EA COO sees retail as an important part of AAA digital business
Peter Moore believes traditional retailers still have a lot to offer the games industry, even as digital revenue becomes a necessary side of the business.
Speaking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Global Technology Conference, as reported by Gamasutra, the EA COO said retail is an important way of selling the base content which generates digital revenue as add-ons/.
"Once we get that disk installed in the tray of an Xbox or a PS3, we then look at our consumer on an ARPU basis. We love what retail does for us," he said.
"We love its ability to create massive launches and create excitement. GameStop probably sees three million hardcore gamers walk through their doors every day, and that's a marketing opportunity for us."
Moore said players have plenty of reasons to use traditional retailers, not the least of which is fear over the security of online transactions, which pre-paid points cards or vouchers overcomes.
Moreover, having digital content for sale right alongside physical packages makes a big difference.
"The other key thing is selling digital content on the day of launch. When we sold Mass Effect 3 back in March, we saw a 40 percent attach rate that first week to DLC at GameStop in the United States," Moore revealed.
"Not only are you selling a $60 game, you're selling $20 DLC, so the sale becomes $80."