The words “video game tournament” don’t really cover what happens at competitive gaming competitions anymore. The term eSports is much more appropriate, as the gatherings have all the spectacle of a real life sporting event. Now, EA looks to garner more of a presence in this arena.
During a recent interview, Andrew Wilson (who is CEO of EA) gave his thoughts on exactly how the company plans to increase their profile here. He called the social interaction a “cool motivation” for gamers, and said, “I actually think it’s going to continue to grow. When we’ve just come off franchise reviews I looked at a number of properties that we’re doing that certainly have an eSports focus to it.”
Putting two and two together, many would just assume that their huge FPS franchise Battlefield 4 would be the primary focus. However, Wilson’s comments suggest that they are looking to represent a broader spectrum, and provide more choices for gamers to face-off in (like amping up Madden tournaments to Super Bowl-level quality for example). In regards to expanding the scope of non-traditional series they’d like to bring to the table, he states, “…we also have a number of other franchises that people may not typically think about as eSports opportunities, but we think there might be an opportunity in the future, so it’s something that you’re going to see more of from us.”
We’ve already seen EA lock up exclusives licenses in the past (the NFL being one of the first). Could it just be a matter of time until they do the same with eSports? Let us know what you think in the comments below.