EA CEO (Andrew Wilson) says generative AI could make it 30% more efficient...

EA says generative AI could make it 30% more efficient and boost monetisation by up 20% over 5 years

CEO ANDREW WILSON SAYS ADVANCEMENTS IN AI PROVIDE A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR GROWTH OPPORTUNITY

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ea-says-generative-ai-could-make-it-30-more-efficient-and-boost-monetisation-by-up-20-over-5-years/

Over the next five years, Wilson hopes that generative AI will make EA’s development 30% more efficient, help grow its 700 million-strong player base by “at least” 50%, and lead to players spending 10-20% more money on its games.

Uggh.  These people are absolute morons, using COVID numbers to estimate their mad gainz over the coming years -- there is absolutely zero chance of them increasing their player base by at least 50%.  I wouldn't be surprised if the gaming numbers continue to shrink in a post-COVID world, however, I know nothing.  Still probably more than Mr. Wilson.

I suspected this was already happening, no more fire card art from the creative team, which used to be a rare but consistent high point in MUT even when the actual cards themselves were mid... how much you wanna bet that sweet sweet woodgrain hue on Ultimate Legends, or the solid purple TOTY is almost certainly a result of these ongoing attempts to use generative AI?  They can't help themselves from seeing dollar signs.

Ya EA is a trash company. Always trying to find ways to do as little work as possible and make as much money as possible. They used to put effort into the older Maddens and it showed

xxRaiderGang21xx said:

Ya EA is a trash company. Always trying to find ways to do as little work as possible and make as much money as possible. They used to put effort into the older Maddens and it showed

That's honestly been the most difficult aspect of all of this for me to come to grips with -- at this point, EA has given up on even pretending to try.  It's just blatant cash grab, one after another.  Merciless.  Zero support for any of the range of constant issues and buggy ass gameplay, zero ability to fix obviously broken, glaring issues, auto-bans left and right for nonsense and then some delusional statements from the top, liek they're legit expecting to grow their player base by at least 50% in the coming half decade.

Yet here i am, continually pissing into the wind, hoping that this game could someday be decent.  Not as long as EA holds that exclusive license.  I need to adjust my thinking, or simply retire from this mess.  Community is great, i appreciate almost all of you out there in MUTgg land.  Perhaps the only thing that has kept me involved this long (well, if i were to discount my ridiculous MUT-addictive tendencies, which is the primary factor).

peatrick said:

That's honestly been the most difficult aspect of all of this for me to come to grips with -- at this point, EA has given up on even pretending to try.  It's just blatant cash grab, one after another.  Merciless.  Zero support for any of the range of constant issues and buggy ass gameplay, zero ability to fix obviously broken, glaring issues, auto-bans left and right for nonsense and then some delusional statements from the top, liek they're legit expecting to grow their player base by at least 50% in the coming half decade.

Yet here i am, continually pissing into the wind, hoping that this game could someday be decent.  Not as long as EA holds that exclusive license.  I need to adjust my thinking, or simply retire from this mess.  Community is great, i appreciate almost all of you out there in MUTgg land.  Perhaps the only thing that has kept me involved this long (well, if i were to discount my ridiculous MUT-addictive tendencies, which is the primary factor).

Ya I have noticed that this year. It’s very very apparent it’s a cash grab and everything they do is motivated behind money. At least in some of the previous years, there were a few things they’d give out for free. Now we see none of that and no uniqueness among the programs.

The license is only for another year or 2 right? I think it just got renewed in the past few years and the renewal wasn’t for very long. Hoping we get another competitive game soon so EA will have to try again. The monopoly they have over football has just killed their motivation. Although I can’t imagine the NFL going with anyone besides EA cuz I’m sure they get a HUGE chunk of the earnings from this cash grab.

xxRaiderGang21xx said:

Ya I have noticed that this year. It’s very very apparent it’s a cash grab and everything they do is motivated behind money. At least in some of the previous years, there were a few things they’d give out for free. Now we see none of that and no uniqueness among the programs.

The license is only for another year or 2 right? I think it just got renewed in the past few years and the renewal wasn’t for very long. Hoping we get another competitive game soon so EA will have to try again. The monopoly they have over football has just killed their motivation. Although I can’t imagine the NFL going with anyone besides EA cuz I’m sure they get a HUGE chunk of the earnings from this cash grab.

The latest info I could find suggests this was extended through May 2026, so we've got a couple more years to go, oof.  Source: https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/28/21270647/madden-nfl-ea-renew-contract-license-football

Financial terms of the renewal were not disclosed. Asked for information about the extension’s length, an NFL representative confirmed to Polygon that the new contract runs for six years “starting today,” taking the agreement through May 2026. The rep also said the contract includes a provision for a one-year extension at the end. That additional year depends on EA hitting certain revenue targets, reports The MMQB’s Albert Breer.

As Polygon previously reported, the NFL’s old deal with EA was scheduled to expire in early 2022, at the end of the 2021 NFL season. The renewal will carry the Madden series through what would be Madden NFL 26. Assuming that EA’s typical cadence continues, that game will be released in the summer of 2025 — 20 years after Madden NFL 06, the first entry in the franchise under the exclusive contract. EA’s original agreements with the NFL and its players’ union were announced in December 2004, wiping out any and all competing products (including Sega and Take-Two Interactive’s beloved NFL 2K franchise).

At this point, our only hope seems to be that perhaps EA will be SO full of themselves that they no longer think they need to hold (or pay for) the exclusive rights, but there's zero chance they want to deal with actual competition, so whatever it costs them, i am worried they'll pay it.  However, the Generic `Murican Fatball Club Game could always become a possibility, thinking how EA handled FIFA, which i would have also assumed was popular.  Although nothing brings in the dinero liek the NFL.

xxRaiderGang21xx said:

Ya EA is a trash company. Always trying to find ways to do as little work as possible and make as much money as possible. They used to put effort into the older Maddens and it showed

Thats just about every company anymore. It's the world we live in, sad but true.

peatrick said:

The latest info I could find suggests this was extended through May 2026, so we've got a couple more years to go, oof.  Source: https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/28/21270647/madden-nfl-ea-renew-contract-license-football

Financial terms of the renewal were not disclosed. Asked for information about the extension’s length, an NFL representative confirmed to Polygon that the new contract runs for six years “starting today,” taking the agreement through May 2026. The rep also said the contract includes a provision for a one-year extension at the end. That additional year depends on EA hitting certain revenue targets, reports The MMQB’s Albert Breer.

As Polygon previously reported, the NFL’s old deal with EA was scheduled to expire in early 2022, at the end of the 2021 NFL season. The renewal will carry the Madden series through what would be Madden NFL 26. Assuming that EA’s typical cadence continues, that game will be released in the summer of 2025 — 20 years after Madden NFL 06, the first entry in the franchise under the exclusive contract. EA’s original agreements with the NFL and its players’ union were announced in December 2004, wiping out any and all competing products (including Sega and Take-Two Interactive’s beloved NFL 2K franchise).

At this point, our only hope seems to be that perhaps EA will be SO full of themselves that they no longer think they need to hold (or pay for) the exclusive rights, but there's zero chance they want to deal with actual competition, so whatever it costs them, i am worried they'll pay it.  However, the Generic `Murican Fatball Club Game could always become a possibility, thinking how EA handled FIFA, which i would have also assumed was popular.  Although nothing brings in the dinero liek the NFL.

Ah ya that’s what I thought. Funny how the extensions is contingent on EA hitting revenue targets. Seems like the NFL just wants to go with whatever company will earn them the most money. 
I would say we have a chance after how the FIFA thing went down, but the NFL is a bit more money hungry so I doubt they’ll open up competition and potentially hurt all the free profits they are raking in.

Would be refreshing if another big company challenged EA tho. Hopefully we might be able to sway things a bit if we continue to complain about the game over the next few years. We’d all also need to stop buying packs so they don’t hit their revenue marks for that extension.

skruffydan said:

Thats just about every company anymore. It's the world we live in, sad but true.

Very true. It’s a shame it’s come to this. Interesting how our economy was shaped on not allowing monopolies to form and allowing diversity in our market, yet nowadays it seems every industry is being bought up by 1 company, forming a monopoly in that industry. Unfortunately things will only get worse before they might get better

I used to like Madden a lot before the animations took over. I deal with it now, because we dont have a choice, but I really do not care for the gameplay all that much and I dont play that much. 

For example: What I mean by "animations" is the inability at times to come back to the football after clicking onto your WR. The game literally wont let you try to catch the ball.. At times, it seems like as soon as the ball is thrown it is destined to be an interception.

Also, dont care for the way running with the ball works. Maybe this is a result of new gen consoles? 

The game has become so computer animation based it is frustrating to play. And yes, there is an talent equalizer in the game. 

Honestly, I find nothing but frustration from playing this game. It was never as bad as it is now. 

MUT is largely a computer controlled, pack opening game. Ive seen former NFL players refuse to play MUT because its so animation based. 

Now, would I like it to change? Sure. Do I care all that much? Hmm...im getting too old to care. I have no reason to play-through bogus happenings in the game. If I find myself down 2 scores in the 2nd half I'll quit out. Whats the point of playing at that point? 

Its also wild some think NCAA will be better when the same company is making it. And for those that want 2k to bring competition, well, NBA 2k is just as bad and maybe worse. The player movement is comically bad in NBA 2K. 

Oh, and the QB pocket movement...not good to me. 

For ideal player movement, check out NBA Live 2002, NCAA 2002, etc. 

Also, its wild they think the player base will rise (if that is what the article states). So I happen to agree with Mr. Peacock. I think Madden is for sure at its pinnacle in terms of this, unless there is growth outside the 🇺🇸 to be had, which is possible as I dont know those numbers.

As for the AI generated card art to reduce costs...😆 How much were these digital artists making? That is going to make a huge difference on the bottom line, huh? 😆

Be much better off doing this:

1. Make the game better. 

2. Fix servers.

3. Revamp the slow menus.

4. Want to increase revenue? A better game with better ideas and modes (superstar and CFM mode could be a massive $$ makers)...and sell more in-game advertising and promo's.

Seems simple.

At least comments like this will help to boost my tech stocks

Have you read the descriptions in some of the solo challenges? seems like a bad AI wrote those lol. 

See the Ghosts of MUT  solos

EA greedy gnawing rats

Him thinking they can increase their player base by 50% is hilarious delusion. This dude trying to gaslight the stockholders and probably selling his shares on the low lol.

xxRaiderGang21xx said:

Ya I have noticed that this year. It’s very very apparent it’s a cash grab and everything they do is motivated behind money. At least in some of the previous years, there were a few things they’d give out for free. Now we see none of that and no uniqueness among the programs.

The license is only for another year or 2 right? I think it just got renewed in the past few years and the renewal wasn’t for very long. Hoping we get another competitive game soon so EA will have to try again. The monopoly they have over football has just killed their motivation. Although I can’t imagine the NFL going with anyone besides EA cuz I’m sure they get a HUGE chunk of the earnings from this cash grab.

Honestly, i don't even give a shit about a NFL license. I'd play a game with all made up players built from scratch as long as it's better than Madden. Idc about playing with NFL players or old legends since none of them play the way they do in real life anyway. MLB The Show is way more detailed and you actually feel like you're using the player. Madden just has names but every player is pretty much the same.