{"id":9379,"date":"2023-09-30T13:30:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T13:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/electronic-arts-launches-fc-24-soccer-game-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-09-30T13:30:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T13:30:06","slug":"electronic-arts-launches-fc-24-soccer-game-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/electronic-arts-launches-fc-24-soccer-game-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Electronic Arts launches ‘FC 24’ soccer game | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Electronic Arts\u00a0on 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.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0near three-decade partnership between EA and FIFA ended last year<\/a>\u00a0over what media reports said were demands that the videogame maker double its yearly payments of $150 million to the governing body of world soccer.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The game’s standard edition retails for $69.99 in the United States, while the ultimate edition sells for $99.99.<\/p>\n

Analysts also believe the FIFA split should unlock a bigger marketing budget for “FC 24”, which has retained licenses to most of the soccer leagues, teams and players.<\/p>\n

“EA spent under 10% in marketing prior to losing the FIFA name and they’re able to probably double that to 16%,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter.<\/p>\n

“I’m confident that sales won’t suffer … the company is expecting a small decline and they’re talking like 5%.”<\/p>\n

Pachter also pointed to the strength in the franchise’s Ultimate Team game mode, which accounts for more than a billion dollar in sales annually by allowing gamers to purchase card packs to create their virtual teams.<\/p>\n

This has helped EA at a time its other games including Apex Legends are grappling with a post-pandemic slowdown. The company\u00a0missed net bookings expectations last quarter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0laid off 6% of its workforce<\/a>\u00a0in March.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n