Video game publisher Electronic Arts is making the transition toward a digital download distribution model for the company's future releases, EA said it won't leave its physical media users without game discs.
EA Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore expects sales of digital games to surpass those of boxed games in the coming years, according to an interview with Reuters.
"There will come a point, whether it is two or three years from now, when we say: 'We are doing more in digital media now than we are in physical media,'" Moore told Reuters. "Investors are starting to understand our strategy, are starting to see light at the end of tunnel, starting to see growth rates in the areas we have invested in and in the industry as a whole starting to attract attention again."
The game industry is experiencing a shifting trend as digital content sales rose by 17 percent to $1.47 billion, according to researcher NPD Group Inc. The decline in sales for physical media is a cause of concern for developers and publishers that spend millions on development costs. As a result of this growing change, EA the maker of Battlefield, Mass Effect 3, and Madden NFL is likely to increase its range of mobile and free-to-play games. These so-called free games often include expensive upgrades for gamers that want to get the best in game results.
EA will be releasing nearly 40 social mobile and free-to-play games this fiscal year, according to Moore, and hinted that more games could be added to the firm's roster by year's end. But Moore clarified that gamers who enjoy physical products will still be able to purchase gaming disc.
"We will never abandon physical media," Moore told Reuters. "As long as the consumer wants to buy something on a disc, we will be there to offer it."
