Tag Archives: ea

Beyond shovelware: Where do social games go from here?

Posted on by

When Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello said “consumers won’t pay for crap,” he hit the nail on the head as to why some social game companies are going through a crisis, argues Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris.John Riccitiello may not be the most popular executive in the video game industry, but when he speaks an undeniable truth, you have to give him credit. 

Riccitiello made news last week when, at a conference, he noted “consumers won’t pay for crap” when it comes to social games. And while one could argue that, ok, people do sometimes pay for crappy things in general, he absolutely hit the nail on the head as to one of the chief reasons social game companies (including his own) are going through a crisis these days.

Read more at Gamasutra

No season, no problem: EA simulates the NHL

Posted on by

It’s tough being a hockey fan these days. With the lockout now in its 27th day and no substantial negotiations to resolve the situation, fans of the ice are starting to get worried that there may be no season at all this year.

EA, though, is offering a small measure of relief to fans looking to scratch the itch.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Video game sales drop for 10th month in a row

Posted on by

For the tenth month in a row, video game sales took a shellacking at retail. This time, though, the finger of blame can be pointed squarely at iconic action star, Marcus Fenix.

Last year’s Gears of War 3 was such a hot seller that there was really no chance this year’s crop of September games could top it. When all was said and done, brick and mortar retail sales of video game software were down 18 percent to $497.4 million, according to The NPD Group.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

EA drops the ball with NBA Live cancellation

Posted on by

In a year where there have been plenty of head-scratching moves by video game publishers, EA’s decision to sit out yet another NBA season is perhaps the most baffling.

It is nothing short of a colossal failure on the part of the company that has historically been the leader in sports games. The company’s inability to put together a high quality (or even remotely competitive) product in the ample time budgeted to do so has given Take-Two de facto exclusivity in a lucrative field for the third consecutive year. And barring a miracle or some extraordinarily savvy maneuvering, it may have just ceded the category forever.

Read more at Gamasutra

What’s up with NBA Live 13?

Posted on by

More than six months ago, Electronic Arts announced that after a two-year absence, NBA Live would be returning to store shelves this fall in a reboot that would “[capture] the future of basketball.”

But with a mere two months to go before the tip off of this year’s NBA season, we don’t know much more about the game. It was at E3, but no one was allowed to touch it, and it didn’t look great. Since then? Virtually nothing. What’s going on here?

Read more at Yahoo! Games

FIFA producer predicts women’s soccer video game

Posted on by

The saga of the U.S. women’s soccer team during this year’s Olympics may have been as captivating as the “Fab Five” or Michael Phelps’ quest to set an Olympic medal record, but when it comes to the world of video games, soccer is strictly a sport for men.

It’s a frustrating reality — and one that excludes a wide swath of potential players. And now the executive producer of EA’s immensely popular FIFA franchise is acknowledging the problem.In a conversation with Kotaku, EA’s David Rutter noted that while women’s soccer won’t be a feature in this year’s installment of the game (it’s too late to add it), it’s something the team is considering.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Outcry prompts EA to retreat from real-world Medal of Honor weapon sales

Posted on by

Electronic Arts takes pride in the realism of the Medal of Honor series. It appears, though, that the publisher might have made things a bit too real this time.

In response to negative feedback from press and consumers, EA has quit promoting sales of several real-world weapons that carried Medal of Honor branding and has removed a series of blog posts touting the products, which included a tomahawk and sniper rifle.

Read more at Yahoo! Games