EA CEO advocates for games as a platform for social interaction and personal expression

EA CEO Andrew Wilson announced that engagement for the top 10 franchises in North America has increased market share since fiscal 2022. Wilson sees this trend as an opportunity for EA to evolve as an industry leader. The Sims franchise, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has seen significant growth with The Sims 4 surpassing 85 million players and The Sims Online and The Sims Mobile being downloaded over 500 million times. Additionally, hundreds of millions of user-generated content items were shared in the fiscal year, with fifteen content updates planned for The Sims 4 this year.

Despite this growth, EA’s stock price fell in after-hours trading due to a disappointing forecast. However, EA’s Motive studio, along with other development teams, is working on building a connected Battlefield universe with the latest Frostbite game engine technology. Wilson highlighted that EA launched eight games during the year, including EA Sports FC 24, which saw billions of matches played in 2023.

Wilson emphasized the importance of player engagement, stating that players who spend more time with friends tend to play longer and spend more in-game. EA’s strategy is to deepen the connection with players by expanding socialization, self-expression, and creation opportunities for sports fans. One of EA’s major upcoming releases is EA Sports College Football 25, set to launch this summer with a wide range of features.

Additionally, Wilson mentioned that Apex Legends has surpassed $3.4 billion in lifetime net bookings and continues to add features to improve player sentiment. EA is also investing in mobile games across various franchises, although user acquisition in the mobile gaming space has become more challenging.