EA: New IP Absolutely Important

One of the best times to launch new IP is at the genesis of state-of-the-art hardware. Early adopters are hungry for fresh software to slip into their consoles, and while it looks like most of EA’s lineup is comprised of familiar names, the company is still dedicated to bringing new ideas to its fans.

Speaking with CVG, EA Games boss Patrick Söderlund discussed his company’s presence on both new and old consoles. Plenty of known names, like Battlefield and Madden, will be driving the publisher’s profits through the roof. However, new IP will be integral to the strategy moving forward.

“We look at it as… is new IP important to EA? Absolutely. Are we working on a lot of new things? Yes we are,” Söderlund said. “Are some of those new things the rebirth of old existing brands like Mirror's Edge? Yes. Are some of those things licensed properties like Star Wars? Yes. Do we have stuff in development that we haven't announced that are new IPs? Absolutely.”

Unannounced games are always exciting, but what has been shown shouldn’t be overlooked. Titanfall has impressed with its dedication to mechs and parkour, and of course, it’s difficult to not get excited for a new Battlefront game.

“I think if you look at our [E3] line-up, we showed Titanfall, a brand new IP from Respawn, Mirror's Edge, which is a beloved return for many people, and Star Wars: Battlefront, which I think is a match made in heaven – DICE building that games feels right.”

Are those all new IP? Technically, no. However, they’re all games we want to play, and really, that’s what we’ll care about when the new consoles launch.