In a recent EA financial conference call, chief executive officer Andrew Wilson and chief financial officer Chris Suh touched on a number of topics relating to EA and other topics in the gaming sphere at the moment. Notably, EA recorded a record-breaking financial quarter for the company netting a total of $1.95 billion. In the call, they discussed their ongoing intentions to focus heavily on live service projects as well as blockbuster interactive stories similar to the recent release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
A great portion of our investment will go into building games and experiences that entertain massive online communities. We’ll then follow up with a more focused, deliberate investment against telling blockbuster interactive stories, and we think that there will be opportunity for investment over time with the extension of these social and creative tools, both for the in-game experience and beyond the game experience, broadly, and you’ll see us do some more of that, particularly in the world of EA Sports, in the coming year.
EA
Wilson mentioned that the launch of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was “very strong.” The game is “pacing very strongly” against the company’s expectations and against its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Suh noted that the title would likely contribute to the EA’s earnings for a long time.
When speaking on the recent news surrounding Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard Wilson was sure to express a neutral stance on the proceedings.
What I would say is, I don’t know what’s going to happen with Activision and Microsoft. Again, we continue to be Microsoft’s biggest partner… I think we’re the number one publisher on their platform. So whether that deal goes through or not is not really material to us, broadly.
We think we have the scale – again back to our Network, our IP, and our talent – to continue to navigate the future and lead the future of entertainment, and compete in the marketplace, regardless of whether that deal goes through or not.
Longer term, you know, will there be industry consolidation? Will there be broader entertainment consolidation? If I was predicting the future over the long term, I would say that’s an almost certainty at some level. I would love for us to have the scale to be a meaningful consolidator in that space.
I think that we have tremendous assets with respect to the future of entertainment. But as it stands today, I think we’re indifferent as to where they go through or not. We feel like we have an incredible strategy. We feel like we have an incredible opportunity, and whether it goes through a not, we’ll continue to be the number one publisher on the Microsoft platform.
Andrew Wilson – CEO at EA
The call also focused on EA’s upcoming titles set to release in the 2024 financial year which can be viewed here.