On Electronic Arts' call to investors, CEO John Riccitiello promised "a great year" to come for EA Sports — and referred to a "new holographic interface" for Madden's 20th anniversary incarnation.
Holographic... interface?
Riccitiello also promised that the next NBA Live would take "a huge step up," with new features set to be unveiled at E3.
EA seems enthusiastic about its sports franchises, and Riccitiello says he expects EA Sports will help drive the company to an additional $1 billion in revenue and an 100 percent increase in operating income. Riccitiello was optimistic about the company's studio structure in general, also listing big things ahead for the Sims Studio: Two sequels for MySims, a new SimAnimals title, and the launch of The Sims 3.
"Our fiscal 09 operating plan keeps us on track to achieve our fiscal year target - even without Take Two," Riccitiello said.
During the same call, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau also expressed positive sentiments about EA's "city-state" label structure. "We have restructured... from a top-down and centralized model to a federation of highly creative teams, each with our own culture and vision," he said, noting a broad range of studios and properties from EA Mythic's Warhammer to Battlefield and Mirror's Edge at DICE.
Riccitiello was largely unable to comment on the specific state of the Take-Two acquisition, however. "We're obviously contained pretty clearly in what we're allowed to talk about," he said. "Our offer currently stands at $25.74 a share, or $2 billion dollars, and our valuation took fully into account the success of GTA... we'd anticipated a result much like what happened in the market."
"It's a spectacular game - I'm enjoying playing it - and offer enormous congratulations to the Rockstar team."