EA recognizes an outmoded retail model while looking to online growth, says Lazard Capital Markets. Speaking for the firm, Colin Sebastian believes that EA will leverage its strong position in genres such as shooting, sports and racing to take advantage of the growing trend of online gaming. His analysis comes after a visit with EA to assess the company s strategy.
As online gaming continues to chip away at console gamers attention and dollars, bringing powerful EA brands such as Need For Speed and Madden into the fray is smart. Colin cites business model and revenue opportunities as possible challenges the company is considering. Let’s hope filed under one of those barriers to success is how fickle the online market can be. Online is where the biggest hurdle has been a game’s ability to attract and sustain an active player community. In other words, big brands aside, it’s all about gameplay quality.
