CEO of Electronic Arts John Riccitiello has spoken out on the the topic of PC gaming recently, saying that he thinks the market is wrongly categorised and widely misunderstood.
Though many publishers are worried that PC gaming is on the decline, Riccitiello affirms that the market has actually been "growing for several years" and that it is only "wrong categorised by a heavy focus on retail sales".
"One of the things we try to look at at EA is the total business represented on PC game software, and we're seeing a growth in business there. It's been growing for several years," Riccitello said during a conference call yesterday to ShackNews.
"It's just been categorized wrongly by looking simply at the box side of the equation, he added. "The fastest growing [sector] is subscription, microtransactions-based and casual games, many of which are pretty much centered on the PC."
Riccitiello explains that this is why many of EA's games for the PC are subscription or microtransaction funded; it's a way of supporting the PC market while also going where the money is. He also points out that not all subscription or microtransaction games are in the casual market, pointing to Battleforge as a good example of this.
"The box-side [sales] of PC [software] is soft. It's been soft for some time," he noted. "Were it not for The Sims and World of Warcraft box sales, [retail would] be a pretty dismal sector," says Riccitiello, who believes the market is moving steadily towards digital distribution.
What do you think of the future PC gaming? Is EA thinking on the right lines? Let us know what you think in the forums.
Though many publishers are worried that PC gaming is on the decline, Riccitiello affirms that the market has actually been "growing for several years" and that it is only "wrong categorised by a heavy focus on retail sales".
"One of the things we try to look at at EA is the total business represented on PC game software, and we're seeing a growth in business there. It's been growing for several years," Riccitello said during a conference call yesterday to ShackNews.
"It's just been categorized wrongly by looking simply at the box side of the equation, he added. "The fastest growing [sector] is subscription, microtransactions-based and casual games, many of which are pretty much centered on the PC."
Riccitiello explains that this is why many of EA's games for the PC are subscription or microtransaction funded; it's a way of supporting the PC market while also going where the money is. He also points out that not all subscription or microtransaction games are in the casual market, pointing to Battleforge as a good example of this.
"The box-side [sales] of PC [software] is soft. It's been soft for some time," he noted. "Were it not for The Sims and World of Warcraft box sales, [retail would] be a pretty dismal sector," says Riccitiello, who believes the market is moving steadily towards digital distribution.
What do you think of the future PC gaming? Is EA thinking on the right lines? Let us know what you think in the forums.
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