Schappert clarifies EA's sweeping DLC and online strategy

by Ben Gilbert on Feb 10th 2010 1:34PM

During this week's quarterly earning's report, EA COO John Schappert answered an investor question with a somewhat vague but potentially far-reaching comment regarding the publisher's future strategy for implementing online functionality into its games. "In fiscal 2011 [from April 31, 2010 to March 31, 2011], every one of EA's releases will have an online component, both downloadable content and online play," Schappert said, according to a VG247 report. CFO Eric Brown then cited Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network as the company's "most recent example" of how this plan might manifest.

The obvious question: Does the plan apply to all platforms, including Wii, DS, PSP, and mobile? Schappert clarified to Joystiq today: "My statement wasn't in reference to any specific platform as most of our titles are multiplatform and have different features per platform. Though you can expect our PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 titles to have very robust online features. Of course, depending on the title, this may extend to other platforms as well."

While this clarification is not exactly the firestarter statement one might interpret from Schappert's original comment, the plan still raises concerns -- based on recent experiences -- that EA games' online components could continue to induce headaches so long as they are tied to EA.com accounts and the issues that have arisen as EA has increased its DLC efforts. If the plan is to include online components in all EA games in the future, then the wrinkles need to be ironed out of Project Ten Dollar now.

Tags: business-strategy, cerberus-network, dlc, DS, ea, Electronic-Arts, eric-brown, fy2011, john-schappert, mass-effect-2, Microsoft, Nintendo, online, project-ten-dollar, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (60)

In other words, for the wii we'll sell you some DLC but other than that, you're on your own! just please buy our games for the wii.. oh god.. *sobs*

I guess online is the future. Or the future is NOW.

...Mass Effect 3 better not have some kind of TDM.

BioWare is about the epic singleplayer. A multiplayer mode would just detract from the experience.

Mass Effect 3 better bring back the elevators and bad-ass load screens. I find it surprising that Bioware said that they did it for load times and they seem 10x longer. The only thing that has seemed to shorten up is switching floors on the Normandy...

...the sheer stupidity of that statement, Tako, is astounding.

"BioWare is about the epic singleplayer. A multiplayer mode would just detract from the experience."

You could have said the same thing about Naughty Dog or 2k. Yet UC2 and Bioshock 2's single player didn't suffer.

I don't mind multiplayer if single player is good, however, if your game is single player based, make it a damn good single player game, I don't expect to play Dead Space 2, to find out that the single player mode sucks and the multiplayer is better (not that the multiplayer is on the level of other good multiplayers, its just better then single player, thats all)

It technically shouldn't detract from single player, though a tacked on multiplayer for the sake of it wouldn't exactly attract my attention, I wouldn't see the point in playing God of war Co-op with 2 Kratos' just for the sake of it............then again........I could strangly see how that would be fun :) The ANGER x 2

Am I the only person that wants some adversarial multiplayer in Mass Effect?

Vs. Modes in RPGs are AWESOME! Phantom Dust, Pokemon, Phantom Dust, Golden Sun, Phantom Dust, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Phantom Dust... There is something extremely rewarding about a 1 v 1 face-off when you are both bringing characters/parties you built and refined from the ground up.

Pokemon MMORPG ftw, silly Nintendo.

A multiplayer mode would only detract from the experience if they prioritized it instead of the SP.
btw, am I the only person who thought the first Mass Effect was better?
Graphics and combat on ME2 were better than on ME1, but overall I prefered the first game, especially story wise. Also, elevator loading was better than a screen with loading written in it, and Mako shouldn't have been removed, but refined.

The only thing that annoys me is when devs use muliplayer components as an excuse to make a half arsed single player mode that is either flawed in so many ways, incredibly short or just has an overall bad plot.

Otherwise I happily accept multiplayer components, Uncharted did it right, so theres room there for other games to do the same, Halo's plot didn't grip me, but at least playing campaign co-op was long and exciting (on your own its not too bad, its just more fun co-op) and thats even before multiplayer online was touched. So the game has tons of replay value.

A Pokemon MMO is quite literally the only MMO I'd even CONSIDER playing.

uhhh so does this mean that all games will have either co-op or competitive mode? I don't like the sound of that at all...

That is what people said about Uncharted 2's multiplayer... until they played it. The single player didn't seem to suffer.

and I was one of those people, then after learning that they basically had the SAME people for the first working on single player then simply hired more people to do the Multiplayer, I was cool.....

but I'm talking about games that EA has that don't really seem to be able to have room for it....Like Mirrors Edge 2....I mean unless they count the leaderboards & ghost as an "online component"....can you imagine everyone doing wall jumps and meleeing people? while if done right I suppose it could be innovative(like uncharted 2's wall climbing) but as of right now it just seems like it would be awkward

Yeah, it is pretty awful corporate-exec logic at work here:

We have seen how some software titles have had increased lifespans (and reduced used-game sales) because of their popular online modes. Therefore, it makes sense to spend development costs on forcing online into EVERY game we make, whether it was originally intended or not.

I'd be happy to do one day of consulting at my regular hourly rates, and explain what they will find out in nine months: For games with dumb online modes, they end up being abandoned by the player community 30 days after release. This means you sunk development costs by forcing the dev team to add an online mode, but you never got the benefit of keeping the title off of the used games market.

I thought that they made it pretty friggin' clear that they weren't necessarily talking about online multiplayer when they said "online component".

I mean, did you not read the part where they said ME2's Cerberus network was an example of what they were talking about? I don't see how you could mis-interperate that into the post you made unless you were just looking to start an argument about online MP detracting from SP.

".....both downloadable content and online play,"

that "online play" falls into a different category than that I think....as Cerberus is for downloadable content right?

Vcize, the Joystiq article summary is not very good, but read the original article.

Cerberus is cited as "the most recent example" of providing value-add content to registered users.

Separately, he says that every game in FY2011 will have an "online play" component. Mass Effect 2 is not part of FY2011.

EA is really showing their hand on their strategy to curb used game sales today.

They are puttlng "online play" into every one of their games to try and curb used game sales and trade-ins. They figure that online play will increase the replay value, and keep you from getting rid of the game because you may feel like playing online in the future.

What they fail to consider is that to make online play work well, it takes a lot of ongoing developer support, or it will simply devolve into hack/cheat city. So for most of these games, online play is going to end up being a waste of money, since no one will keep a game for online modes full of hacks and exploits that never get fixed.

And if SP suffers for their MP efforts, the whole game becomes a waste of EA's money.

Zaeed is really killing me on the "No One Left Behind" achievement...

Don't get him to do anything important.

I made him escort once, but he made it (to my disappointment).

Do you guys have his loyalty?

Yeah, I did and he still died.

I don't, I'm missing his and Miranda's but from what I'm hearing from the internets you don't need either of them to be loyal for everyone to survive.

I don't know how people are getting crappy endings. I didn't really try and everyone is fine.

*******Spoilers**********
Everyone loyal
Tech specialist: Tali or Legion
Squad leader: Miranda or Garrus
2nd time Squald leader: Miranda or Garrus
Biotic: Samara
Escort: Anyone really

I also found that if you have someone on your squad at least once during the mission, they are guaranteed not to die (of course you have to have everyone loyal).

*****End Spoilers*****

Do what RROD did, it's THAT easy. Know the abilities of your teammates and put them where they belong. Glad you guys aren't leading squads in real life.

RRoD, that didn't work for me. I used Legion as my tech specialist and he still died. And I had done his loyalty mission too.

Time to grind my axe again. If EA continue to limit DLC to a single XBLA account and not any user of a single 360, I will continue to refuse to buy any DLC. I have already traded my Dragon Age Origins, and will trade Mass Effect once I finish it, because I will not make my kids feel like second class citizens because they are not entitled to use the DLC that was downloaded under my XBLA account, the same account where my points are loaded and credit card information is kept.

EA you are clearly not a consumer friendly company, and I will avoid every EA game possible until you wise up and stop treating me like you're own personal wallet.

is that EA or MS?

Cause I could have sworn that my DLC works on multiple accounts on my PS3

It's not like this DLC is game breaking if you don't have it...

Both those games you mention are rated M for mature, and deal with some dark subject matter (Dragon Age more so than Mass Effect). Your children aren't missing out on the worst squad-mate, and a short collection mission.

Over-dramatic much?

@Chris D

It is an EA thing. DLC on the Xbox can be used by all accounts on that 360. Since you need to be connected to EA's cerberus network, the other DLC won't work on other accounts, only the one that it was registered to.

@ Bradwart

Way to completely miss the point.

@Chris

How EA's doing the DLC it only works for one XBL account tied to the Xbox or one e-mail address tied to the PC.

The DLC for the Xbox360 and PS3 works pretty much the same except Microsoft is a lot more strict on migrating accounts to other Xbox's. It's not like the PS3 where you can add a friends account and get all their downloads. Microsoft stopped that a long time ago but, if you have multiple accounts on your Xbox360 they should all be able to access your games and DLC...

I gotcha...so I wonder if it is because of the Cerberus network and everything being downloaded IN game as opposed to from the marketplace

Yeah, this is definitely an EA thing Chris, not an MS thing. Other content downloaded on XBL works on the console no matter who is logged in.

It drives me insane how everyone hears the word kid & rated M and instantly discounts my original point, which is DLC downloaded on my account should be accessible to all family members on the xbox it was originally downloaded onto. DLC from every other publisher is accessible on the original xbox that it was downloaded on, and bonus on any other xbox that the original XBLA owner of the DLC happens to be using. I have 2 xbox's, 1 that is shared by all family members and another that I use. Should I be forced to pay for all DLC twice, or maybe granted a little fair use and given some flexibility in when and how the content is used.

And to address the "M" rated thing.

As a parent it is MY decision to allow my kids to play M rated games, not EA religious right "nut bags", who seem to think they can mandate their own rules as they see fit. Christ, did you know that kids under 13 can't even play Burnout, or ANY other EA game online with their own friends, and that game is rated E.

I'm just so sick of EA, that I just avoid them like the plague, it's only the A+ titles that I'm forced to buy from them at release, anything else only gets my cash when it hits bargain basement prices.

I'm truly scared that EA are establishing new standards on DLC and that ultimately we're going to nickle and dime'd to death to the point that a game costs 100$ just to enjoy fully.

@stoned1999 Only one person commented on the M rated nature of the games, but it seems you enjoy the doobies a little too much to pay proper attention. ;)

really, i d/l'd all the ME2 dlc on my main account (the one i put cerberus network on), and i can access them on every account

Totally, but how much of a pain in the ass was it to get to work in the beginning? I agree, the content is great; but they really do need to smooth out their process.

Is it just me or is offline multiplayer pretty much none existant now, bar the odd few games :/

the days of GoldenEye 64 are long gone never to be seen again it would see....everyone needs their own systems and own copies of the game

It seems like they're concentrating on dedicated co-op modes, like Spec-Ops, Nazi Zombies, Horde, Firefight, etc.

Its frustrating because everything seems to cost far more then back then as well, I can't believe I have to pay to play against or with my friends, its bad enough that I can't play with them in the same room like I used to. We'd cook up a meal, grab the alcohol and have a good ol' game party, split screen co-op Halo and just about anything else we could find. In order to play with my brother now, I need to buy a whole new Xbox, the same game AGAIN AND pay for online (if I want to play on Xbox).

I'm thinking maybe its about time we pull out the old consoles again for old times sake :D

Well at least we can keep praising Bungie and their efforts on that front. I can think of few other devs recently who made sure to have local and online multiplayer and co-op.

I want to seriously slap the first person to take out offline multiplayer in racing games with my big monkey paws -_-

What fun it was to play NFS Shift and GRiD on my own while my mates waited patiently for me to finish so they could have thier go. Yup, serious competition there.

Mine worked right away all I had to do was enter the code. I think it was just because my EA account was saved from some other game but, I could be wrong.

I don't mind DLC, unless it's content that is very obviously suppose to be on the game to begin with. With Mass Effect 2, everything has been given out for free so far. So I'm more likely to pay money on anything they offer down the line.

Im trying to figure out what kind of problems they are referencing in the article. I had no problems with the Cerberus Network on my copy of Mass Effect. Put in the game, put in the code and it worked fine. Then entered my preorder code at bioware.com and dlc showed up no problem.

I love this...

Really, you can't fathom other people having problems with the Cerberus Network just because you didn't?

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Schappert clarifies EA's sweeping DLC and online strategy

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