Electronics Art has decided to make all of its game available only as digital downloads in the near future.
EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau noted that the company’s digital revenues have reached $1 billion for the first time this year, and that they expect that number to reach $1.7 billion next year.
Gibeau explained that they "have a clear line of sight" on when digital downloads revenue would surpass those of regular retail. He didn’t pinpoint the expected time frame, but he affirmed that it is nearer than most would expect.
But that doesn’t mean that EA is ready to sever its valuable retail channels yet. "Retail is a great channel for us" Gibeau explained. "We have great relationships with our partners there."
"At the same time, the ultimate relationship is the connection that we have with the gamer. If the gamer wants to get the game through a digital download and that's the best way for them to get it, that's what we're going to do."
"... But if customers want to buy a game at retail, they can do that too. We'll continue to deliver games in whatever media formats make sense and as one ebbs and one starts to flow, we'll go in that direction."
"For us, the fastest growing segment of our business is clearly digital and clearly digital services and ultimately Electronic Arts, at some point in the future [is] going to be a 100% digital company, period. It's going to be there some day. It's inevitable."