Electronic Arts Loves Microtransactions

FEB. 27, 2013 • During a guest presentation at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Electronic Arts chief financial officer Blake J. Jorgensen said the publisher is now building microtransactions capability into all of its games. “The ability to pay for things along the way, either to get to a higher level to buy a new character, to buy a truck, a gun, whatever it might be, and consumers are enjoying and embracing that way of the .....

Electronic Arts Star Wars: The Old Republic Goes Free-to-Play

AUG 1, 2012 • Electronic Arts described its road map for transforming Star Wars: The Old Republic into a free-to-play MMO. Starting Aug. 6, the game’s MSRP is being reduced to $14.99 to spur new sales. In November, the first 50 levels of the MMO will be free to play with restrictions on new content and high-level character options. “The pivot to free-to-play is really about opening up the top of the funnel and getting more players through and startin.....

Electronic Arts Antitrust Football Suit Settled

JULY 20, 2012 • Electronic Arts has reached a proposed settlement in a case where its EA Sports division was accused of violating antitrust and consumer protection laws in the overcharging of consumers for Madden NFL, NCAA and Arena Football League games. In each case EA had secured exclusive licenses to produce and market “official” third-party titles for the two professional leagues, and college football teams. The claim against EA Sports was that .....

Ben Cousins Leaves Electronic Arts

MARCH 31, 2011 • Ben Cousins, the general manager of Electronic Arts’ free-to-play division, has announced that he was leaving the publisher. Responsible for shepherding the recent release of Battlefield Play4Free, Cousins wrote on his Twitter account that it was time for him to leave with the release of the game. The earlier Battlefield Heroes has more than 7 million registered users. I.....