Electronic Arts should think “Solid” not “Social”

Electronic Arts has been heavily criticized for their recent financial performance. Most people are suggesting that they were too heavily tied into the packaged goods model and were left sleeping as Zynga et al. reshaped the market with social  game play.

There are certainly elements of truth to this critique, but there are alternatives to creating yet another set of grind based, microtransaction focused, Facebook games. Treat expertise with manufacturing and retail channels as strategic advantages, not liabilities. Make products that leverage real social networks as much as virtual ones.

Rockband and the Wii have shown that people with pay for novel hardware and interactions. If EA rethought games as experiences that take advantage of conditioned responses and social connections for a desired response rather than sport or vehicle simulations they could open up huge markets.

Two of three Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity accounts for 70% of health care costs in the US. Working out isn’t fun. Build a “game” experience that makes losing/maintaining weight enjoyable and Zynga’s revenue will seem paltry.

Integrate a pedometer, scale, and exercise bike. Tie it in with achievements, badges, and all the virtual trinkets that power social gaming. As service like Foursquare/Gowalla are showing game mechanics can be applied to a host of interactions that don’t begin with a D-Pad. Nike+ has done some work in this vein, but it isn’t their focus.

There is obviously short term value in getting into social games, but people pay for plastic and it will be a lot harder for upstarts to challenge things on the shelf at Walmart.

Tagged as: Electronic Arts, Social network, Video game, Zynga