Every EA Game Will Have "Online Component" in 2011

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Every EA Game Will Have "Online Component" in 2011


Electronic Arts [http://www.ea.com] COO John Schappert says that some form of "online component" will feature in every game the publisher releases in its 2011 fiscal year.

EA is leaning heavily on digital content these days, in both core releases and casual games released through sites like Playfish [http://www.pogo.com/], and it's strategy the company plans to stick with. "In fiscal 2011, every one of EA's releases will have an online component, both downloadable content and online play, and don't forget that we have a full roster of titles coming from our online subscription site, www.pogo.com, from our mobile and iPhone group, and of course, our social gaming team, Playfish," Schappert said during a conference call to analysts following the release of EA's third quarter fiscal results. "That's a lot of exciting content and revenue opportunities coming through all three of our businesses, package goods, digital and distribution."

EA's packaged goods business is "performing," added CEO John Riccitiello, but the digital market is where the company sees serious growth potential. "We have a profitable scaled digital business that recently hit the $0.5 billion threshold. Our digital business is growing at 30 percent and is projected to break through three quarters of $1 billion in fiscal 2011," he said. "We have programs in place that should take this to well beyond $1 billion in the coming two fiscal years."

As Schappert suggested, "online component" can mean many different things: Multiplayer combat in Medal of Honor, a social network for The Sims and regular DLC updates for Dragon Age are all valid examples. Across the board, it's also a way for the company to continue its efforts against pre-owned sales by including free DLC with new purchases, as it did with Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. On the other hand, making an internet connection mandatory is bound to alienate a significant portion of gamers, a potentially serious downside.

EA lost $82 million in the third quarter of the 2010 fiscal year, a substantial improvement over the $641 million it lost over the same period the previous year but still hardly what anyone would call a great success story. Something clearly needs to be done to turn things around, but is this really it?

Source: Seeking Alpha [http://seekingalpha.com/article/187400-electronic-arts-inc-f3q10-qtr-end-31-12-09-earnings-call-transcript?page=-1]


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Jan 23, 2009
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So he's simply talking about DLC I guess. Could be much worse, could be like the thing Ubisoft has propsed. Where you can't play any game untill you are constantly online.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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As long as games don't come to rely on online play...then it's cool
 

DarkSaber

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Dec 22, 2007
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In other words, expect yet more EA games to feature obviously butchered-out segments that are available as day 1 DLC.
 

BehattedWanderer

Fell off the Alligator.
Jun 24, 2009
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That's...not a bad idea. I was all set to pour a bucket of 12th century excrement all over it, but I actually kind of like the idea. As long as there's not a continual running fee, and as long as it's not some ridiculously circuitous process to get it...yeah, I'm okay with this.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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I'd rather have free DLC than DRM and securom.

But I just hope it doesn't go into "you must be online all the time". Since my connection craps out all the time, it would be very bad for me.

Otherwise like I said, between free DLC and securom, I'll take the free DLC.
 

IckleMissMayhem

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Oct 18, 2009
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Dexter111 said:
I just wish people would resist buying this DLC crap because it is a vicious circle... the more people buy them the more they will make em, market em and sell them and at some point we will probably even see some companies not finishing their games anymore and selling the ending to a game as "DLC" or only having the main story and every other quest being "DLC"... because they can.

I also bought Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 because they are awesome games but hell freezes over before I buy their "DLC content" xD
Marry me.

"Buy new" exclusives, however, I can cope with.
 

TheEarlOfGrey

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Feb 5, 2010
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Do we really need online for everything?! I was hoping Dead Space 2 would be a brilliant single player only game that I can fully complete....but then there's multiplayer.
 

Premonition

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Jan 25, 2010
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In other words, there will either be a meh inducing multiplayer or a DL for money option... Why is this even big news? xD
 

Asehujiko

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Feb 25, 2008
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Irridium said:
I'd rather have free DLC than DRM and securom.

But I just hope it doesn't go into "you must be online all the time". Since my connection craps out all the time, it would be very bad for me.

Otherwise like I said, between free DLC and securom, I'll take the free DLC.
Except that once their extortion scheme is the norm, that DLC will no longer be free.
 

high_castle

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Apr 15, 2009
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From the title, I thought this was going to mean that every game would include an online multiplayer component, which I'm adamantly against. Some games, Dragon Age among them, would be ruined by that prospect. And while I'm not crazy about day one DLC, I don't mind it terribly. Hell, I bought a new wifi adapter for my 360 when DA:O came out for access to the DLC.
 

Little Duck

Diving Space Muffin
Oct 22, 2009
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This is not good. The sims 3 felt stripped out because of DLC and I can see every game having parts removed so people download it to make it better. This is not an acceptable way to make a game.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Asehujiko said:
Irridium said:
I'd rather have free DLC than DRM and securom.

But I just hope it doesn't go into "you must be online all the time". Since my connection craps out all the time, it would be very bad for me.

Otherwise like I said, between free DLC and securom, I'll take the free DLC.
Except that once their extortion scheme is the norm, that DLC will no longer be free.
True.

Very true.