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[Banjo64]

One of the largest game manufacturers is in a similar situation: Electronic Arts. EA bestsellers include the FIFA, Battlefield, F1, Madden, Apex Legends and The Sims series. With FIFA Ultimate Team trading card packs alone, the listed US group generated more than 1.6 billion dollars last year.

The European EA locations are now facing profound changes. Electronic Arts GmbH, based in Cologne's Rheinauhafen, employs around 100 people who, in addition to the German market, also look after Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

EA Deutschland's latest annual report states: "The ongoing shift from physical goods to digital downloads continues to have a negative impact on sales development. Revenue from digital downloads is not processed through EA, but through an affiliate."

Therefore, an "economic restructuring" was initiated: Local customer contracts had already been terminated in May 2022 - after the restructuring, Electronic Arts will "no longer generate sales with packaged goods" in German-speaking countries. As a result, EA already expects a "significant decline in sales" in the current 2022/23 financial year.

Provisions in the tens of millions were made on the balance sheet, both for staff and for take-back obligations and discounts. However, the German Electronic Arts headquarters in Cologne should be retained – also because many EA games are localized (i.e. translated and synchronized) there.

https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/electronic-arts-deutschland-games-datentraeger/

 

[nightmare-slain]

one step closer to an all digital future and some people still refuse to believe it is happening. physical is dying. next gen will likely be digital only. both sony + microsoft have been warming people up to an all digital future.

they should stop releasing physical games in all countries.

i, for one, welcome the digital future. bring it on!

 

[RavenSan]

That's one way to combat used game sales

 

[FatallyYours]

Just need to take away the "physical" and "germanic" and were almost there!

 

[Tarin02543]

creditcards vs teenagers: the road to victory

 

[feynoob]

It makes sense. You dont want to get physical with the germans.

Have you seen them speaking? Those dudes are ready to rip you apart.

 

[nightmare-slain]

It makes sense. You dont want to get physical with the germans.

Have you seen them speaking? Those dudes are ready to rip you apart.

i haven't met many germans but i remember being on holiday one time and there was this german dude literally fucking SHOUTING. i thought he was in an argument and ready to fight until i looked at him and he was chill as fuck, eating his food, laughing and of course with his fucking flipflops on.

i've been told many times i speak loudly (or generally scottish people are loud) but holy shit lol that german dude scared me.

 

[Cyborg]

In the end, we will all regret this all-digital era. I don't believe you will ever own a game that you buy digitally.

 

[SJRB]

SCHWEINHUND!

 

[Rykan]

In the end, we will all regret this all-digital era. I don't believe you will ever own a game that you buy digitally.

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

 

[Haggard]

It makes sense. You dont want to get physical with the germans.

Have you seen them speaking? Those dudes are ready to rip you apart.

You haven`t seen our women if you think we dudes are the scary ones.

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

Does a CD cost 80 bucks and is "played out" after going through it once or twice?

 

[brian0057]

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

If I can't get it physical, I burn it onto a CD or DVD.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Don't worry Germans they aren't coming for your fax machines.

 

[lh032]

one step closer to an all digital future and some people still refuse to believe it is happening. physical is dying. next gen will likely be digital only. both sony + microsoft have been warming people up to an all digital future.

they should stop releasing physical games in all countries.

i, for one, welcome the digital future. bring it on!

physical copy is not 100% ownership, what makes you think that digital is the "future"? it will be worse.
You basically giving up ownership and tell the corporation to charge you for nothing, its stupid.

 

[Nickolaidas]

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

Of course! I much rather having 4 thousand CDs in my room instead of 40 thousabd mp3 files on my computer because, you know ... reasons.

 

[RaZoR No1]

Ach du scheiße
Indies etc. digital only is fine or normal at the moment, but EA completely skipping physical media in germanic speaking countries is the first step... soon other markets / publishers will probably follow.. unfortunately..

 

[Chastten]

I have no issue with an all digital future, but holy shit, are people preaching for it annoying cunts.

More choice is always the best option for a consumer.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

physical copy is not 100% ownership, what makes you think that digital is the "future"? it will be worse.
You basically giving up ownership and tell the corporation to charge you for nothing, its stupid.

Possessing a physical copy means you can still play if the game is delisted.

 

[feynoob]

You haven`t seen our women if you think we dudes are the scary ones.

 

[SCB3]

i haven't met many germans but i remember being on holiday one time and there was this german dude literally fucking SHOUTING. i thought he was in an argument and ready to fight until i looked at him and he was chill as fuck, eating his food, laughing and of course with his fucking flipflops on.

i've been told many times i speak loudly (or generally scottish people are loud) but holy shit lol that german dude scared me.

Thats just Germans, its a very harsh and loud language, nice people generally though

Also am I reading this right in they're counting Germanic regions as including Scandinavia?

 

[AV]

one step closer to an all digital future and some people still refuse to believe it is happening. physical is dying. next gen will likely be digital only. both sony + microsoft have been warming people up to an all digital future.

they should stop releasing physical games in all countries.

i, for one, welcome the digital future. bring it on!

There's no current disadvantage to you personally of other people being able to purchase games physically. Actively wanting that choice to be removed from everyone so they're forced to pay fixed storefront prices is corporate cock sucking of the highest order. Baffling.

 

[lh032]

Possessing a physical copy means you can still play if the game is delisted.

yes i know that, what im trying to say here is i dont understand why people keep wanting digital only, publishers can remove the game from the store anytime and we will not be able to access the games without a disc....

 

[Wildebeest]

English is a Germanic language.

 

[Esppiral]

English is a Germanic language.

Someone with actual knowledge

 

[Elitro]

Good move. Would have been happier if this happened sooner, as i was forced to buy a ps5 with drive in a bundle since they were always out of stock otherwise.

Not worried about losing the used option, since we have enough discount sales/subscription services to give people with new gaming opportunities on a lower budget.

 

[Unknown?]

one step closer to an all digital future and some people still refuse to believe it is happening. physical is dying. next gen will likely be digital only. both sony + microsoft have been warming people up to an all digital future.

they should stop releasing physical games in all countries.

i, for one, welcome the digital future. bring it on!

Klaus Schwab, is that you? "You will own nothing and be happy!"

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

The day gaming goes all digital is when I’m done with modern gaming. Gamers or people who are happily embracing an all digital future are either clueless or crazy imo. These greedy companies will take advantage of consumers and you will be at their mercy with pricing, less choice, ownership and control. Broken, buggy game at launch? Oh well, deal with it. No refunds. Bored of it? Too bad. Can’t sell or trade it. Also, digital pricing especially on consoles usually sucks compared to physical prices.

 

[MrA]

Thats not what the article says and it says the loss of physicals sales would be bad (stating specifically ea Germany has 90 million euros in physical sales annual)
All thats happening is someone else is handling physical distribution

 

[Putonahappyface]

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

 

[blastprocessor]

Oh no

 

[Cyborg]

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

Well, I do... at least they don't give me a download voucher when I buy a CD.

 

[Mr Hyde]

one step closer to an all digital future and some people still refuse to believe it is happening. physical is dying. next gen will likely be digital only. both sony + microsoft have been warming people up to an all digital future.

they should stop releasing physical games in all countries.

i, for one, welcome the digital future. bring it on!

Imagine being this fucking stupid and live to tell about it.

 

[The_Mike]

That's one way to combat used game sales

Alternatively they could have made physical copies with a redeemable code so you coukd install with cd and play without.

 

[RavenSan]

Alternatively they could have made physical copies with a redeemable code so you coukd install with cd and play without.

That sounds like those god-awful 'online activation' codes they used to put in sports games. Ugh.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Less Plastic is good.
If only I could get Shampoo and liquid soap that didn't come in a plastic bottle. Alluminum can, bottle?
Tide Pods could ship in a cardboard box instead of a plastic bucket. Right? Or would that be stupid.

 

[BloodOmenPT]

I just had a promotion in one of the stores that sell games in my country, buy 3, pay only 2. Got God of War Ragnarok, Callisto Protocol, One Piece Odyssey, Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII, The Last of Us Remake and Plague Tale Requiem for less than 36 euros EACH.

So please tell me again that choices are bad...

 

[DaGwaphics]

Just like with PC, I'd expect to see a lot more of this as time goes on. I do think that more of an effort should be made with game cards hanging at retail, as it allows buyers to still make those spontaneous purchases when looking at the cover art or the description, allows for more personalized gift giving, and keeps retail in the loop. While at the same time costing the publisher next to nothing and fitting into the flow of marketing easier since you can print these whenever the art and description are ready, regardless of if the game code is ready to go or not.

 

[Damien Crowley]

SCHWEINEHUND!

ftfy... (Yeah, I'm a Grammar-Nazi, why are you asking?)

 

[Exoil]

Sucks for the guys who doom and gloom about a digital future I guess, but me myself haven't bought a physical copy of a game since the early days of PS3 so I couldn't really care less either way.

 

[Paperboy]

EA's game catalogue is a little different than the rest with a heavy lean towards sports games and first person shooters. The players for those types of games will (for the most part) want the latest reindition. Last year's physical copy of Fifa is basically just a paperweight when the new one is out. With that reality it makes more sense to go all digital - even if I'm not agreeing with this change.

 

[DeepEnigma]

So it begins.

"You'll own nothing and you'll be happy."

 

[skyfall]

Do you still buy all your music on CDs and Movies on DVD/Blu-ray too?

Yes. Books too

 

[Rykan]

Does a CD cost 80 bucks and is "played out" after going through it once or twice?

How does that change anything? Why is that different?

 

[Roberts]

As a collector of movies (triple dipping on UHD as we speak) I think I understand the frustration some of you game collectors have, but I've moved to digital a few years ago and it just so much more convenient, so I'm OK with that.

 

[KXVXII9X]

Until fast broadband internet is available to everyone, a Cloud based, multiplayer centric, all digital future makes no sense. They would be locking out a good chunk of gamers. Not everyone can constantly download huge files constantly with all of these huge updates.

 

[MrA]

Digital only dipsticks,please develop basic reading comprehension and statistics skills,
EA is not ending physical sales in german speaking countries. The German office is just no longer handling distribution, a third party will be
Also when sony/ms/capcom announce 90 % digital that doesn't mean new release are 90% digital, they usually start 50/50 the move in favor of physical for a while until used new copies are no longer readily available (this also completely ignored the 100s millions of used games sold every year as they don't factor into publisher revenue) that's everything 10 years off back catalog, the million Taco jumps released daily. All the 80% off mega sales, not individual games
So when the uk charts show game x opened to 10k physical , no there weren't 90k digital sales it was likely also in the 10k area digital. Its just for those 10k sales 1000s of other games sold 90k units
I know you're upset other people will have options and will continue to do so likely indefinitely but physical games sales are aren't going anywhere

English is a Germanic language.

Pffft only our curse words

 

[remember_spinal]

 

[Fbh]

I have no issue with an all digital future, but holy shit, are people preaching for it annoying cunts.

More choice is always the best option for a consumer.

Yeah I get people preferring digital but the way they celebrate the option of physical media going away is weird.
"YESSSSS we are closer to an age in which we'll have even less ownership over our games, and won't be able to resell, or trade, and all our games will be tied to an account that can get compromised, and game sales on consoles will work under a single store monopoly"

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Possessing a physical copy means you can still play if the game is delisted.

Unless the game requires online authentication even once, and 10 years after the game is released EA turns off authentication servers.

 

[DaGwaphics]

So it begins.

"You'll own nothing and you'll be happy."

With so much content being online based, physical is starting to not be much different tbh.