EA founder on app stores being too crowded

[Pete]

https://www.escapistm...Are-Too-Crowded

 

So he's not entirely wrong, but I do sense some concern that they're losing out to app stores and the likes even though he's trying to promote the "you'll get much better publicity with us" line.

 

For a second there I imagined this was coming from someone worried about losing out to new types of publishing, but I imagine he'll have so much cash in the bank that I can't see him losing too much sleep over it and game publishers will still have a role to play for at least the next decade.

 

EDIT: The title of this thread should perhaps be "EA considers gamers too stupid to search for what they want or browse through categories" the more I think about it. I know, I was trying not to bash and I bashed.

[FullAuto]

It's not EA, though, is it? He's moved on. Although, given EA's "$30 a year for Tetris" offer, you'd think it was.

 

It's a crowded market, where everyone, in theory, is stuck with the same small amount of advertising. There's no way to really do it, that I can see. You're going to run an ad campaign costing thousands for a 99p app? Come on. This is what terrifies big companies, being reliant for sales on something entirely outside their control (word of mouth). Hence, shills.

 

They don't understand quality, they understand finances.

[Pete]

You're right - no idea why I typed that. Changed topic title to suit.

 

I can imagine a lot of larger publishers being concerned for the future, certainly. I can also see devs adapting and games review sites playing a bigger part as well - if an unknown game was mentioned on RPS for example, I can see it getting a lot of instant attention.

[FullAuto]

The thing is, none of the big publishers have a reputation with your average smartphone owner. Gamers know, okay, EA might be (are) a bunch of bastards, but they do make slick, polished games. Their games don't stand out on app stores, the majority of the customers there don't know EA, Activision, etc at all, their brand isn't known, sometimes even to people who know their games.

 

They think the way to success is to look at something successful, and emulate it. Angry Birds, for instance. But Angry Birds just happened to be there at the right time, the answer is to make innovate and make quality games covering lots of different genres, it isn't to ape your last success until diminishing returns drives it into the ground.