14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts' Chief Operating Officer, Peter Moore, released a special statement designed to clarify the different quotes that were attributed to him yesterday, concerning the fact that EA no longer makes offline games and that all franchises will receive free-to-play iterations.
Electronic Arts got a bad reputation among gamers in recent times due to its push for the Origin digital distribution platform on PC, as well as for its predilection for microtransactions in different games, both free-to-play and full-priced ones.
Yesterday, EA COO Peter Moore confirmed that the publisher was no longer making offline experiences and that all future franchises will have a free-to-play iteration.
Now, he clarified a few things on the EA blog, emphasizing the state of gaming nowadays.
"Today, most games are "online" in some way, shape or form," he said. "Many games connect in online multiplayer modes; others include online services which allow for periodic content updates, sharing stats or achievements or connecting with friends; and others are games downloaded through digital delivery methods like Origin or the App Store."
"What that does NOT mean is that every game we ship will require an online connection. Many, if not most, of our games include single-player, offline modes that you can play entirely without an Internet connection, if you so choose. We know that’s something many of our players want, and we will continue to deliver it."
What's more, the executive also revealed a few things about EA's free-to-play strategy and how it will see such installments appear in franchises where it makes sense and where there is a demand for such an experience.
"I also see confusion about our plans for free-to-play games. Many of our most popular franchises for PCs and mobile – including Battlefield, Need for Speed, FIFA, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Plants vs. Zombies and now Madden NFL, to name a few – already offer free-to-play experiences. Command & Conquer is another exciting new free-to-play game coming online later this year."
"However, NOT ALL of EA’s games will offer a free-to-play mode. We will continue to explore new free-to-play experiences for our franchises when we believe there is gamer interest and a cool new game we can build. But of course we will continue to deliver award-winning core gaming experiences on ALL of these franchises."
EA has been remedying its relationship with gamers nowadays through special offers and deals like the Humble Origin Bundle.