Source: http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/693359/Live-Blog-DICE-2009---John-Riccitiello-Electronic-Arts.html
Live Blog: DICE 2009 - John Riccitiello, Electronic Arts
John Riccitiello is up on stage and I'm a bit late as the previous presentation ran long. I'm gonna jump right into it.
12:25 PM - EA will be announcing more details later today with American McGee and a new IP? We'll bring you more later.
On sequels, "great new games can also come" from sequels. John believes that sequels can be just as innovative as new IP's. Wait, EA was the company that launched tons of new IP's last year. Did I stumble into an Activision presentation?
What goes into titles like FIFA and Madden every year aren't just roster updates. He believes sports games can be just as innovative as well.
Conclusion: sequels are good. Analysis: the economy could send EA back to the sequel shop. He feels that companies should decide what's important, invest in that, cut the rest.
The presentation itself was short, but now he's turning it over to Q&A.
Q: Is the American McGee game another Alice game?
A: Yes. It'll be for PC & Console. Official announcement later today.
Q: Could you talk about some of the missteps in 2008 for EA?
A: Some of the new IP's didn't take off. When you miss, it's easy to point to broader economic issues, but not take a look internally. They noticed a lot of issues internal to EA, especially with how they brought new IP's to market. Secondly, the company was too big in several places. They chose to make pretty hard calls to bring costs down and revamp how they bring titles to market.
Q: What are your comments on the difference between PC and console gaming?
A: What is most interesting, when looking at NPD numbers, is that PC gaming is on a decline. PC business is a growth business, but it doesn't show up at retail. This is how Blizzard makes money with World of WarCraft. It's a small portion that shows up at retail, but the majority is subscription. New models like micro-transactions and subscriptions make this possible. John's judgment is that the PC market is actually growing faster than the console market, but in a different way.
He's also seeing convergence between different types of platforms. EA has mobile applications that enhance the experience in the full game. They are feeling more connected than ever before and this is coming across to consumers. John look forward to when Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft open up their software backends so that developers and publishers can start direct relationships with consumers. Shout out to Gabe Newell!
Q: How are you going to experiment with new business models, but lower costs?
A: It didn't help that we invested in a tough year, but the strategy holds. We're still going to invest in smart sequels and take a look at new IP's that delight us and our consumers. They also believe in gaming as a service and direct consumer models. They put the smart projects at the top and made cuts below that line. It was tough to make cuts, but John believes they've gotten through them.
Q: What will it take for a new IP to elevate itself to the next level?
A: Successful franchises were, at some point, a new IP. What is true about almost all of them is that they started small. Call of Duty started small. Grand Theft Auto started different and much smaller. It's so easy to put a property out there, forget it, and drive it into Oblivion (another good franchise). Keep the teams together and continue to invest. They had good success with Dead Space and Spore that can be built into properties. Things like Mirror's Edge resonated with people's imaginations, but didn't perform well at market. They can learn from that and make it better. Other unnamed properties aren't worth bringing back. They can learn from what worked and keep it. See what didn't and lose it.
