Sponsored By

Analyst: A Mass Effect MMO Could Earn More For EA Than The Old Republic

Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said that a Mass Effect MMO could bring in more revenue for EA than The Old Republic, and that the publisher could turn Battlefield into an annual franchise.

Tom Curtis, Blogger

May 6, 2011

1 Min Read
Game Developer logo in a gray background | Game Developer

While Electronic Arts has invested millions into making Star Wars: The Old Republic an online powerhouse, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said that an MMO based on BioWare's Mass Effect could bring in even more money for the publisher. "Looking forward, we believe BioWare could develop an MMO based on their highly successful Mass Effect franchise, which should have a considerably better (relative StarWars MMO) margin profile, given the dilutive nature of the LucasArts royalty," Hickey said in a recent investor note. Hickey also pointed out opportunities for EA to leverage the Battlefield license, saying that the company could release a new entry in the series on an annual basis. "We suspect they could release a Battlefield franchise game annually, switching between Battlefield and Bad Company versions, similar to how Activision manages their Call of Duty franchise." EA has previously acknowledged that it considers the upcoming Battlefield 3 to be in direct competition to Activision's Call of Duty franchise, noting that the title was "designed to take [Call of Duty] down."

Read more about:

2011

About the Author

Tom Curtis

Blogger

Tom Curtis is Associate Content Manager for Gamasutra and the UBM TechWeb Game Network. Prior to joining Gamasutra full-time, he served as the site's editorial intern while earning a degree in Media Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like