Description Speaking with Mercury News, EA CEO John Riccitiello admitted that the giant publisher was wrong when it ignored Wii and focused on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 games development.
"We typically figured out who the market leader was going to be before the start of the cycle and bet with our development resources on that platform", he said. "We made the wrong call there (by betting on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), which made this transition harder than it would otherwise be."
"But now we're catching up, and I think we're fine. We've got some incredibly innovative Wii titles, incredibly innovative DS titles coming. And so I think that issue's sort of behind us."
When asked if he wish that Microsoft and Sony would do something to juice up their consoles' sales, Riccitiello said: "No, it's not. It's in my best interest that more consumers buy consoles. My job is to make sure that against the consoles and platforms that matter, we've got the right content. I can wish for there to be more PS3s or Xbox 360s in the marketplace. Wishing doesn't make me an effective CEO or EA a successful company."
"Right now, you're seeing an increased emphasis on Wii and DS titles, so we can drive a market on Wii and DS that's similar to what we have on the Xbox 360 and PS3. If we are successful there - and we will be - over the course of this and next year, it doesn't matter to me which platform prevails."
"This cycle is like every other cycle before it: There's been a dominant player (in this case, the Wii). Unusual in this cycle is there's a second and third place that is meaningful, against which we can build a profitable business. That's a good and positive thing."
