Electronic Arts Will no Longer Pay Gun Manufacturers For The Privilege of Depicting Weapons in Games

Electronic Arts this week said it will no longer pay gun manufacturers for the right to use branded weapons in video games, following a controversial decision to promote assault weapons dealers in one of its flagship products. EA confirmed the decision to Reuters Tuesday, while claiming that it retains the right to depict guns without a license.

The game company came under fire last year, after it included links to certain gun sellers on the website for Medal of Honor: Warfighter. At the time, EA said the promotion was part of an effort to raise money for military veterans, though it soon removed the links due to sharp public outcry.

"We won't do that again," EA spokesperson Jeff Brown told Reuters. "The action games we will release this year will not include licensed images of weapons."

The gaming industry has come under increased scrutiny following the December 2012 shootings in Newtown, Connecticut — a tragedy that has reignited the debate surrounding gun control and violent media. Vice President Joe Biden discussed the issue with game industry leaders earlier this year, while the National Rifle Association has taken a more pointed approach, singling out video games as a driver of violent culture. After the Newtown shooting, NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre described the gaming industry as "a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people."

Brown says EA's decision had little to do with politics, noting that LaPierre's comments have had little resonance among its clientele. "The response from our audience was pretty clear: they feel the comments from the NRA were a simple attempt to change the subject," the spokesperson said.

The game company claims it has the legal right to depict branded weapons in its products, likening its games to novels and other narrative-based media. "We're telling a story and we have a point of view," Frank Gibeau, EA president of labels, said in an interview with Reuters. "A book doesn't pay for saying the word 'Colt,' for example."

Thus far, gun makers haven't sued game companies for using branded weapons without a license, though EA's free speech philosophy has come under fire from Bell Helicopter, which challenged the company's unlicensed depiction of one of its helicopters in the game Battlefield. EA preemptively sued the aircraft manufacturer last year, with the trial scheduled to begin in June. [Source]

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Electronic Arts CEO to Resign in July

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Electronic Arts' Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello has resigned, saying he was "accountable" for the company's missing operational targets.

Riccitiello will step down from his post as CEO and member of the board of directors on March 30, the video game company said on Monday.

Electronic Arts' stock climbed 1.5 percent to $19 in after-hours trade, from a close of $18.71 on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting By Malathi Nayak; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Separately, EA says its revenue and earnings per share will be at the low end or below its January guidance.

EA and other traditional video game companies have been trying to adjust to a changing world where consumers are turning to mobile devices and cheap or free online games instead of buying expensive packaged titles. Electronic Arts reported lower revenue for the last three months of 2012 than it did for the same period a year earlier. [Source]

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"Real Racing 3" is Spoiled by in-app Purchases

Following an earlier launch in certain regions, EA's Real Racing 3 is now available to download for Android and iOS worldwide. The original Real Racing was one of the first titles to prove the iPhone's worth as a credible gaming platform, and the series has been a mobile mainstay ever since. Real Racing 3 continues that trend with improved graphics, a huge amount of content, and the same trademark control system, but there's one major difference this time around — it's free.

                                 “IN-APP PURCHASES PERMEATE EVERY FACET OF 'REAL RACING 3'”

There's a catch, of course: in-app purchases permeate every facet of Real Racing 3's existence. With each race your car sustains damage, drains oil, wears out its tires, and so on, and you need to pay in-game currency to fix these issues if you don't want to be left behind on the track. This currency is doled out in meagre amounts when you place high in an event, or you can buy more with real-world money.

But it doesn't stop there — once you upgrade or service your vehicle, up pops a countdown timer of a few minutes that you're encouraged to skip with another form of currency, which is even scarcer than the first. If you don't have the money — virtual or real — your only recourse is to quit the game and wait for a push notification to let you know that the work has been carried out.

It's a shame, because the game itself could be great. It features some of the most impressive mobile graphics we've ever seen, the list of cars and courses is endless, and the way it integrates your friends' lap times into your races for a pseudo-multiplayer experience makes it all the more immersive. The problem is that it all just feels so cheapened by the business model; while it's possible to play the game a little each day without forking out money, and it's not quite as egregious as Square Enix's recent exploits, the constant nagging for cash grates. What happened to unlocking game content through skill?

                         “ANYONE LOOKING FOR A DEEP EXPERIENCE WILL LIKELY FEEL RIPPED OFF”

Real Racing 2 found success with a $2 million budget and a fair $9.99 price point, but spending the same amount on its sequel wouldn't get you nearly as much content — the "Race Car Booster Pack" costs that much alone, for example, but contains just one car, two events, and 65 pieces of virtual gold to spend on speedy repairs. Although it's not necessarily surprising from EA, who this week said it would be adopting microtransactions across all of its games, it's certainly disappointing to see the model spread to its formerly "premium" titles. Some may be grateful that an impressive game has been offered with no upfront cost, but anyone looking for a deep experience will likely feel ripped off. [TheVerge]

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