Electronic Arts will become a 100% digital company "some day"
Published Jul 3 2012, 10:32 BST | By Liam Martin
© EA
EA's Frank Gibeau said that the company would continue to work with retail partners, but believes a digital future is inevitable.
"We have a clear line of sight on it and we're excited about it," Gibeau told Gamespot.
"Retail is a great channel for us. We have great relationships with our partners there. At the same time, the ultimate relationship is the connection that we have with the gamer.
"If the gamer wants to get the game through a digital download and that's the best way for them to get it, that's what we're going to do.
"It has a lot of enhancements for our business. It allows us to keep more that we make. It allows us to do some really interesting things from a service level standpoint; we can be a lot more personalized with what we're doing."
The EA Labels president said that customers would drive any shift towards an inevitable digital future.
"For us, the fastest-growing segment of our business is clearly digital and clearly digital services and ultimately Electronic Arts, at some point in the future... we're going to be a 100% digital company, period. It's going to be there some day. It's inevitable."
Electronic Arts currently offers digital downloads through its Origin service, which it describes as a "huge success".
The online platform played host to 12 million downloads and attracted 50 publishing partners over the last 12 months.
It was recently revealed that Sony considered, and ultimately rejected, releasing a digital download-only console.
EA Origins is currently pushing the Battlefield 3: Premium service, which gives users early access to DLC and exclusive items.
Watch a trailer for Battlefield 3 below:
I'll quite happily shift to digital only IF:
1. Prices reflect that discs no longer need to produced, shipped and stored in warehouses etc
2. There is a way to store the games offline, i.e. EA cannot simply say we no longer offer this game so you can't play it.
3. Prices are allowed to change - No one will buy a digital copy of a game if it is still at RRP long after release.
4. There is a method for rental/try before you buy
5. Although not critical for me personally; there needs to be an easy and fair method for reselling games.
July 4th 2012 at 10:28am(+1 like)
The problem with point 1 is that warehouses are replaced by massive servers instead, which cost far more to keep going than a retail arm if it caters for over 10m people (such as in the case of FIFA)
July 4th 2012 at 3:45pm
"The European Court of Justice has deemed it legal to resell digital video game downloads." this might make it interesting...
But let's face it, we're heading towards a new form of ye olde style arcade, pay-to-play, zero ownership model anyways.
July 3rd 2012 at 7:36pm
"It has a lot of enhancements for our business. It allows us to keep more that we make. It allows us to do some really interesting things from a service level standpoint; we can be a lot more personalized with what we're doing."
In other words, EA will be able to fix the prices at whatever suits them, and consumers will no longer have the option of taking advantage of special offers that shops and supermarkets may be able to offer for physical media. Current price of FIFA 12 on PSN = £54.99 (seriously!). Current price in ASDA = £27.47.
July 3rd 2012 at 7:17pm(+1 like)