Electronic Arts (EA) is charting a new course for its popular FPS battle royale, Apex Legends. Read on to learn more about EA CEO Andrew Wilson's plans for the company and its money-making franchise.
EA Shakes Things Up with Apex Legends and Game Development
Apex Legends Will Undergo Three Phases
EA CEO Andrew Wilson outlined ambitious growth plans for the battle royal franchise during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, & Telecom Conference this week. Wilson stated that the company intends to capitalize on Apex Legends' status as one of EA's most successful IP launches in recent memory, its dedicated community of hundreds of millions of players, and the game's retention rates.
As outlined by the CEO, the next phase of Apex Legends' development will focus on enhancing accessibility for new players while retaining its core gameplay experience. Wilson highlighted the game's newly launched Season 20 as a testament to this approach, with efforts aimed at engagement with both existing and prospective players.
The CEO also revealed that EA plans to explore new modes of play beyond the traditional battle royale format. Wilson said that the upcoming developments will introduce new gameplay while maintaining the franchise's identity and appeal.
"The third phase will be, how do we really think about broader culturalization? There are so many markets, particularly in Europe and though Aisa, where we just haven’t broken through yet," stated the CEO.
EA Intends to Leverage AI in Game Development and Monetization
Meanwhile, the CEO also discussed the potential of Generative AI in transforming game development. By leveraging advancements in AI technology, EA aims to streamline content creation processes to produce richer and more immersive gaming experiences.
Wilson outlined EA's targets for the next five years, envisioning a 30% increase in development efficiency, a 50% growth in the player base, and a 10-20% boost in player spending via monetization models. He emphasized the impact of technological advancements in making their franchises more accessible, foreseeing a future where players contribute to the evolution and expansion of gaming universes.
"Once you give that to the world where you have three billion players around the world creating personal content and expanding and enhancing the universes that we create, and building and creating their own universe on our technology platform, all of a sudden we are the beneficiaries of platform economics," stated the CEO. "And for me that’s a multi-billion dollar opportunity for us in addition to what we would otherwise get from our regular growth."
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EA says Apex Legends will ‘expand beyond the traditional battle royale universe’ this year
EA Hopes to Use Generative AI to Drive Monetization and Make Development 30% More Efficient
