We're thrilled to speak with Trip Hawkins, founder and CEO EA, 3DO, Digital Chocolate and more. From childhood football strategy, to WWIII Sims, he grew to make a company of electronic artists who made legendary games. Calming Steve Jobs, hacking consoles and many firsts - this week!

Episode Highlights

[00:00:00] Celebrating 100 Episodes and a Wild Week for EA
Alex and Aaron mark The Fourth Curtain’s 100th episode and react to the breaking news that Electronic Arts is being taken private.

[00:02:31] What Happens When a Giant Like EA Gets Bought?
The hosts break down what a private-equity acquisition really means for EA, from stock prices to internal culture shifts.

[00:05:10] Founding Electronic Arts: Trip’s Vision for Creative Freedom
Trip shares how he built EA around empowering developers and treating them like rock stars — a radical idea in the early ’80s.

[00:17:44] The Apple Years: Working Under Steve Jobs
Trip reflects on his early days at Apple, what he learned from Steve Jobs, and how that experience shaped his entrepreneurial mindset.

[00:33:28] Madden, Licensing, and Building a Sports Empire
Trip talks about the birth of Madden NFL, navigating licensing deals, and why the franchise became a cornerstone of EA’s success.

[00:48:56] The 3DO Era: Ambition, Innovation, and Hard Lessons
He opens up about the 3DO console — what went wrong, what it taught him, and how to recover when innovation gets ahead of its time.

[01:04:37] The Future of Games and Trip’s Next Chapter
Trip closes by sharing his outlook on AI, creativity, and what he’s building next after a lifetime of shaping the games industry.

[01:20:14] Trip Hawkins on Failure, Resilience, and Reinvention
Trip opens up about the three “acts” of his life — the rise, the fall, and learning to rebuild after hitting rock bottom.

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Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin
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