EA on Arcade, PS Network, and Virtual Console

Electronic Arts has taken to digital distribution like no other, and EA remains committed to it (even though EA’s methods proved controversial).

This is amply demonstrated by releasing the Bizarre Creations-devved Boom Boom Rocket onto Xbox Live Arcade, its first title there. As EA’s Chip Lange said to Gamasutra, the company just loves the idea of arcade:

We’re excited about the market potential that Arcade brings. It’s a fun new category for us to publish games on. Electronic Arts publishes games on every meaningful interactive platform on the planet that makes financial sense. You’ve seen our recent releases – we’ve even been putting some games out on the iPod lately.

Probably for the same reason they see a lot of promise in the PlayStation Network – not to mention the PlayStation Store. “We think with all of these different platforms, it’s the content providers that ultimately are responsible for bringing the features to life, and that’s where I think EA really gets in and shines.” No original titles yet for the PS Store.

And the Wii doesn’t get left out of the discussion, either: “EA brings to the table a huge line-up of classic retro games… now we’re just evaluating the business opportunity” on putting the classics on Virtual Console.

Digital distribution: the new final frontier, especially when it comes to the economics of the gaming industry. Some of us observed last year that EA dropped the ball on the wrong foot while getting up on the wrong side of the bed of nails… but it’s 2007, and the new year comes with new year resolutions. Anyway, let’s see how EA markets Boom Boom on Arcade… many hope that it isn’t on installment (or it might set a grim precedent).

Electronic Arts has taken to digital distribution like no other, and EA remains committed to it (even though EA’s methods proved controversial).

This is amply demonstrated by releasing the Bizarre Creations-devved Boom Boom Rocket onto Xbox Live Arcade, its first title there. As EA’s Chip Lange said to Gamasutra, the company just loves the idea of arcade:

We’re excited about the market potential that Arcade brings. It’s a fun new category for us to publish games on. Electronic Arts publishes games on every meaningful interactive platform on the planet that makes financial sense. You’ve seen our recent releases – we’ve even been putting some games out on the iPod lately.

Probably for the same reason they see a lot of promise in the PlayStation Network – not to mention the PlayStation Store. “We think with all of these different platforms, it’s the content providers that ultimately are responsible for bringing the features to life, and that’s where I think EA really gets in and shines.” No original titles yet for the PS Store.

And the Wii doesn’t get left out of the discussion, either: “EA brings to the table a huge line-up of classic retro games… now we’re just evaluating the business opportunity” on putting the classics on Virtual Console.

Digital distribution: the new final frontier, especially when it comes to the economics of the gaming industry. Some of us observed last year that EA dropped the ball on the wrong foot while getting up on the wrong side of the bed of nails… but it’s 2007, and the new year comes with new year resolutions. Anyway, let’s see how EA markets Boom Boom on Arcade… many hope that it isn’t on installment (or it might set a grim precedent).