For the last several years, there have been significant debates about what the “future of games” will be. The gaming industry has provided many changes in perspective over the years that have caused it to grow in multiple ways. First, we shifted from arcades to consoles. Next, we went from cartridges to CDs. Then we moved graphics from 2D to 3D and pushed those 3D graphics to be incredibly realistic. But not all of these changes or beliefs in the future have been validated or proven. Such as the theories that Electronic Arts has about the future of gaming being “live service games.” But in their recent quarterly earnings report, they say it’s the bulk of their business.
According to them, they made about $1.75 billion in the last fiscal quarter. A very impressive number and they noted that live service games were a bulk of those profits. It should be noted, however, that those numbers are down 5% from the same point the previous year.
Not surprisingly, the console market gave them the most revenue overall, though PC gaming did well too. They singled out one game in particular for doing well last quarter, FIFA 23. They noted it was the best launch in the series’ history, with over 10 million players trying it out.
Despite having a dip in profits and such, CEO Andrew Wilson not only praised the company but the live service games as a whole:
“In Q2, EA delivered strong engagement and deeply immersive experiences across our portfolio, with new EA SPORTS titles and multi-platform live services powering the business.”
For those who don’t recall the term, “live service games” feature titles with content that can be “forever expanded upon.” They’re a “service” to players because they keep getting access to DLC, expansions, or similar content. MMORPGs are a great example of live-service games because they don’t have sequels. Instead, they have expansion packs that give you loads more content.
On the surface, these games are fine, which gamers have come to appreciate over time. Some gamers have even gone so far as to say they wish specific titles were the live service model versus the sequel model we have gotten. Overwatch 2 is an excellent example, given all its problems since its launch.
However, the catch is that Electronic Arts and others think this is the sole future for games. You might remember their infamous “She’s a ten, but she only plays single-player games” tweet that was a bit too honest in their beliefs on gaming titles. The beauty of video games is their diversity in style and substance. Not everything needs to be a live service game. Sometimes a one-off or franchise line is worthy of a gamer’s attention. Hopefully, EA eventually realizes that.
Source: GameDeveloper.com
