News Blips: EA learned from failures, Take-Two takeover target rumors, reinventing handhelds, and more

I don't need EA to tell me to fail well. I've got enough burn marks on my fingers from my battles with the stove during my "cooking" sessions to tell me that.

News Blips:

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EA boss John Riccitiello instructs the graduates of University of California Berkeley to "fail well." No, Riccitiello's hat tassel didn't obstruct his view of the speech notes with impeccable timing. Instead, he explained how failure is an integral component of achieving success and learning how to take the punches with grace makes all the difference. "Failing well matters because it is ultimately how you define your reputation and, I think, how you will see yourself," he told the gathering of students. Riccitiello used EA's bumpy performance in 2007 and 2008 — high development costs and faltering product quality — and the advent of digital platforms as necessary lessons of failure. "Four years ago I held a meeting and told employees that we were in a do or die situation," he said. "We were failing. We could invest and re-tool for radical change, or we could accept the shrinking share of a shrinking pie and eventually die." Riccitiello closed by saying "there's much more to do" for EA to stay strong, which probably includes trying not to give students a heart attack during the graduation speech. [Gamasutra]

L.A. Noire's success has potentially made Rockstar owner Take-Two ripe for a takeover. "With the strong launch of L.A. Noire last week, Take-Two has created yet another valuable franchise," said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia to IndustryGamers. "Along with the Grand Theft Auto catalyst still ahead, the possibility of a takeout is a reasonable bet." Bhatia didn't name any specific companies that would consider purchasing the studio.

Remedy Entertainment (Alan Wake) Executive Vice President Aki "AJ" Järvilehto thinks handheld systems need an overhaul. "Many smartphones and tablets offer mind-blowing value to gamers," Järvilehto told IndustryGamers. "Right now you can buy tons and tons of fun on iOS with the price of a single handheld console game. Heck, you can get tons of fun for free with advertising based concepts. So I do think the traditional handheld consoles will need to reinvent themselves if they want to compete." He went on to suggest that the handheld market is evolving rapidly enough to "blow away" barriers of entry.

Prepare your sleds, Hell — Duke Nukem Forever just went gold. The most famous case of vaporware in gaming history is finally complete and ready to kick down your door on June 14 in search of bubblegum and alien asses to kick. 2K Games president Christoph Hartmann called it a "precipice of history." I call it "about damn time."

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