One of the major problems with Electronic Arts' reputation in recent years has been its willingness to develop and publish a number of poorly-made licensed games like Catwoman, Harry Potter, and Superman Returns. EA is apparently aware of this, and CEO John Riccitiello sat down with MTV Multiplayer to talk about it recently. The bottom line? EA's planning to return to making good, original games.

When the topic of how EA seems to be on the cusp of recovering its reputation for sterling games with titles like Spore, Dead Space, and Mirror's Edge in the works, Riccitiello was quick to point out that EA isn't abandoning all of its licenses, as there are several (like the NFL games) that are still incredibly popular and well-received. "What’s happening right now is sort of the core creativity of our team is really coming forward," said Riccitiello. "When you see titles like Dead Space and Mirror’s Edge—or something like Boom Blox—these are sort of like art teams creating something new. We’ve always been good at that [and have decided], 'Let them go out there and do it.'"

While this mentality might not sit well with investors, as original products are so often expensive to create, it's sure to thrill gamers looking for good titles to add to their libraries. Based on the interview, it sounds like EA wants to make sure that its reputation stays based on solid products from now on. "I think what redeems our industry is quality," said Riccitiello, "and I think we take a step back every time we take a license and exploit it with a crappy game. That’s not what we’re about."