Fifa fanatics worldwide may be sad in hearing that the annual series as once known, may be coming to an end this year.
EA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson recently disclosed that the game-publisher may bring an end to the annual release of one of gaming’s most popular sports series.
EA however, are not planning to end production of FIFA entirely, but rather want to move towards a subscription-based format, with more downloadable online updates. This comes after other technological giants such as Apple and Amazon, who have seen mass success from encouraging growth in their available streaming services. Wilson also added that online subscriptions could also be the future for other popular sports games such as Madden NFL.
According to him, as the industry moves more towards the games-as-a-service model, with consumer culture circulating around more digital downloads, the subscription based transition will become easier for gamers. Speaking to Bloomberg, Wilson gave the example Madden’s mobile title, which released over three years ago, which receives big updates every season.
“When we design a game that lives in a true streaming world, we have to think about screen size and session time,” said Wilson.
Sports are not the only gaming genre which is set to see changes in format. The games industry has been shifting from sales of physical discs to online delivery over the past few years now. This includes everything from full game downloads of brand new titles to even more in-game purchases across an array of gaming series’.
EA, based in Redwood City, California, already offers a mobile version of Madden. Since 2014, the company has offered a service called EA Access, a $5-a-month subscription, enabling customer’s access to a library of games, with newer titles made available around six months after their initial release.
For FIFA, this would mean up to date squad and kit updates, which will follow on promptly from each transfer window.
“When we design a game that lives in a true streaming world, we have to think about screen size and session time.
“The greatest disruptor to the consumption of entertainment media in the last five years has been the combination of streaming plus subscription,” explained Wilson.
It seems as if EA are following the footsteps of other streaming successors such as Netflix, so popping into your local Tesco for your copy of Fifa may quickly become a thing of the past.