwe CEO aangewezen is zal Larry Probst de zaken waarnemen. Ricitiello was CEO sinds 2007 en vindt dat nu de tijd rijp is om "het stokje door te geven en nieuw leiderschap het bedrijf naar de volgende fase van innovatie en groei te brengen."

Electronic Arts Announces Change in Executive Leadership

Larry Probst Appointed Executive Chairman, Effective Immediately

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced that 
John Riccitiello will step down as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective March 30. The Board has appointed 
Larry Probst as Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition and to lead EA's executive team while the Board conducts a search for a permanent CEO. The Board will consider internal and external candidates with the assistance of a leading executive search firm.

Mr. Probst has played a leadership role at EA since 1991. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board since 1994, he previously served as the Company's CEO from 1991 to 2007. As CEO, Probst successfully grew the Company's annual revenues from $175 million to approximately $3 billion, led EA into new platforms such as mobile, online and other emerging markets and expanded its international presence to more than 75 countries.

"We thank John for his contributions to EA since he was appointed CEO in 2007, especially the passion, dedication and energy he brought to the Company every single day," said 
Mr. Probst. "John has worked hard to lead the Company through challenging transitions in our industry, and was instrumental in driving our very significant growth in digital revenues. We appreciate John's leadership and the many important strategic initiatives he has driven for the Company. We have mutually agreed that this is the right time for a leadership transition."

On behalf of the Board, Lead Director 
Richard A. Simonson stated, "As we begin the CEO search, we are fortunate that Larry, who has a proven track record with our employees, partners and customers, has agreed to assume a day-to-day leadership role as Executive Chairman. He has 16 years of experience as CEO of EA and a deep understanding of the Company's strategy, management team, business potential and industry trends."

Mr. Riccitiello stated, "EA is an outstanding company with creative and talented employees, and it has been an honor to serve as the Company's CEO. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and after six years I feel it is the right time for me pass the baton and let new leadership take the Company into its next phase of innovation and growth. I remain very optimistic about EA's future — there is a world class team driving the Company's transition to the next generation of game consoles."

Ik was een tijdje terug al van plan hierover een berichtje te posten, maar ik was zo druk met de reviews dat ik het telkens vergat te schrijven. Sorry!

Onze community manager Anita is pas geleden weggegaan bij EA, en daar schrok ik wel een beetje van. Ze is al vele jaren de community manager van Nederland (of eigenlijk van de BeNeLux) en dan is het wel zo netjes om haar succes te wensen met wat ze hierna gaat doen. Enorm bedankt Anita voor al je harde werk. En laat je nog eens zien, oké? We hopen je binnenkort op de Gamescom tegen te komen!

Voor het geval jullie je nu afvragen wie het van haar gaat overnemen als community manager, dat is Jordy. Velen van jullie zullen Jordy kennen van Simparool en Sunset Valley Times. Hij heeft al twee keer stage gelopen bij EA Benelux en heeft daar genoeg ervaring opgedaan om de rol van community manager op zich te nemen. We kijken er naar uit meer van hem te horen!

The Critically-Acclaimed Simulation Franchise That Launched The City-Building Genre Stakes Claim On Facebook

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- There's a new mayor in town with SimCity™ Social! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) today announced that SimCity, the world-renowned city-building simulator from Maxis that pioneered the genre, is coming to the largest social network in the world. A close collaboration between many talented people at Maxis and Playfish, SimCity Social brings the real city-building simulation to the masses, giving players the freedom to create sprawling cities that come to life as a result of player-driven choice. Launching globally on Facebook soon and currently in closed beta, SimCity Social is introducing groundbreaking innovations that change the landscape for social city-building.

"Facebook gamers have been waiting a long time for the original and best city-building game to come to the platform," said Jami Laes, Vice President of Global Studios for Playfish. "This isn't your typical drag and drop city-building game. Players don't just build a city — they choose the kind of city they want and watch its soul come to life as it grows and reacts to their decisions. With SimCity Social, we've taken the best in social gaming design and married it with unprecedented depth to create an all-new deeply social experience."

"Over the years EA has continued to bring major brands such as The Sims to Facebook," said Sean Ryan, Director of Games Partnerships, Facebook. "SimCity Social is a great addition, and we look forward to another high quality game becoming available to the hundreds of millions of people who play games on Facebook each month."

In SimCity Social, there are no set linear paths to follow; cities evolve as a direct result of player-driven choice allowing for more creative freedom. As mayor, players will deal with unforeseen issues like fires, crime and pollution, and will make crucial decisions that will help them discover how their cities take shape. Social interactions in SimCity Social go far beyond just visiting friends' cities or using them as resources to complete tasks. Players can choose to build friendly relationships with other cities or form an intense rivalry through a dynamic and ever-evolving friend and foe system. With multiple options for city growth, unexpected gameplay events that shape the destiny of the city, and city-to-city relationships, players will see recognizable changes that bring forth aesthetic and gameplay alterations based on the decisions made in the game — for better or for worse.

SimCity fans can visit www.facebook.com/simcitysocial to view trailers and sneak a peek at content. "Like" us on Facebook to get in-game items at launch.