Electronic arts social gaming

A growing number of people are using game platforms to watch movies, attend concerts and just hang out with friends. In-game birthday parties and graduations also are becoming more common. Next-generation consoles from Sony Corp and Microsoft Corp due later this year also are expected to generate more buzz around gaming.

Star Wars: Squadrons, launching in October, also allows for cross-play support. Future release dates may hinge on how long the pandemic lasts. With some 6, employees working from home, Electronic Arts has managed to roll out several titles and updates without a hitch.

Click here to join our channel indianexpress and stay updated with the latest headlines. Must Read. And just last week, EA laid off an undisclosed number of employees as part of a streamlining movement to become more efficient and sharpen its focus. And that action came days after EA was named the "Worst Company in America" by consumer watchdog website The Consumerist for the second year in a row. In an open letter to gamers last week, EA chief operating officer Peter Moore said the company could do better, but added the label of "worst company" was undeserved.

Analysts say Playfish appears to have been a bet that just didn't work out for the company. The Playfish acquisition was the spark that led to enormous valuations and takeover prices of social gaming companies. Facebook, though, has become a less important platform for games in recent years as mobile games have shown a significantly stronger growth pattern. Playfish never really made that transition. The opportunity for growth is much smaller than people thought. Certainly, they can keep it going to some degree with PopCap, but most other people are moving aggressively toward mobile and away from social.

Despite the recent move, Pachter remains bullish about EA's future. Others area bit more cautious, noting the company seems to be at a crossroads. Sebastian is neutral on EA. And Pidgeon notes that the company needs to become more realistic with its projections. And that's not the way to keep investors happy. Chris Morris MorrisatLarge.