EA: PC becoming biggest platform, digital distribution profits doubled this year
by David Hinkle 
{ May 7th 2009 at 2:44PM } 
CFO Eric Brown says EA's online business is growing at a phenomenal rate, "as much as 60% year over year." As such, EA says "the PC is becoming the largest gaming platform in the world," prompting the company to focus accordingly.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Young_Nastyman @ May 7th 2009 2:53PM
OH...MY...GODZILLA!!!
The Baron @ May 7th 2009 2:53PM
Didn't those PCGA statistics say that it already was?
pedasn @ May 7th 2009 2:56PM
oh yeah, thats what i wann hear :)
Mazrael @ May 7th 2009 2:59PM
Releasing the Rock Band 2 (or better) instruments somewhere that wasn't North America would help
Ihavepants @ May 7th 2009 8:41PM
Actually, I think Digital Distribution profits increasing may have had something to do with them using Steam now... just a hunch.
Mazrael @ May 8th 2009 2:17PM
..Forgot about Steam..
..I think a lot of people will have been holding out on getting Rock Band, because of the shoddy instruments EA still send us. I did myself, I eventually got the wireless guitar (thinking it was the new ones, I'm sure the old ones were wired), and got the Madcatz mic & drums.. in the mean time
Mr. L @ May 7th 2009 3:06PM
This game station is now the ULTIMATE POWER in the universe!
Shagittarius @ May 7th 2009 3:06PM
The PC is dead!
Long live the PC!
FraGNeM @ May 7th 2009 4:28PM
Seriously, could the industry please make up its mind?
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ May 7th 2009 5:11PM
http://sarcasticgamer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/happilydyingsince1985.png
I know I've posted this picture before, but I'll continue whoring it as long as it nets me three hearts :D
Einhanderkiller @ May 7th 2009 7:28PM
Woo, Duke Nukem Forever!
BigD145 @ May 7th 2009 3:17PM
If you make more games for the PC, they're probably going to sell more...
Marty @ May 7th 2009 3:19PM
Or maybe the PC games market never really went away... it just got ignored by producers for a while.
I'm sure the flood of casual games don't hurt either, though.
Top Cat @ May 7th 2009 5:06PM
Ignored by game bloggers and journalists more like it.
...please don't ban me joystiq.
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ May 7th 2009 5:16PM
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/03/quake-live-update-adding-new-maps-mac-and-linux-support-coming/
Read the first comment for the exact reason why iPhone gets more coverage than PC gaming.
Solution: Fire Justin McElroy and hire someone who's enough of a dedicated PC gamer to not post super mega important news weeks after everyone else.
Even better solution: Integrate BigDownload into Joystiq network!
Frivolous @ May 7th 2009 3:19PM
Wasn't there a headline a few weeks back talking about EA not porting sports games over to the PC...
Cosmo @ May 7th 2009 3:25PM
I believe that Madden 09 did not come to the PC but the upcoming '10 will be coming back to PC.
abelpc @ May 7th 2009 3:43PM
I have been playing more PC than console lately.. it always draws me back.
tenor77 @ May 7th 2009 3:47PM
"Hey, remember the other day when you asked me what the definition of irony was and I said- ARHMMMMRRPH!!""
Funny coming from a company that has treated the PC gamers like crap.
Anything else you want to secretly install on my computer there EA?
N-zero @ May 7th 2009 3:47PM
HELL YEAH PC WAS ALWAYS AWESOME!!! It never went away though it was just in sleep mode and then it woke up lol
Heavytoka @ May 7th 2009 3:51PM
The PC Will always reign Supreme
Dirty @ May 7th 2009 3:55PM
I'm not dead
I dont want to go on the cart
I think Ill got for a walk
I feel happy.
Sambo @ May 7th 2009 3:59PM
Steam probably helped with these sales. BTW as an owner of the Battlefield PC games, yes all, I can say that they treat us well. Also nothing was secretly installed, it was in that long ass contractual agreement you agree to on install! Yay! EA can afford good lawyers!
Cornelius @ May 7th 2009 4:25PM
No kidding... I wish EA would look towards Steam as a good alternative to SecuROM, but I guess they're more than happy to continue screwing PC gamers with rootkits and limiting game installs.
Ihavepants @ May 7th 2009 10:31PM
They've stopped using Securom and are also using Steam.
Keef @ May 7th 2009 4:02PM
As a tiny hairline fracture begins to grow in the Gamestop business model.
Grammar freak @ May 7th 2009 4:16PM
I like my Xbox, but I will definitely spend more time with Starcraft 2 and a potential civ 5 than any console game since i was hooked on FF games.
Cammy @ May 7th 2009 5:21PM
That's really some flawed logic right now.
Because their PC online revenue went up to $80 million (probably as a result of putting games on Steam instead of only their HORRIBLE online service), they expect 60% growth year on year, forever, apparently.
Even so, by their own logic, it'll take another 20 years of stagnant console sales to bring PC over their console sales.
jackal @ May 7th 2009 8:18PM
Cammy,
You're comparing one platform to the combined sales of three others so it's only natural that PC software sales look unimpressive by comparison. I mean, you might as well say that EA PS3 sales are lackluster because they're lower than combined Xbox 360 and Wii sales. It's not a fair or valid comparison, and I wish people would quit making it. It'd be akin to putting Lennox Lewis in the ring with Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Vitali Klitschko if they were all in their prime and saying, "Lennox's performance was incredibly underwhelming" when he eventually loses; you didn't allow for any outcome other than defeat because you had him fighting three other heavy weights at the same time, not one on one as he should have. Once you start comparing each platform individually, however, and those "low" PC sales become incredibly competitive.
m-p{3} @ May 7th 2009 7:00PM
I guess Valve can confirm this.
Sokkratez @ May 7th 2009 7:18PM
That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Krankor @ May 7th 2009 7:39PM
And I thought PC Gaming was dead!
t_m @ May 8th 2009 5:26AM
though digital distribution isn't doing too bad on consoles either... DLC seems to be raking in the profits (though i don't know if those profits go to MS/Sony or the pubs), plus it has the advantage of being a closed, controlable network.
PC digital distribution rocks... its resurected my interest in PC gaming.
eldee @ May 8th 2009 11:56AM
see there, big game publishers? give us a distribution method that we WANT without all the BS draconian padlocks that keep us from actually enjoying them, and we WILL buy your games.
I love it when the masses are proven right