EA admits COD and Halo will rule 2010
But has FPS crown in its sights.
EA COO John Schappert has admitted Activision Blizzard's behemoth Call of Duty and Microsoft's all-conquering Halo will remain top FPS dogs this year - but insisted they won't be so for long.
Schappert said 2010 FPS games Medal of Honor and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will help EA gain ground in the genre, but next year and beyond will be when the sparks truly fly.
Both Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo: Reach are expected to set tills ringing this Christmas. Last night EA delayed FPS Crysis 2 to early next year. And last weekend it confirmed the existence of Battlefield 3, which will be released some time after April 2011.
"Between Battlefield and Medal of Honor, we're going to see a substantial increase in our share against the FPS sector in calendar year '10 versus '09, '08, '07, '06, pick the year," Schappert said during the publisher's earnings call yesterday, transcribed by Seeking Alpha.
"We've got a shot at getting back into a leadership position over the next couple of years.
"And just watch this space for news we bring you on future titles, sort of in calendar '11 and beyond.
"But make no mistake, we think we've got the people and the brands to take the leadership back in the FPS space. And we're intending to make a good positive share gain this year. I think that's almost a foregone conclusion that we'll get the share gain.
But, "I don't expect to topple either Halo or COD this year."
Schappert's bullish comments followed CEO John Riccitiello's own confident prediction that upcoming Afghanistan shooter Medal of Honor, which will include beta invites for Battlefield 3, will impress this October.
"We feel very good about Medal of Honor," he said.
"It received a lot of nominations and awards from E3. People are very excited about it. We also just announced the Battlefield 3 beta will be included in the limited edition version of Medal of Honor.
"So even more people are talking and excited about that.
"So while there will be certainly stiff competition this holiday, as there always is in the FPS category, we think the investment we've made with our EALA team making single-player and DICE making multiplayer should pay off handsomely."