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EA is expecting to make $1 billion in DLC next year

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Billionaire_Bot

There’s been a lot of criticism towards EA and their DLC habits. But EA isn’t exactly shying away from pushing forward with such post-release content, especially when it earns them some big bucks.

Speaking to Bloomberg, an EA spokesperson revealed that the publisher was looking to generate over $1 billion in additional content revenue this year. So which game will be responsible for the lion’s share of all that cash? Football of course. And not the one with bad actors. I mean the football that has terrible acting once some points are sported.

Madden NFL 15 is the name of the game, with analysts such as Longbow Research saying that “margins on Madden Ultimate Team are through the roof”, and that the game could make $350 million in total when physical copies and DLC are added up. Or just looking at DLC alone, around $50 million. Fifty freakin’ million dollars. I’m in the wrong job dammit.

These figures are also largely due to the success of the Madden DLC having grown over 350% larger year on year, with each version remaining pretty popular until the latest annual release arrived. “People are playing the game all year round,” said Cam Weber, EA’s general manager for Madden NFL, to Bloomberg. “We’ve seen huge increases in overall engagement and usage even after the NFL season is over.”

Add to that more upcoming EA games such as FIFA 15, NHL 15, The Sims 4 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, and those coffers are going to be filled with coin. Of course, folks are still going to hate EA for their DLC practices. But I can’t imagine the reaction at that publisher being anything more than this:

Last Updated: August 27, 2014

78 Comments

  1. None of that’s from me, that’s for sure.
    But where there’s a market there’s money to be made. So I can’t blame them for making 5mil DLC’s per game.

    Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

      August 27, 2014 at 09:41

      Is there really a market though? Or has the market been artificially been created by offering no other option? Think about it. How did DLC become a thing? Because companies started producing more DLC instead of base content and started making it the norm. People aren’t buying DLC because we naturally want to but rather because there’s no real alternative anymore.

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        August 27, 2014 at 09:43

        Well, the market was definitely created. But if people didn’t support it, it could’ve died out soon after it started. I don’t mind “expansion packs” but these DLC’s that come out a week after the game, those are the real problem and the people buying them are equally as much the problem.

        Reply

        • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

          August 27, 2014 at 09:44

          Yeah that’s what really grinds me. Because if it’s out only a week or so after launch then it was ready to be part of the main game and was already in the budget for the primary spend. So why does it need to be cut for DLC purposes?

          Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        August 27, 2014 at 09:46

        But remember all of us here are of a different era of gaming, we bough games played them and when they were finished we waited for the next one… But now games have become a service that gets “new” content over the course of a year or two!! And the new generation of gamers doesn’t know any better…
        Either that or the old guys like us have too much money and not enough time to grind for more coin in Fifa so just throw the credit card at the screen and buy Ronaldo and Messi and Bale and Neymar…. I have played FUT against a guy who had all those guys and even better defenders!! You would have to grind for 10 years to be able to buy them all!!

        Reply

        • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

          August 27, 2014 at 09:48

          But since when is extra characters as a cash purchase ok? Or to grind ok?

          Extra characters were unlocked for completing the game, or a season with specific goals, or with unlock codes granted at events, or or or.

          When did we switch from that to pay to unlock or grind your ass off for 10 years?

          Reply

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:49

            Agreed.

          • Jonah Cash

            August 27, 2014 at 09:50

            I hear you, but FUT doesn’t really give you a choice!! The most expensive guy I have bought is Suarez and he cost me +-60000 coins…. I have played over 500 games in FUT just in Fifa 14 and I will never be able to buy Ronaldo or Messi or Neymar or Bale!! It just won’t happen!!
            My team is competitive but against a super team no one can win!! It is just a fact!!

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 27, 2014 at 09:51

            And that just proves my point. Why is it ok to have such high levels of grind to get a character? The only choice for people who have work and family responsibilities is to then buy with cash? This is not ok.

          • Jonah Cash

            August 27, 2014 at 09:53

            I agree with you 100% but as long as people pay EA will deliver them shit to pay for!!

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 27, 2014 at 09:55

            Yep. The mentality is set in stone. You have to give it to EA. They bred this idea in to a fully fledged model that is now so ingrained in to the current gen of gamers I doubt it will ever go away

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:55

            Which is technically pay to win. Paying someone off to get ahead, that’s a really great message right there 😉

          • Great Teacher Umar

            August 27, 2014 at 09:51

            When companies could no longer sustain themselves and had to make money some other way.

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 27, 2014 at 09:52

            I don’t buy that. These companies can sustain themselves without DLC as a thing. The big guys make their cash back within a few short weeks of their games launching without the DLC.

          • Great Teacher Umar

            August 27, 2014 at 09:56

            I would like to think that. Yet more and more reports are popping up of lay-offs and games that clearly sold a lot but were deemed to be a failure. Problem isn’t DLC, or quality of games. Its the fact that companies have put themselves in a position where every game could spell your doom and that is why they release these DLCs. Its their safety nets

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 27, 2014 at 09:58

            Overspending and over-employing is not the fault of the market but the fault of the gaming company.

            So often they hire full time employees and then let them go at the end of the project by closing down that division. What evil is that?

            Why not hire them on a contractual basis per game then? That way they don’t need to overinflate their staff and realise afterwards that they now have too many people on board because they won’t be working on that product again for a while? Then you have to have lay offs. With contractual basis that problem would be all but sorted

          • Great Teacher Umar

            August 27, 2014 at 10:06

            Which is exactly my point. Problem is much deeper than just DLC. Mark my words, subscriptions is the new DLC. There will always be something until this sickness goes away.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 27, 2014 at 10:10

            When last did you watch the credits on an EA, Ubi or other big publisher game? Notice just how many C-level executives, presidents, vice-presidents, HODs, etc from publishers are there?

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:54

            That’s the same time the companies stopped caring about the quality of their games.

      • Rinceable

        August 27, 2014 at 10:12

        Sadly the little Jimmys of the world lap this shit right up.

        Reply

    • Rinceable

      August 27, 2014 at 10:11

      Right with you there buddy.

      Reply

  2. Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

    August 27, 2014 at 09:36

    This really saddens me. The fact that they can plan on making that much off of DLC means 2 things:

    1) They really just don’t care about quality base games anymore
    2) People are silly enough to purchase extra DLC that should have been part of the main game in the first place

    Reply

    • Sith JJ

      August 27, 2014 at 09:39

      Agreed
      Your first point saddens me, your second point irritates me.

      Reply

    • Rags

      August 27, 2014 at 09:42

      But what are the alternatives if you love the game? Can’t hold it against people buying DLC imo.

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

        August 27, 2014 at 09:43

        Agreed. But that comes to the main point of what companies like EA consider DLC. DLC that should have been part of the base game shouldn’t exist. But content is cut from the main game with the intention of releasing it as part of DLC.

        Reply

      • Sith JJ

        August 27, 2014 at 09:44

        For me it’s about principle and I’ve actually lost interest in many of my loved games because they’re so riddled with DLC’s

        Reply

        • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

          August 27, 2014 at 09:46

          That’s why I generally wait for GOTYE.

          Usually get all the DLC at the price I would have paid for the base game originally. Sometimes even a better price

          Reply

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:47

            I agree. I always wait for GOTY and then buy it on special just out of spite.

      • Mossel

        August 27, 2014 at 09:46

        Yeah man, I bought Bioshock Infinite’s Season pass, because I just had to have more of that! Other than that I won’t buy DLC.

        Reply

        • Rags

          August 27, 2014 at 09:52

          I shall buy everything when the new Mass Effect arrives. No doubt about it. I love the game more than how much I hate DLC. :/

          Reply

  3. Great Teacher Umar

    August 27, 2014 at 09:37

  4. Admiral Chief Assassin

    August 27, 2014 at 09:44

  5. Alien Emperor Trevor

    August 27, 2014 at 09:46

    That gif is so apt. If I was in their position I’d have just as much interest in the raging about DLC that most people buy anyway.

    I’m still interested to see how much DLC DA:I is going to get.

    Reply

    • Sith JJ

      August 27, 2014 at 09:49

      Ready your wallet.
      And keep Vaseline nearby

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        August 27, 2014 at 09:50

        I don’t have to, I don’t buy EA anymore.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Assassin

          August 27, 2014 at 09:51

          Agreed, same here

          Reply

        • Admiral Chief Assassin

          August 27, 2014 at 09:51

          I’d even go so far as to pirate their games, just to install and never play!

          Reply

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:53

            Take note people, this is the true face of evil. 😉

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 09:54

            Pirates or me?

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:56

            You!

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 09:58

            🙁

        • Sith JJ

          August 27, 2014 at 09:53

          Me too. And it’s quite refreshing actually.

          Reply

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 27, 2014 at 09:54

            Funny. I don’t buy EA, not because I want to boycott them but rather because nothing of theirs interests me. At all.

            The new Dragon Age is the only game in years that has made me even remotely considering buying an EA title

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:56

            I must agree actually. I haven’t been interested in any of their games lately.

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 09:57

            LIES!!! You simfanboi!

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 09:58

            I just want to put eyeliner on a sim in Create-a-sim and make them look pretty. Is that so wrong!?

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 10:01

            Hahaha, strange “man” you

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 27, 2014 at 10:10

            Wouldn’t a mirror be cheaper?

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 10:11

            It hurts too much when I try to shape my own face like that.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 27, 2014 at 10:28

            But you have a beard, which means you’re a man & thus immune to pain. I’m confused.

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 10:37

            Stop making sense!

          • Rinceable

            August 27, 2014 at 10:13

            0_O

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 27, 2014 at 10:06

            That’s what happened with me & Activision games. Zero interest in COD, WOW, Starcraft or Diablo, not an actual decision. That’s changed with the reintroduction of Sierra though.

            I’ll admit DA:I is tempting, but so far I’m holding firm.

          • Guardian Star Lord

            August 28, 2014 at 15:34

            Buy it second hand.

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 28, 2014 at 18:47

            After reading about how they lied about the SimCity stuff I am now considering DragonAge even less

          • Guardian Star Lord

            August 28, 2014 at 19:35

            EA won’t change until we show them that WE have the power! Vote with your wallet.

          • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

            August 29, 2014 at 07:54

            Agreed

  6. Admiral Chief Assassin

    August 27, 2014 at 09:50

    YOUR money is paying for the coke/hookers/cars of the execs. STOP GIVING THEM YOUR MONEY FOR THIS!!!!!!!!

    Reply

    • Sith JJ

      August 27, 2014 at 09:57

      Come on. Everyone knows that’s not true. They call them escorts, not hookers 😉

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Assassin

        August 27, 2014 at 10:01

        Ford Escort!

        Reply

        • Sith JJ

          August 27, 2014 at 10:01

          Much better.

          Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          August 27, 2014 at 10:03

          I had one of those, closest I ever came to not being #foreverSP

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 10:04

            Strange, I can actually picture you in one of those!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 27, 2014 at 10:19

            My friend had an orange old rear wheel drive one, we called it the Flying Naartjie.

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 10:21

            HAHAHAHA, epic, rwd Flying Naartjie.

            That just screams epicness, when you enter the Flying Naartjie for a night on the town, legendary things come to YOU

          • Sith JJ

            August 27, 2014 at 10:05

            Everyone loves an escort. (or they should)

        • Rinceable

          August 27, 2014 at 10:14

          More like ‘Forward, escort!’

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 27, 2014 at 15:14

            FORWARD FORWARD GRAB

  7. Rinceable

    August 27, 2014 at 10:11

    And herein is why the games industry is buggered.

    Reply

  8. Ryanza

    August 27, 2014 at 10:46

    EA ain’t making a cent from me. EA last got money from me for Simcity. Never again.

    Don’t support DRM

    Reply

    • Nereus77

      August 28, 2014 at 09:14

      My last was Mass Effect 3. Its still a kickass game (yes, even that ending), but the innumerable DLCs just ruined it for me.

      I enjoyed Mass Effect, but I just see EA ruining all their IPs these days. Makes me quite sad.

      Reply

  9. MakeItLegal

    August 27, 2014 at 10:48

    Last time I buy dlc from ea then , I ve played 3 hours of my r600 premium … What a joke dlc is

    Reply

  10. Rock789

    August 27, 2014 at 11:12

    Daaaaaammmmmnnnnn! They don’t have dollar signs in their eyes at all, do they? Flipping hell – that is insane! $1 billion from DLC alone?! Wowza…

    Reply

  11. Fabiano Morais

    August 27, 2014 at 11:57

    I’m a sucker for DLC for games I love, you can all call me a facilitator for the destruction of the industry now.

    Reply

  12. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    August 27, 2014 at 13:25

    I tend not to own EA games… They never go on special and I swear you only get half of the game at best when buying it. Then you have to still get all the DLC shit.

    I mean I own Simcity and it is fun to play, but the damn add on is R299 and gives you some future stuff? Fuck that! Even on special you still pay more than R100 just for the add on.

    Reply

  13. Ryanza

    August 27, 2014 at 17:48

    People are buying Call of Duty every year. People are buying Fifa, Madden, NBA, other sport games, every year. Then every single piece of DLC that comes out in the year, people has to buy it. There is little to no improvements to the game every year. But people are still buying them out every single year.

    The major publishers would rather release a game every year and make money than let a studio work and develop something new, better, original, in a 4 to 6 year period.

    EA and other major publishers are like fast food, drive through, restaurants. Can I have a Fifa. Would you like some DLC with that. Can I super size your order. Now your game is complete. Time to release the next game.

    Reply

  14. Nereus77

    August 28, 2014 at 09:06

    Guh, I really dislike EA’s treatment of the gaming industry. I’m not buying anything from them anymore.

    Reply

    • Guardian Star Lord

      August 28, 2014 at 15:33

      Rent their games at the least, at the most just buy them second hand… therefore no money goes to those bastards.

      Reply

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