How EA’s CEO is Developing from People’s Need to “Steal”

EA’s CEO discusses how the company is using what they understand of the human psyche to strategize their business.

CEO of Electronic Arts Andrew Wilson has been revamping the way the company functions, and one of his initiatives is honing in on the human need to steal. Speaking at the GamesBeat conference this week, Wilson discusses what he believes is important for EA’s customers.

“Russell Simmons said to me once,” Wilson explains, “‘Human beings have an inherent need to steal.’ What he was really saying is human beings have an inherent need to get value.” And understanding how to incite that feeling with their customers is part of EA’s business strategy, especially around their newest service, EA Access.

EA Access is a subscription service that gives players access to EA’s catalog of games for $5 a month or $30 a year. The service will also offer discounts on digital purchases and beta access to upcoming EA games.

“What we want is to make you feel like what you get [with EA Access] is worth more than the money you have in your pocket.” He further elaborates that, “It’s really about saying that there is a player that wants to engage in our games at a huge value.”

Wilson also talked about the power games have in storytelling, and how it surpasses what movies and television can do. He described how video games will continue to develop more believable stories and characters, and that we’ll “start to see things that would have traditionally only have manifested themselves in film start to manifest in interactive, which is a far more powerful medium to tell a story.“

Since taking over as chief executive officer of Electronic Arts a year ago, Wilson has taken a more active role of being in the public eye. His statements at the conference coincide with Wilson’s mission to avoid EA becoming the worst company in the future.

Source: VentureBeat