Riccitiello talks 'Project Ten Dollar' and digital distribution

Crack open a fresh copy of Mass Effect 2, The Saboteur or Dragon Age: Origins and you'll see it: A code to download some piece of game content that those suckers buying used will have to pay for. It's not just coincidence that EA is shipping so many games with these bonuses/punitive measures (depending on your perspective). It's what CEO John Riccitiello calls "Project Ten Dollar," a bid to take back a portion of revenue from the estimated $2 billion in annual used game sales. That and the rest of Riccitiello's strategy to to make EA more reliant on digital content is detailed in a new BusinessWeek report.

All we know is, with a 25 percent decline in revenue for Q3, the company needs to find some way to fill the gaps sooner rather than later. Though Riccitiello seems convinced the digital strategy will patch the hole, some remain unconvinced. Former EA consultant Eric Goldberg told BusinessWeek, "While it's possible EA can make the extremely difficult transition from providing a shiny disc in boxes to [leading] in digital, history suggests it's rather unlikely."

Reader Comments (112)

@Bradwart

Huh? I'm having a hard time conceiving what you just said . . .

So more used copies of Dead Space were sold than new? That means either

1) Dead Space software reproduces in the wild, or

2) a significant number (possibly most) of the new copies sold have been traded in and resold more than once.

I'm gonna have to call bull**** on that one unless you can cite a reliable source.

Bradwort, your citations don't say "Dead Space sold more used copies than new."

What they did say is that the number of people who played the game, in whole or part, on console was around 3 million, while the number of copies sold was around 1.5 million. That 3 million number includes new sales (obviously), used sales, rentals, and friends lending the game to one another. This is not at all what you have just stated as fact.

The articles also do not not cite specific numbers. They say that Dead Space sold "about" 1.5 mil, and that "about" 3 mil played the game on console. The real numbers might be 1,427,546 to 3,652,156, in which case "more than double" would at least be defensible. Or the real numbers might be 1,723,264 to 2,956,556, in which case "more than double" is not even defensible.

You need to try and present facts more accurately if you ever want your opinions to be taken more seriously.

Note to EA. Most of us see what kind of evolutionary changes you're trying to push in the used market.

I will keep buying used games until you pry them from my cold, dead fingers.

Man, he sure looks like the Illusive Man in that photo.

I would be pissed if I bought Mass Effect 2 used and then shelled out whatever it is they are charging for the Cerberus Network bullshit. So far everything they have release on it has been pretty lame. That new shotgun is okay but that new armor they released is beyond ugly and they still haven't fixed the helmet issues.

You do realize they've also released a whole new character and the Normandy Crash Site, right?

I support this business model, but he should have used a better name than Proj 10 Dollar. If it catches on it might be stuck like Project Natal.

I support this method if it stops the closing of studios.

So, they give away $10 worth of dlc to recoup the money they lose on used games sales? Seems like a strange strategy.

How could EA reclaim money from the used game market? According to Federal Law, once we purchance an item it is ours to own, and do as we please. SO if i decide to trade it in to Gamestop, and Gamestop resells it, EA dose not deserve a penny of that money. These thugs at EA are trying to imply that these used games sales should be their money.

I find it odd that every post questioning the $60 price point is voted down, and every post praising it is loved. It seems ass backwards to me. Not that I'm anti-sixty, because a game like Dragon Age or ME2 (or any game that you love) is worth it. I just don't expect people to be so supportive of it, generally most people think all things should be cheaper.

Riccitiello talks 'Project Ten Dollar' and digital distribution

Reader Comments (112)

Posted: Feb 10th 2010 1:26PM JCDoe said

Posted: Feb 10th 2010 1:29PM Alan Smithee said

Posted: Feb 10th 2010 1:56PM JCDoe said

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Posted: Feb 23rd 2010 7:48PM affinity said

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