14 DAY TRIAL // Blake Jorgensen, the chief financial officer of publisher Electronic Arts, says that the ever growing popularity of mobile gaming is not a threat to traditional consoles and that it might even benefit the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 in the long term.
He is quoted by CVG as saying during the Stifel Technology, Internet & Media Conference that his company envisions a future where players will be able to seamlessly switch between experiences on a variety of devices.
The executive explains that mobile gaming is “bringing new people into the gaming business, but I don't see a day when it takes over the console experience. I think it will expand the console experience.”
He used his company’s own Battlefield 4 as an example of how a game could deliver an impressive multiplayer mode on home consoles and on the PC, which would never be replicated on mobile devices.
Jorgensen explains, “You just can't get that kind of experience on mobile. Mobile is a much more quick, short burst of gameplay.”
Smartphones and tablets can also be used to power companion apps that allow gamers to stay in contact with their friends, their clans and their characters even when they are on the move.
For Battlefield 4, Electronic Arts is also allowing gamers who do not have access to a console or to their PC to become Commanders, who do have direct influence over the way a match evolves and can support their fellow gamers with an impressive array of powers.
Electronic Arts says that in the future, there will be more opportunities to mix consoles and mobile devices in interesting ways.
The company has a strong presence in the smartphone space, but most of its revenue continues to be derived from traditional physical and digital sales for the PC and home consoles.