14 DAY TRIAL // The PC platform can become Electronic Arts' biggest and most profitable venture, as the company is forecasting a lot of profit opportunities in terms of online games.
PC gaming has been deemed a dying industry in recent years due to piracy and other such problems, but Electronic Arts is adamant that, with the right projects, it can be extremely profitable to invest in it.
That is, at least according to EA Games label President Frank Gibeau.
He talked with Gamasutra and revealed that while PC retail sales are quite bad when compared to console ones, the online PC market, as well as the profit that can be extracted from it, are huge.
"The user base is gigantic," he said. "PC retail may be a big problem, but PC downloads are awesome. The margins are much better and we don't have any rules in terms of first party approvals."
EA revealed on multiple occasions that its online games and projects are making a lot of money, with the likes of Battlefield 1943 or FIFA's Ultimate Team mode raking in plenty cash last year.
Online free-to-play games like Battlefield Heroes or the upcoming Battlefield Play4Free, which are basing their profit in microtransactions, are also netting a big profit.
"From our perspective, it's an extremely healthy platform," Gibeau added. "It's totally conceivable it will become our biggest platform. If you look at the way people play in Asia, PC is the model. I think that free to play model is coming to the west in a big way."
Electronic Arts isn't the only company thinking so, as rival Activision has already confirmed that it will be launching a free-to-play online only Call of Duty PC game exclusive to the Asian market.
Thanks to its new Beachhead studio, that same project is rumored to be coming to territories like North America or Europe as well.
All in all, the PC platform is still worthwhile in terms of gaming, even if it may not be supported by huge, triple-A games, which are replaced with lighter, online only ones.