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.
EA: PC becoming biggest platform, digital distribution profits doubled this year
by David Hinkle 
on May 7th 2009 2:44PM
34
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 (34)
Posted: May 7th 2009 2:53PM Freddie Mercury said
OH...MY...GODZILLA!!!
Posted: May 7th 2009 2:53PM Haggard said
Didn't those PCGA statistics say that it already was?
Posted: May 7th 2009 2:56PM pedasn said
oh yeah, thats what i wann hear :)
Posted: May 7th 2009 2:59PM Mazrael said
Releasing the Rock Band 2 (or better) instruments somewhere that wasn't North America would help
Posted: May 7th 2009 8:41PM iHavePants said
Actually, I think Digital Distribution profits increasing may have had something to do with them using Steam now... just a hunch.
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Posted: May 8th 2009 2:17PM Mazrael said
..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
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..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
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:06PM StormEagle said
This game station is now the ULTIMATE POWER in the universe!
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:06PM Shagittarius said
The PC is dead!
Long live the PC!
Long live the PC!
Posted: May 7th 2009 5:11PM (Unverified) said
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
Reply
I know I've posted this picture before, but I'll continue whoring it as long as it nets me three hearts :D
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:17PM BigD145 said
If you make more games for the PC, they're probably going to sell more...
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:19PM FredFredrickson said
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.
I'm sure the flood of casual games don't hurt either, though.
Posted: May 7th 2009 5:16PM (Unverified) said
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!
Reply
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!
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:19PM (Unverified) said
Wasn't there a headline a few weeks back talking about EA not porting sports games over to the PC...
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:43PM abelpc said
I have been playing more PC than console lately.. it always draws me back.
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:47PM Cap Morgan said
"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?
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?
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:47PM nzero said
HELL YEAH PC WAS ALWAYS AWESOME!!! It never went away though it was just in sleep mode and then it woke up lol
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:51PM HeavyToka said
The PC Will always reign Supreme
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:55PM Dirty said
I'm not dead
I dont want to go on the cart
I think Ill got for a walk
I feel happy.
I dont want to go on the cart
I think Ill got for a walk
I feel happy.
Posted: May 7th 2009 3:59PM contreramanjaro said
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!
Posted: May 7th 2009 4:25PM corneliusm said
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.
Reply
Posted: May 7th 2009 10:31PM iHavePants said
They've stopped using Securom and are also using Steam.
Reply
Posted: May 7th 2009 4:02PM Boiglenoight Darkstar said
As a tiny hairline fracture begins to grow in the Gamestop business model.
Posted: May 7th 2009 4:16PM Mr Itcher said
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.
Posted: May 7th 2009 5:21PM Kyammi said
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.
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.
Posted: May 7th 2009 8:18PM jackal said
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.
Reply
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.
Posted: May 7th 2009 7:00PM mp3 said
I guess Valve can confirm this.
Posted: May 7th 2009 7:18PM (Unverified) said
That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Posted: May 7th 2009 7:39PM (Unverified) said
And I thought PC Gaming was dead!
Posted: May 8th 2009 5:26AM (Unverified) said
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.
PC digital distribution rocks... its resurected my interest in PC gaming.
Posted: May 8th 2009 11:56AM (Unverified) said
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
I love it when the masses are proven right
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