EA SPORTS FC: THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL (VIDEO) GAME
Today’s release of EA SPORTS FC marks a major milestone in the history of sports video games as the first offering in EA Sports’ own brand series following the company’s acrimonious split from FIFA.
As you read, the title is hitting shelves and screens around the world. Here are five things you need to know about the business behind the beautiful video game.
The split
For three decades, FIFA and EA Sports collaborated on the best-selling sports video game franchise of all time, but that relationship soured in 2021 when football’s governing body reportedly asked the game developer for a whopping one billion dollars to extend the license for the FIFA name.
“The fundamental choice for us was the freedom to be able to operate in a way that we know our players and our fans are looking for, or hold on to a naming convention that was very valuable, but maybe in the future less so,” said David Jackson, VP brand for EA Sports FC.
The opportunity
Starting with FIFA International Soccer in 1993 and ending with FIFA 23 in 2022, over 325 million copies of the FIFA game have been sold to date, making it the best-selling sports video game franchise in history. By way of comparison, Madden NFL, the next closest and another EA Sports title, has shifted roughly half as many units.
The price
The franchise is a massive money earner and fans will pay top dollar for the latest game. In the UK, the Standard Edition of EA SPORTS FC costs £59.99 on PC and £69.99 on console, while the Ultimate Edition is £89.99 on PC and £99.99 on console. Add in-game transactions in the form of FIFA Points FC Points – which allows players to buy team packs, upgrade players and purchase cosmetic items – and multiply that by the 150 million players of the game, and EA Sports looks set for a huge windfall.
The cover
Over the years, typically the FIFA games have featured just one cover star. However, in an attempt to further distance itself from the old franchise, the Ultimate Edition of the game features a total of 31 of the biggest names in football from the men’s and women’s game, including iconic figures from the sport’s storied past.
From top to bottom, left to right. Marta, Marcus Rashford, Rudi Völler, Pelé, Zinedine Zidane, Bukayo Saka, Andrea Pirlo, Mia Hamm, Johan Cruyff, Alex Scott, Ronaldinho, Alexandra Popp, Juan Riquelme, Didier Drogba, Leicy Santos, Jude Bellingham, David Beckham, Vinícius Jr., Erling Haaland, Samantha Kerr, Leah Williamson, Marquinhos, Youssoufa Moukoko, Alexander Isak, Selma Bacha, Alexia Putellas, Virgil van Dijk, Son Heung-min, Trinity Rodman, Federico Chiesa, Enzo Fernández.
The marketing
As you might expect, EA Sports has gone big on the marketing of the new game. Launch events featuring Erling Haaland (the new face of football and the new face of the game’s standard edition), all-singing all-dancing ad spots with PlayStation and OOH advertising in Piccadilly Circus are all ongoing.
THROUGH THE AGES: SPORTS GAMING
The new EA Sports FC video game will be one of many exhibited at our upcoming Sport Industry Socials event, Through The Ages: Sports Video Games.
Join the SIG team and other industry professionals on a trip down memory lane to explore the long-running relationship between gaming and sport.
From Pong to Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!!, guests will have the chance to interact with an exhibition of seminal sports titles followed by a panel discussion on how industries have become so intertwined.
