EA’s CEO, John Riccitiello, has come to be known for a mix of confidence and humility that has even endeared him to some of the most cynical gamers out there. Peter Moore, the President of EA Sports, seems to be taking cues from Mr. Riccitiello, except he throws in his trademark charisma as well. In a recent interview with MCV, he discussed a variety of topics, including competition with Activision Blizzard, gamers’ hatred for his employer, casual gaming, and his decision to sign on with EA. But the Q&A focused on EA’s redoubled efforts to solidify their presence abroad:
In which areas do you feel EA Sports’ portfolio is maybe lacking?
I feel great about our current line-up of franchises, but we’re also doing a number of things to diversify and expand our business. We need to globalise, and we’re taking many steps to broaden the reach and appeal of our product portfolio. FIFA obviously has global appeal, but this is about more than just selling additional copies of FIFA — this is about truly delivering a global product portfolio.
From a business standpoint, this makes a lot of sense. While EA Sports’ titles may be million-sellers in the States, a game like Madden NFL 08 doesn’t move that many units in Europe. Apparently, they define “football” as a game you play with your feet. How peculiar…
Anyway, here’s a question for our readers around the world: what kinds of sports games would you like to see from EA? Does a current-gen (that is, PS3/360) version of Rugby 08 sound appealing? Or would something like ICC Cricket 09 be more your cup of tea? Hit the comments and voice your opinions!
Also, I love Moore’s answer to the last question, don’t you? As far as I’m concerned, he’s absolutely right — now that Activision has milked the Tony Hawk series dry, anyway…
[via MCV]
