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EA Throws its Support for XBox
This week saw game software giant EA Sports sign up to develop 10 games within six months for the XBox ensuring Microsoft will have high-quality games to support the console's launch.
EA, with game revenues of $1.2billion has tremendous power in the game market and can definitely push a console to success. On the other side however, support for the XBox console will damage Dreamcast, Nintendo, Sony, and, depending on the final outcome, the arcade industry. It is important to understand that AE, the leading sports game designer has no intention of coming into arcade sales - earlier this year we spoke to company spokesman who told us that the company is soley looking to develop games for PC, and home game consoles, with arcade game development not within their 5 year plan.
With the power plays occurring in the home market industry, EA is throwing its support to Microsoft (and Playstation II) at the expense of Sega, who without companies such as AE will find it difficult to compete - especially as they begin losing current developers to rival platforms.
As we reported earlier, Microsoft has been signing up talented software developers and buying small development companies. In total they now have over 150 developers, including game developers Konami who are working on its Metal Gear title for the XBox.
With Nintendo launching its Gamecube console in 2001, and their search for game developers to produce quality games for their new system, the drain of quality people from arcade game development to home market will continue.
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