Electronic Arts Inc named its sports and digital games division head Andrew Wilson as chief executive on Tuesday, appointing the 39-year-old with a strong track record in leading game development after a six-month search.<\/p>\n
Wilson, who hails from Australia, joined Electronic Arts in 2000, climbing rapidly through the ranks in Asia and the United States.<\/p>\n
He took the reins at EA Sports, which publishes blockbuster titles such as soccer franchise “FIFA”, as an executive vice-president in August 2011. He also assumed responsibility for the company’s digital platform, “Origin”, in April, leading efforts to increase revenue from the game maker’s fast-expanding digital business.<\/p>\n
Wilson “was a safe choice as he is not going to shake things up,” said Colin Sebastian, an analyst at R.W. Baird.<\/p>\n
“He’s got credibility with developers in the studios, has been successful in growing FIFA and, as he ran Origin, that proves he has a digital pedigree as well.”<\/p>\n
Wilson said in a Tuesday blog post he will sustain the company’s investment in mobile gaming, the industry’s fastest-growing sector, along with traditional console-based and personal computer gaming.<\/p>\n
The executive spent much of his career at EA’s game-development studios, in roles revolving around game and content production, gaining credibility at a company that prizes creative talent.<\/p>\n
In contrast, former CEO John Riccitiello who abruptly stepped down in March after missed operational targets, joined Electronic Arts after stints at Pepsico and Clorox .<\/p>\n
“Andrew is the first studio executive to serve as our CEO, a testament to his blend of creative skills and business acumen,” Executive Chairman Larry Probst said in a blog post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Electronic Arts and rivals like Activision Blizzard Inc have seen growth fall sharply as gamers flock to free-to-play games on mobile devices or social networks.<\/p>\n
In recent years, Electronic Arts has tried to buy startups and invest in digital and mobile platforms while also trying to grow its console game franchises.<\/p>\n
To embrace new game platforms and adapt to consumer behavior, Electronic Arts, which currently has 9,000 employees worldwide, has been reorganizing its game studios and trimming its staff in recent months.<\/p>\n
Its shares were relatively unchanged in after hours trade after closing at $27.60 on the Nasdaq.<\/p>\n
Riccitiello left after six years at the helm. The company has had some recent slip-ups, including a botched launch of city-building game “SimCity” earlier this year, which was marred by technical glitches.<\/p>\n
Also, multiplayer online game “Star Wars: The Old Republic” initially failed to sustain subscribers after launching amid much hype in 2011 and the company now offers the game to users for free.<\/p>\n
Electronic Arts touts its two-decade old “FIFA” franchise as one of its most successful game series. It has grown “FIFA” by successfully offering a steady stream of online offerings and digital versions to be played on mobile devices, alongside the conosle game.<\/p>\n
“If (Wilson) can replicate that across other franchises, then EA as a whole will be better off,” Sebastian said.<\/p>\n
Like other publishers, the video game maker is now positioning itself to take advantage of the next-generation consoles like the Xbox One from Microsoft Corp and PlayStation 4 from Sony Corp, which will both hit store shelves in November.<\/p>\n
The company has a strong lineup of games for the upcoming consoles, including shooter “Battlefield 4” and a new sci-fi battle game, “Titanfall”.<\/p>\n
Wilson starts at an annual base salary of $800,000 and is eligible for a bonus of 150 percent of that upon hitting his targets, the company said.<\/p>\n
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