Ea Sports Is in the Game

EA Sports is in the Game

A look at EA Sports influence on the culture of sports

Electronic Arts (EA) is the third largest game producer in the world, presently sitting behind only two video game powerhouses Nintendo and Activision. (1) In their March 2013 10-K form yearly report to stockholders Electronic Arts lists their assets at 5.07 Billion and posted net revenues of 3.8 Billion.(2) EA Sports have revolutionized the way sports games are displayed in the video game medium since it became an EA franchise in 1991. The company has received many awards for their development in sports games and is an industry leader in revolutionizing sports in the video game medium. The top selling game for EA Sports has been their FIFA Soccer franchise which in 2011 announced they had sold over 100 million units since its inception in 1993.(3) Most recently FIFA 14 grabbed 8 Awards for Best Sports Game as well as other nominations and accolades at the E3 2013 video game convention.(4) FIFA 14 sales have also been very strong, as of October 26, 2013 the game holds two of the top ten spots in global sales.(5) Other EA Sports titles such as the NHL, Madden, NBA Live and the NCAA college sports games have had similar success. EA Sports has had a significant influence on professional sports labor unions and student athletes within the sports environment they operate; this is a result of increased monetary gains made by the athletes through the sales of EA Sports video games therefore video games have had a direct influence on the culture of sports. EA Sports has created a “cultural mesh” which didn’t previously exist between professional sports and videogames by acquiring the licenses needed to bring pro sports into the videogame world. EA Sports has created a profitable environment for all participants including the leagues, players and their unions, many people in pro sports have made a lot of money based on their organizations relationship with EA Sports. EA Sports has...