I didn’t think that there was much of a difference between Madden 08 and 09 from the screenshots that PSU had compiled, and after seeing the trailer above, I’m still not convinced. While it’s not in HD running at 60 frames, you can still see the way the players animate and I don’t really feel like this is much of a leap forward in the technology department from Madden.
So what do you think? Perennial Madden hater or not, do you see much of an improvement over last year’s Madden?
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A lot of cynics would argue that one of the few things EA Sports bothers updating Madden with every year is the graphics. Madden NFL 09 is just a few months away from its big 20th anniversary release, so PSU thought it appropriate to take some screenshots from last year’s game and the upcoming Madden and see if there’s really that much of a difference.
The arms look a bit more realistic, but I’m not sure that I see that significant of a difference between the two games. But what’s important about Madden is how it looks in motion, so we’ll have a trailer for you shortly so that you can be the judge.
Along with its announcements regarding the financial results for fiscal year 2008, Electronic Arts has also revealed that Sony systems dominated EA’s sales in the fourth quarter.
Surprisingly, the PlayStation 2 led the way with $166 million worth of sales, followed closely by the PlayStation 3 with $152 million. On the other consoles, EA did $128 million worth of sales, and just $75 million on Wii. Combined, the two Sony systems accounted for 61% of EA console games sold, which is a pretty substantial amount.
This news certainly bodes well for the continued move towards making the PlayStation 3 the lead platform on multiplatform games.
No, this story has nothing to do with KISS. It’s got more in common with South Park, actually.
You probably wouldn’t have guessed it by looking at their financials, but Electronic Arts produced a total of 15 games that went double platinum — selling two million copies — in fiscal year 2008. That’s up from ten in fiscal year 2007, and is helping EA to declare itself the number one publisher across all platforms, with a 19% share of sales in North America and 20% in Europe.
EA also boasted that it was the number one third party publisher on the Wii in Europe (they really had to qualify that, didn’t they?), with a 15% share of sales on the system. That’s up from 7% the previous year. They also managed an 11% share in North America on Wii.
But as you already know, EA still ended up losing $454 million in the full fiscal year, compared with a profit of $76 million the year before. For more on that story, see our previous coverage.
While EA games had a tremendous year in terms of sales — a total of 15 games went double platinum, fiscal year 2008 brought about losses of $454 million, compared with profits of $76 million in 2007. The period, which ended on March 31, 2008, saw the company’s total revenue rise 19% from last year up to $3.67 billion. In the fourth quarter alone, there was an 81% jump in revenue to $1.13 billion, according to GI.biz.
“A year ago, we committed to an aggressive change agenda at EA,” said CEO John Riccitiello. “Our employees stepped up to the challenge and we finished fiscal year 2008 with non-GAAP revenue up 30 per cent to USD 4 billion - a record for any third-party publisher. Our operating margins were flat to our prior year.
“On balance, we’re very pleased with our revenue growth, but not yet happy with our profit margins. In fiscal 2009, we expect to deliver another USD 1 billion in revenue growth and to double our operating profit on the strength of our slate of titles.”
I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but this is exactly what I meant when I’ve claimed that Riccitiello coming to the helm at EA was a good thing for gamers. He’s committed to getting EA back into the business of not just quantity, but quality of games.
The free-to-play Battlefield Heroes model is a new one in this hemisphere, at least with a major franchise like Battlefield. Companies have blamed piracy more and more for the reasons for more heavily enforcing DRM and shifting to console development. And it impacted the way Battlefield Heroes‘ model came about, but not in the way you’d think.
You might remember this trailer I posted about in late February that made a quip about downloading the game on BitTorrent. Speaking with DICE executive producer Ben Cousins, GI.biz asked about the joke and if piracy had any effect on Heroes.
If you look at Korea - and really the idea for Battlefield Heroes came from a business trip to South Korea that a couple of guys had a few years ago - Korea and China are markets which are basically killed by piracy on the console side and on the PC side.
As a result this free-to-play model kind of came because people were used to not paying for their games because they were pirating them.
The companies started offering them for free and started monetizing it with micro-transactions. I don’t know whether DICE has been driven by piracy in our games - it’s certainly a problem but we do quite well anyway. It was more the case that the business model itself originally came from piracy back in the old days.
In that movie [the Battlefield Heroes trailer]…I think it’s important - I wrote the script for that movie - that we address the fact the piracy exists and there’s no point in hiding under the carpet or just sweeping it under the carpet.
Piracy is out there and the industry needs to find ways of dealing with it, and one of the ways is free-to-play games.
I’m so excited to get my hands on Heroes. Everything about it fascinates me, from the business model to the gameplay. And you can’t go wrong with something that’s free.
I hate the “PC gaming is dead” discussion as much as anyone, save for maybe Jeff Green, so I do enjoy seeing the counterarguments that just slap proponents of “PC gaming is dead” square in the face.
Cue Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello, who has stated that the PC gaming market has in fact been growing for several years, even if the retail numbers don’t reflect that.
“I certainly recognize that the box-side [retail] of PC is soft. It’s been soft for some time,” Riccitiello said during a conference call Q&A with analysts.
“Frankly, if it were not for The Sims and World of Warcraft PC box sales, it’d be a pretty dismal sector.”
While that might be the case, it won’t stop EA from supporting the PC and its many new(er) revenue streams, such as online subscriptions.
“One thing EA tries to look at is the total business that’s represented by PC game software. And we’re seeing a growth business there. In fact, it’s been growing for several years.
“It’s just been categorized wrongly by looking simply at the box-side of the equation.”
Certainly the most interesting experiment of EA’s in the PC gaming space is Battlefield Heroes. You don’t really expect a major publisher that is mainly concerned with their bottom line to take a risk like they are with Heroes, but if it works out, it could signal a major change in the industry.
Three and a half years ago EA_Spouse, née Erin Hoffman, wrote an open letter that drug one of the uglier skeletons out of the closet of the games industry. The resulting fallout made “Quality of Life” a catch phrase and brought talk of unionization to the table. Since then, the industry has slowly been changing as companies balance the threat of having an EA_spouse with the need for crunch time to get products out on time.
According to Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), “every studio head, every producer, every HR person is keenly aware of this quality of life issue, of this working conditions issue and, believe me, none of them want an EA_Spouse to surface in their company.”
But the issue hasn’t disappeared, that’s for sure,” he says. “The average developer at the average company is still overworked, underpaid, and doesn’t have the right tools or training.”
Erin Hoffman who still works in the games industry as freelance game designer and writer asserts that progress is being made.
“I think EA is tremendously reformed, having made some real strong efforts to get the right people into their human resources department,” she says.
“I’ve been hearing from people who have gotten overtime pay there and I think that makes a great deal of difference. In fact, I’ve actually recommended to a few people I know to apply for jobs there.”
However QoL isn’t assured for all workers in the games industry and change has been slow to come on.
“We seem to be entering another valley,” reports Hoffman, “especially outside of California, mainly at smaller studios in places like Austin. I was contacted by one woman whose husband is in the same situation as was my then-fiancée three and a half years ago.”
“He’s been having a lot of health issues and, despite letters she’s written to management, his crunch time has gotten out of hand. It just goes to prove that there is definitely a group of people in the industry who believe that excessive crunch is the only way to make good games on time. That hasn’t changed.
QoL issues are one of the factors people seeking careers in the games industry have to think carefully about. The inevitable crunch time in the development cycle can take a toll on workers’ health as well as their relationship with their families. Della Rocca has suggestions as to how companies could make the expected sacrifices less painful. However unionization is still a ways off.
EA Sports FaceBreaker will feature Suretone/Artwerk band From First To Last. The band has three songs premiering as part of the FaceBreaker soundtrack and are rendered as animated characters in the game.
“FaceBreaker is the beginning of a classic new EA franchise,” said Steve Schnur, EA’s Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing. “It looks and plays like no other game on the market today and deserves a soundtrack to match. We were looking for a left-of-center band to connect with a great soundtrack opportunity, and From First To Last is the ideal act to showcase in this game. Add in their new album, their upcoming Warped Tour appearances and a few surprises still to come, and you’ve a 360? partnership that totally ‘gets it’. Simply put, we’ve matched the new with the new like never before. The dual impact of FaceBreaker and FFTL is going to be undeniable.”
From First to Last has agreed to promote FaceBreaker during its spring and summer tour. The band will also be recording ten live concert videos featuring clips from FaceBreaker. You can find “World’s Away,” and other tracks from FFTL’s new self-titled album on EA’s music website at www.ea.com/eatrax.
Skate was definitely the one of the best skateboarding games we’ve seen in years. It took a genre that Tony Hawk had run into the ground and innovated so much that Neversoft is taking a break this year, rather than releasing yet another dull sequel.
EA’s Skate managed to take advantage of the dual analog stick setup of the PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers, and now the newly announced Skate It will be looking to do the same using the Wii and DS’ unique control methods — including the Wii’s Balance Board. Although it won’t be necessary, EA claims it’s a much cooler way of playing and will let you “really feel your carves and control your manuals.”
Much of what made the original Skate so popular will be returning, including the core part of Skate’s engine, which has been moved over to Wii, as well as Instant Replay.
There’s currently no solid release date, but expect to see Skate It released sometime in 2008. Head over to FileFront to check out some screenshots of the game right here.
Activision has announced a new milestone Guitar Hero has achieved. Not to be upstaged by the former guitar heroes at Harmonix, who recently announced that Rock Band had passed the 10 million songs downloaded mark, Activision announced at a recent conference call that Guitar Hero has surpassed the 15 million downloaded songs mark.
That’s certainly an impressive figure that’s larger than Harmonix’s, but these numbers do, after all, include Guitar Hero II on Xbox 360. A commenter on Xbox 360 Fanboy made the keen observation that these don’t necessarily reflect the number of songs purchased, and Guitar Hero has seen several free tracks released.
But it seems clear that both companies are finding DLC to be a profitable form of business. Not profitable enough, though, as the cash-in known as Guitar Hero: Aerosmith proves.
Electronic Arts has released a new trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company. The video features the bad boys of B Company; a wayward band of soldiers that are more interested in Gold and personal financial gain than the glory of battle or patriotism. There should be a demo coming up soon for this single-player and multiplayer first person shooter.
Of course since Battlefield: Bad Company is a game for Mature gamers or at least seventeen years old; I can’t include the trailer here. Just follow the link to FileFront, and mind the age gate.
Electronic Arts is looking to a new avenue — casual sports — to try and capitalize as they today announced a new sub-brand of EA Sports, called EA Sports Freestyle. It’ll be focusing on the growing casual sports gaming audience, with games that are “playful, inclusive, casual, and easy to pick up and play for kids and parents, women and men, and casual and hardcore sports fans of all ages.”
“The launch of EA Sports Freestyle is an exciting milestone in the evolution of the EA Sports brand,” said Peter Moore. “EA Sports Freestyle will be a perfect complement to our core portfolio of games that our loyal fans are deeply passionate about, and will provide compelling opportunities for new audiences looking for a lighter gaming experience and an easier entry point into EA Sports.”
Moore talked about expanding the EA Sports brand when he first took over last year. Freestyle has three games in development that will launch in the next year, the first of which will be FaceBreaker, set for release in September.
EA is claiming we’ll see more innovation from this brand; FaceBreaker is the first new IP from EA Sports since 2002, so we’ll have to wait and see if that’s all they have up their sleeve.
MTV and Harmonix have landed themselves a sponsor to temporarily drop the price of various songs in Rock Band from now through June 1. The songs will cost just 80 Microsoft Points, rather than the usual 160. Just who is sponsoring, you ask? Why, McDonald’s, of course. Because when you think rock music, you think McDonald’s.
The sales schedule is as follows:
5/6/08-5/12/08 :
Crushcrushcrush - Paramore
Rock ‘n Roll Band - Boston
5/13/08-5/19/08 :
Shockwave - Black Tide
Sugar Magnolia - Grateful Dead
5/20/08-5/26/08:
We Care A Lot - Faith No More
All the Small Things - Blink 182
5/27/08-6/2/08:
Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Dirty Little Secret - All-American Rejects
Hopefully this sale works out well and we see future advertisers do something similar (and with a broader selection of music). Another point goes to Rock Band in the ongoing battle with Guitar Hero.
We know that Electronic Arts was likely trying to take advantage of the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV with the timing of its acquisition attempts. We know that Take-Two was holding off so that they could take advantage of the higher stock values that would undoubtedly come when GTA IV launched. Now that Take-Two’s stock has risen to $26.63, which is slightly higher than the $26 offer EA had made, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick said in a statement that the increase “vindicates our strategy of waiting until the launch with regard to EA’s offer.”
On the other hand, EA’s Jeff Brown doesn’t believe the change is unexpected and doesn’t really make a difference in his company’s offer to acquire Take-Two. He explained, “We’ve seen a share price above and below our offer and it doesn’t change anything. All of that was factored into our offer of $2 billion.”
A New York Times story infers the two different effects that the increase could have on negotiations between the two companies. Both of them seem quite realistic, so it’s difficult to make an accurate prediction about which way things will turn out.
On one hand, the relatively modest increase in Take-Two’s shares could prompt Electronic Arts and Take-Two to act quickly. Take-Two would theoretically do so because it’s not sure how much more it can expect shares to rise in the short term, and would do so because Electronic Arts can justify to its own shareholders a price increase, given that its current offer is below market.
On the other hand, the increase in Take-Two’s stock could serve to greatly prolong talk of an acquisition. Take-Two might feel the market is just beginning to validate its business and that the stock is only just starting to rise. But Electronic Arts could be intent on sticking with its price and feel that the longer it waits, the more the enthusiasm spawned by GTA IV’s introduction will wear off.
I remain hopeful that Take-Two withstands EA’s attempts, if only to save the NBA 2K series. EA murdered my favorite football franchise, and I’m not going to be pleased if they do the same to my favorite basketball franchise.
This week’s new helping of Rock Band tracks includes a variety that’s been slapped together into a pack called Scene Pack 01. That includes “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s an Arms Race” by Fall Out Boy, “It Hurts” by Angels & Airwaves, and “Date with the Night” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I’ll be frank and say I’ve never even heard of those last two songs or their respective bands, but hey, at least Rock Band is doing a good job of introducing people to new music. (Even if you do have to pay extra.)
The songs cost 160 Microsoft Points individually, or you can save some points and go with the Scene Pack which costs 440 points.
Jonathan brought word earlier that owners of the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of Rock Band would be able to get their hands on some downloadable content, in a sense. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 won’t require you to own a copy of the original Rock Band game – you’ll simply be able to pop in your Track Pack disc and get playing those 20 songs.
Of course, then you won’t have access to all of the good songs that were originally in Rock Band, but maybe this Track Pack has the only songs you’re interested in playing.
Warhammer Age of Reckoning has introduced the new High Elf class Swordmaster of Hoeth. This Elven tank has a very strong magical defense. Its the kind of character that can deflect arrows with his sword and the might of magic. Swordmasters prefer two-handed swords and use magic to buff themselves and their allies.
Here’s how the tanks of the side of Order stack up:
The Dwarf Ironbreaker is a physical tanking dynamo, as you might expect from one of the stout folk.
The Empire Knight of the Blazing Sun has average physical defences and average magical support.
The High Elf Swordmaster of Hoeth has lower physical defences but has stronger magical defences.
Which character type you choose is based on your personal play style… or whether you like pointy ears.
Just when you thought you’d seen everything for The Sims 2, EA has come to an agreement with home deco guru IKEA to produce The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff. This will be the eighth stuff pack for the popular series.
Turn your Sims’ living room into a haven of comfort and relaxation with a plush Ektorp sofa, a unique Expedit TV unit, a complementing Leksvik coffee table, and chic décor, like the Vanna mirror.
Create a bold, vibrant, and revitalizing bedroom with a new Malm bed, matching chest of drawers, a shapely Storm floor lamp and a bright IKEA PS rug.
Indulge your Sims with an office that is sure to promote order and productivity with its elegant Vika Hyttan desk, inspiring Kila desk lamp, bold Helmer drawer unit, and Lack zigzag wallshelf.
The IKEA Home Stuff pack is scheduled for release June 24 for the standard $19.99.
Personally, I didn’t expect another stuff pack for The Sims 2 with The Sims 3 so close to finish. I guess you can milk that cow until the next cow comes along.
I imagine most people are going to be busy with Grand Theft Auto today, but that didn’t stop Harmonix from doing their weekly Rock Band DLC thing. Three new songs are now available, each for 160 Microsoft Points.
“Zero” - Smashing Pumpkins
“Red Tandy” - The Mother Hips
“Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear” - The Mother Hips
Is anyone going to be tearing themselves away from GTA IV to download any of these? Personally, it would have taken the very top of my wishlist to manage that task, and it’s not often that there’s even so much as a single song released that I’m all that excited about, and this week is no different.
While EA games had a tremendous year in terms of sales — a total of 15 games went double platinum, fiscal year 2008 brought about losses of $454 million, compared with profits of $76 million in 2007. The period, which ended on March 31, 2008, saw the company’s total revenue rise 19% from last year up to $3.67 billion. In the fourth quarter alone, there was an 81% jump in revenue to $1.13 billion, according to 
Electronic Arts is looking to a new avenue — casual sports — to try and capitalize as they today announced a new sub-brand of EA Sports, called EA Sports Freestyle. It’ll be focusing on the growing casual sports gaming audience, with games that are “playful, inclusive, casual, and easy to pick up and play for kids and parents, women and men, and casual and hardcore sports fans of all ages.”
Just when you thought you’d seen everything for The Sims 2, EA has come to an agreement with home deco guru IKEA to produce The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff. This will be the eighth stuff pack for the popular series.
