So what happened? Growth fueled growth, feeding on itself, and the premiums in attention and remuneration paid to independent developers became untenable against the increasing demand for prolific output. Celebrity endorsements like those in EA Sports precursors Earl Weaver Baseball and John Madden Football became a greater priority, as having a household name on the front of the box proved more lucrative than attempting to build entirely new brand recognition around developers who were unknown outside the game industry. As game development became more competitive and financially risky, the balance of power shifted away from the developers, giving EA the clout – and eventually the will – to operate on its own terms. And while going public in 1991 was doubtless the best move from a business perspective, it also signaled a drastic change in the company culture, leaving it beholden to investors whose only interest in videogames were the revenue they could generate.