Electronic Arts isn’t screwing around. Armed to the teeth with first-person shooters, the former king of third-party publishing has boldly stated that it will launch a “strong attack” upon rival Activision and its golden child, the money-printing Call of Duty franchise.
“In March we will launch Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which is our first strong attack on Call Of Duty,” boasts European boss Jens Uwe Intat. “The shooter space is one we don’t want to give up. It’s an important genre and we were the number one. So we are certainly working on how we can get that crown back and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an important product in that context.
“… If any of our studios can take on Modern Warfare, then it’s DICE.”
Very tough words indeed, and a clear indication that EA is planning to reclaim the crown from Activision this year. Of course, Call of Duty is a monolith at the moment, and it’s going to take more than just developer skill to topple it. Best of luck to DICE, but rather them than me.
