EA aims high in mobile games
Electronic Arts has sent ripples throughout the game industry this week in announcing its partnership with LucasArts, the long time developer behind the Star Wars game franchise. LucasArts was acquired by Disney earlier this year, which put the company’s future in question despite Disney’s insistence that it would remain involved in the game industry. Electronic Arts may have some ambitious plans when it comes to Star Wars, but the company has also been strongly focused on the mobile games sector.
Company to release 15 mobile games in 2013-2014 fiscal year
EA has announced that it has no less than 11 major games coming out this fiscal year. These games will cover a variety of genres and platforms and will include new additions to ongoing franchises like Battlefield and The Sims. While EA has some ambitious plans when it comes to console gaming, the company is also increasing its efforts in the mobile space. The publisher has announced that it will be releasing no less than 15 major mobile games this year.
EA plans new Command & Conquer and Ultima mobile games
The mobile games that EA is looking to launch this year will cover various genres. The company plans to release new mobile titles for the Command & Conquer franchise as well as the widely popular Ultima saga. These games will be available on multiple mobile platforms and EA expects that they will be well received by gamers in many markets. The company does not expect that its mobile games will suffer with the launch of new consoles from Sony or Microsoft, which are expected to be released later this year.
Industry continues to become more mobile
Mobile games have become a very lucrative part of the game industry, which is why massive companies like EA are getting involved in the mobile space. EA expects that mobile games will come to represent a very large portion of the gaming audience in the future and has been working to establish a powerful presence in this sector before competition becomes too fierce.
Mobile games are unlikely to dethrone consoles in the game industry
Mobile games are quickly becoming a formidable force in the game industry. Millions of consumers around the world play mobile games for the sake of entertainment and because these games are simply more convenient than those that are played on consoles. For decades, console games have dominated the game industry, but the advent of mobile technology has taken consumers out of their homes and given them a new way to play games while on the go. Indeed, many within the game industry believes that mobile games could eventually dethrone consoles as the staple of the industry.
Peter Moore champions console gaming
The downfall of console gaming is not something the industry has to worry about, according to Electronic Arts COO Peter Moore. While mobile games have certainly cut into the sales of consoles and other gaming hardware, Moore suggests that console gaming will continue to be the most prominent form of gaming in the world. Moore claims that the suggestion of the demise of console gaming is “very premature,” especially as a new generation of consoles is about to dawn.
Next generation consoles will find success with consumers
Moore notes that there are thousands of people at Electronic Arts alone that are focused on developing games for current generation consoles. Many of these developers will continue this focus well into the future, but many more will come to focus on new consoles like the Playstation 4 and the rumored Xbox 720. While Moore holds out hope for consoles, the executive does note that the sale of physical games is likely to become a thing of the past, especially as digital distribution becomes more capable of meeting the needs of consumers.
Mobile games may be more formidable than Moore anticipates
Though Moore may be a champion for console games, Electronic Arts is beginning to focus more heavily on mobile games. The publisher has recently been backing developers that focus solely on the mobile space. Electronic Arts has even launched its own publishing division devoted entirely to mobile games. Moore, who is likely to become the next CEO of Electronic Arts, claims that console games provide a more immersive experience for consumers. Mobile games, however, may actually provide more value to consumers.
