Riccitiello: EA 'dropped the ball' at the start of this gen
EA boss John Riccitiello spoke at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference this week (via GI.biz), stating that EA "dropped the ball" during the transition from the previous console generation to this one. "Our IP deteriorated, our costs went up, and we didn't really have an answer for the rise of digital."
Over the last three years, it's been "part turnaround, part transformation" at EA, Riccitiello said. This initiative has seen the publisher cut its yearly slate of titles in half, reduce costs internally and ramp up its digital business -- a $700 million cash cow in 2010 for EA.
Finally, Riccitiello talked Star Wars: The Old Republic, which he hoped would take "a big chunk" of the World of Warcraft userbase. As we've heard before, it needs at least 500,000 subscribers to turn a profit, but many more to be considered a breakout success. "We want to take a share; we want a leadership position here. And our product is innovative in a number of ways."
