14 DAY TRIAL // In the press conference related to recent financial results, John Riccitiello, the chief executive officer of Electronic Arts, has restated his wish that his company regain the leading position it once had in the first person shooter market. While Activision is currently heading the sector with the Call of Duty franchise, EA has managed to get a strong foothold with Battlefield: Bad Company 2 this year and much more is to come in 2011 and the following years.
According to IGN, Riccitiello said that, “Between Battlefield and Medal of Honor, we're going to see a substantial increase in our share against the FPS sector in 2010 compared to years past. I think we've got a shot at getting back into a leadership position over the next couple years,” he added. “Just watch this space on news we'll bring you on future titles in 2011 and beyond.”
The exec is not over-ambitious though, as he said that, “Make no mistake, we think we've got the people and brands to take the leadership back in the FPS space, and we're intending to make a good, positive share gain this year, [but] I don't expect to topple either Halo of Call of Duty this year.” In a previous talk, he also admitted that Bad Company 2 was not going to beat Modern Warfare 2 in terms of sales.
However, EA does not plan to take back its position as a leading shooter publisher only with internally-developed titles. The company has signed in big names like Crytek, Crysis 2's developer, and Respawn Entertainment, the studio created by the ex-Infinity Wards heads Jason West and Vince Zampella, through its EA Partners program. Medal of Honor will face stiff competition this autumn, with the coming of Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops. The title will launch on the 12th of October on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the PC.