I have to admit something to you all — I am seriously becoming a fan of Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello. Having accused the games industry of stagnation in the past, and seeming to want to move his notorious company into a more innovative, original age, Riccitiello has again made another ironic statement for an EA boss to make — he wants to “deal with” the high price tags of videogames.
Talking in a recent report, the leader of the locust-like corporation stated that an arrogant and complacent games industry could suffer from resting on its laurels, much like major TV networks did when cable rose to dominance.
“In the next five years, we’re all going to have to deal with [the current pricing model]. In China, they’re giving games away for free,” Riccitiello warned. “People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt.” EA is already looking into new ways of doing business and the future of digital distribution.
I have no idea what it is that Electronic Arts is playing at, but its attempts to get in my good books are starting to have an affect. As pleased as I am by EA’s recent strides toward credibility, however, I can’t help but fear this is some sort of evil trap to suck gamers into the Dark Side. Should John Riccitiello be confirmed as a Sith Lord, you bet that Destructoid will have first scoop. You know … he does look a bit like Senator Palpatine.
