EA Labels President Frank Gibeau had already tackled the notion that the company is favoring the Xbox One over the PlayStation 4 by saying that they are “platform agnostic” and “we did tactical deals with both Sony and Microsoft throughout [the PS3/Xbox 360 generation].
In the newest issue of Edge Magazine, the subject of the Xbox One FIFA bundle and favoritism was brought up yet again, with Gibeau saying in response, “We’re not tilting Microsoft’s way, we are firm long-term supporters of Sony. I’m sure you’ll see tactical programs between us and Sony in the future that we haven’t announced, but will make things much more balanced.”
While we wait for those unannounced programs, EA will be taking advantage of the business models the PS4 and Xbox One offer, as Gibeau explained:
It won’t be about DLC any more, but rather subscriptions or F2P mechanics. Fortunately, we’ve already gone down that path with FIFA Ultimate Team, Battlefield Premium and some of the things we’ve done with Mass Effect. It’s not just DLC – we think of these as live services, so we give you microtransactions, free content, episodic stuff.
As for the prospects of a digital-only future, Frank believes it is possible, but “not probable.”
What kinds of partnerships would you like to see between EA and Sony in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
