Electronic Arts has had its Q3 2022 earnings call with investors this week, and it features some points of interest for our pocket of gaming. One of the first highlights involved Battlefield 2042, as CEO Andrew Wilson said the launch of the shooter “did not meet expectations,” noting “unanticipated performance issues” and design decisions that “did not resonate with everyone.” Readers will recall the shooter is eyeing a possible free-to-play business model.
Otherwise, Wilson called this fiscal year “[one] of outstanding growth so far,” noting that the studio’s sports titles, Apex Legends, and live-service and mobile games are “delivering strong recurring revenue and year-over-year growth.”
Another point of interest is related to EA’s shifting confidence in crypto and NFTs, with Wilson saying, “Right now it’s not something we’re driving hard on” when asked about the scheme. This is a noteworthy walking back of statements made in the company’s Q2 2022 earnings call, when Wilson had spoken positively about NFTs. “Anything that brings more people in and engages those people for more time in a context with the extent that I think it’s a good thing over time,” said the CEO at the time.
The shift may also be related to some internal pushback against EA’s pursuit of NFTs: A discussion within a company Slack channel saw Wilson’s remarks about pursuing crypto receive numerous thumbs down and negative emoji reactions, since employees were otherwise unable to post personal replies in the restricted channel. The negative responses drew forth a “joke” reply from a corporate communications representative posting under the name EA Insider:
“It’s also amazing to me the gall of some folks to thumbs down and put emoji’s like ‘Do better’ in response to the CEO’s comment. […] So for the next round of Squid Games, let’s play will your employee badge give you access or not in 2022.”
Naturally, employees took the post as a threat, drawing out another reply from EA Insider which read, “Oh snap… totally forgot that we’re not allowed to joke at all here and that some people will always default to a negative connotation no matter what. Wil remove the comment and ensure that EA Insider is devoid of any life whatsoever.” A senior communications rep then swiftly reeled back the messages, assuring employees that they would not be fired for disagreeing with Wilson’s position and that the “attempt at humor” had “crossed a line.”
