• Electronic Arts CEO calls PC the fastest-growing game platform

    EA CEO John Riccitiello has been defending a downturn in EA stock in an interview with CNBC, spotted on CVG. He addresses a “a perception among investors that the game industry is tough to invest in right now” by challenging the validity of NPD reports that only take into account boxed retail sales in the US.

    He uses PC gaming as an example of how the games business is changing. “Just five years ago people said that the PC game business was in a radical state of decline because NPD said it was down 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, year-in year-out,” he says.


    “The fastest growing platform for video games today is the PC, but it’s growing through subscriptions, through micro transactions and through downloads.”
    Riccitiello suggests that EA are shifting from a packaged goods company to a “service business” and uses Fifa as an example. Former Fifas gained large audiences that dropped off after a month, with Fifa 12, supported regularly with new challenges and updates, “we had five million players that first week and it’s now july, and we’ve had no fewer than four and a half million players since then.”


    He compares the shift in approach as a move toward “the culture of building something like a broadway play where you go on every night instead of a canned television performance that’s done once and it’s done.”


    He also suggests that EA’s free to play offerings are on the grow, and hints that the move to make TOR’s first 15 levels free to try has proved successful. More details are sure to arrive at EA’s next earnings call at the end of the month.
    Comments 6 Comments
    1. duke0102's Avatar
      duke0102 -
      Then why does the PC keep getting half hearted console ports? The PC 'greats' like Crysis 1 / Far Cry / etc are a bit few and far between.
    1. jSchmiez's Avatar
      jSchmiez -
      Quote Originally Posted by duke0102 View Post
      Then why does the PC keep getting half hearted console ports? The PC 'greats' like Crysis 1 / Far Cry / etc are a bit few and far between.
      I do miss games that push my computer to the bleeding edge. At the same time though, these ports typically run well and use less power, which means people with lesser computers get to play also. As much as i miss the top of the line gaming experience, i'd rather have more people playing on a PC and seeing how great it can be.
    1. iratetechie's Avatar
      iratetechie -
      Correct me if I am wrong but didn't they kill NHL series after 09 because they said there was no market? Same with some of the other (sports) games? fifa is the only one left for the PC I do believe.
    1. Appzalien's Avatar
      Appzalien -
      The problem with his view of the future is people like me who want the hard copy in the box from the local store are going to spend less. I have a Steam account but all my game purchases have been hard copies. I feel online paying services and credit card purchases are just asking for trouble. Especially when the services have sub standard security. They may advertise secure transactions but one at a time they get hammered and peoples info is stolen. Now that stores like Best Buy have whittled their game inventory down to just a few, and raised the prices by 10 dollars, I have to look elsewhere or live with what I already have. It used to be if you were willing to wait a year to buy a game you could get a $50 game for 25 or even 20 dollars but lately they just pull them off the shelf (or just keep a minimum stock) instead of lowering the price. The advent of always connected DRM and other nasties is just going to make things worse. What we need is a company to return to the old style, hard copy, decently priced system, not some new fangled Steam like system. They all seem to be aiming in that direction though.
    1. phayze101's Avatar
      phayze101 -
      Quote Originally Posted by duke0102 View Post
      Then why does the PC keep getting half hearted console ports? The PC 'greats' like Crysis 1 / Far Cry / etc are a bit few and far between.
      I wouldnt even call those the greats. They were merely the technical marvels of their times (where's Max Payne, Doom3, or HL2?) None of them had thousands of hours of re playability like a game such as Diablo 2, or the tough competitive nature of Dota, counterstrike, or Starcraft nor were they content filled like Morrowind. These are the games PC gamers remember, and they are the type of games we don't see any more. There will always be another crysis every few years down the line.
    1. karimunjawa's Avatar
      karimunjawa -
      im still waiting c&c generals from ea.