EA offers more support than Ubisoft, says Crytek boss

Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli has told GamesIndustry.biz that having Electronic Arts as a publisher means the studio has both more support and more freedom than it did when working with Ubisoft.

"Everything's just bigger. From a business point of view, we have more support from EA and superior distribution and marketing power behind us, more freedom," Yerli said.

However, he added, Crytek is also enjoying more freedom thanks to success of its first game, which was published by Ubisoft. "It comes after Far Cry, too; that [game] established us in a different position," he explained.

Crytek is now working on PC shooter Crytek, which will be published by EA on November 16. According to Yerli, the experience of working with the publisher has been a highly positive one: "We can dictate more, and at the same time we can ask for more support. [EA delivers] more, because we both want this to be the best game."

Yerli went on to say he is grateful to Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot for taking a risk on Far Cry when Crytek was still a fledging studio, but admitted that relations did become strained as the game's development progressed.

"There were too many emotions involved back then, it was very passionate... It worked out, but it drained on the level of trust between us," Yerli revealed.

"But despite the fact it was rough at the end, I would like to say big thanks to Ubisoft and Yves Guillemot for taking the risk with us. If they hadn't done it, we would never have survived."

Part one of the full interview with Yerli will be published on GamesIndustry.biz tomorrow, with part two to follow later this week.

To read a full preview of Crysis, see screenshots and view an exclusive video of the game, visit Eurogamer.net.