In a recent financial call with investors, EA has made it clear that it will not follow the trend set by Microsoft and Nintendo of increasing game prices to $80. CEO Andrew Wilson emphasized the company's commitment to providing "incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase," highlighting the success of their co-op adventure game Split Fiction, which has sold an impressive 4 million copies.
Wilson elaborated on the evolution of EA's business model over the past decade, noting the shift from primarily selling physical copies in retail to a more diverse pricing strategy that spans from free-to-play to deluxe editions. "In a world where everything we did 10 years ago was about selling shiny discs in plastic boxes on retail shelves — well, that’s still a *part* of our business, but it’s a significantly smaller part," he stated. He further explained that EA's approach is to ensure that, regardless of the price point—whether it's $1, $10, or $100—they aim to deliver high quality and substantial value to their players. Wilson concluded that this strategy has proven to be effective, fostering a strong, resilient, and growing business.
CFO Stuart Canfield reinforced this stance, indicating that EA's current pricing strategy remains unchanged, as reflected in their latest financial guidance.
This decision comes at a time when the gaming industry is seeing price increases across the board. Just last week, Microsoft confirmed it was raising Xbox prices, including those for consoles, controllers, headsets, and some games. While the price of Xbox games remains at $60 for now, Microsoft has signaled plans to charge $79.99 for new, first-party titles during the upcoming holiday season.
The trend of escalating prices in AAA gaming has been evident over the last five years, with prices jumping from $60 to $70. Nintendo has also announced an $80 price tag for its upcoming Switch 2 exclusive, Mario Kart World, and other Switch 2 Edition games. The Switch 2 itself will launch at $450, a move that has drawn criticism from fans, though some analysts argue that such pricing is inevitable amid current economic conditions.
Given EA's statements, fans can expect the next iterations of EA Sports FC, Madden, and Battlefield to maintain the $70 standard edition pricing.
In other news, EA cut around 100 jobs at Apex Legend developer Respawn Entertainment last week, along with broader layoffs affecting approximately 300 individuals across the organization.
