Electronic Arts launches 'FC 24' football game in fresh start after FIFA split
Electronic Arts on Friday launched its first soccer game without the FIFA tag, betting its "FC 24" title will maintain the momentum in its best-selling franchise and provide a bulwark against an industry slowdown.
A near three-decade partnership between EA and FIFA ended last year over what media reports said were demands that the videogame maker double its yearly payments of $150 million to the governing body of world soccer.
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Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessISB Professional Certificate in Digital MarketingVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Digital Marketing and AnalyticsVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Professional Certificate in Product ManagementVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Digital TransformationVisit That has left «FC 24» without the visibility and marketing heft the FIFA brand enjoyed. The game's success is crucial to EA as some analysts estimate the franchise accounts for a major chunk of the company's sales and its $32 billion market value.
«The end of such a high-profile partnership… creates an uncertain future for the publisher,» said Joost Van Dreunen, a lecturer at NYU's Stern School of Business, in his newsletter.
«Both gamers, who fear a weakening of the franchise, and investors, worried about how it will impact EA's ability to generate revenues, are watching closely.»
EA has tried to boost the appeal of «FC 24» with new features such as cross-platform play and HyperMotion V technology that uses data from real footage to program in-game movements.
The game's standard edition retails for $69.99 in the United States, while the ultimate edition sells for $99.99.
Analysts also believe the FIFA split should unlock a bigger
