EA‘s new mobile strategy will see it bring together its mobile and HD franchise teams while setting up its ‘standalone mobile portfolio’ for growth, according to the publisher’s entertainment and technology president Laura Miele.
Last week the company announced it would be cutting 5% of staff as it looked to cut licensing deals and focus on owned-IP.
Elaborating on the move, Miele said that over the past six months the company had merged its mobile and HD franchise teams under singular leadership across EA Sports FC, Madden NFL and The Sims.
Meanwhile, the publisher also aims to set up its standalone mobile portfolio for growth. As part of the changes, EA is shutting down titles such as Kim Kardashian Hollywood, Lord of the Rings, Tap Sports Baseball, and F1 Mobile.
Focus on owned-IP
Although Miele didn’t reveal precisely which of EA’s other titles will take the spotlight, there is a clear shift away from licensed games with big external brands, as her optimism is centralised around EA’s “significant library of owned-IP”.
“These games have entertained many people over the years, and it’s the right time to focus our time on the remaining games in our portfolio which we believe can grow,” she said.
“We have some great titles, and I’m optimistic about where we can take our significant library of owned-IP.”
This move away from external brands even expands to giant names like Star Wars, with Miele having noted EA was walking away from an FPS action game developed by Respawn.
However, support will continue for existing games and “giving fans the next instalments of the iconic franchises they want” remains EA’s focal point. As such, development of the next Star Wars Jedi game will continue.
“It’s not lost on me that these changes are more than words on a page; they directly impact the work you do every day and, in some cases, mean we are eliminating roles and saying goodbye to talented colleagues,” said Miele.
“I will never lose sight of the human impact of these decisions and know that change and disruption aren’t easy. In difficult moments, we must remember how important it is to show up for our players and for each other.”
