GameSpot has posted highlights of an interview with Electronic Arts Chief Operating Office John Schappert on digital distribution and social gaming. The exec feels very strongly that retail sales are complemented by the ability to download games directly and access additional content. EA's recent purchase of a major Facebook & browser game developer, Playfish, will also help spur both classic rereleases and new franchises in the near future. Check out the full article here.
Schappert said EA has seen consumers buying fewer games of late. Sales of the top 10 games are representing an increasing amount of the industry's total take. He added that if a publisher doesn't have a game in the top 30--and arguably, the top 20--then that company isn't making money. Hit games are bigger than ever, he said, and they're selling for longer thanks to downloadable map packs and other add-ons. While Schappert stood by the "shiny disc business," he emphasized that the model has changed, saying the days of "ship it and forget it" are behind the industry.
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