EA hit $1 billion in digital revenue in 2011, shuffles division
EA CEO John Riccitiello has confirmed that EA achieved more than $1 billion in digital sales in 2011, and that the publisher's Interactive division is to be reorganised.
"By all measures, EA exited 2011 as a very different company. We empowered our creative teams, strengthened our IP and made progress in building a digital platform for our games and services," Riccitiello in an internal memo, obtained by Kotaku.
"One year ago, we set a stretch goal to grow our digital business to $1 billion annually. I'm proud to say that we achieved that goal in CY11. Crossing the $1 billion threshold is an incredibly important milestone – congratulations!
"Fasten your seatbelts. We're accelerating in 2012."
EA's Interactive division will now restructure.
COO Peter Moore, EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau, CTO Rajat Taneja and EVP of digital Kristian Segerstrale will keep an eye on the arm in its new form, which which will be reworked to accommodate the launch of new distribution service Origin, the success of FIFA Ultimate Team and the release of what's thought to be the most expensive game of all time, Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The change, according to Riccitiello, reflects what seems to be the company's new creed going forward: "everyone and everything is digital".
He added: "Four years ago, when we set out to establish in digital, we set up a number of structures to make this happen.
"Most obviously, we set up EAi to provide oversight for most of our mobile game teams, social teams and Pogo. At the time, most of the rest of the company was 'packaged goods.'
"Today, with the strong launch of SWTOR, the great success of digital services like FIFA Ultimate Team, the growth we're seeing with the EA Games Label's Play4Free initiative, the strong launch of Origin in 2011, and many other milestones, it's abundantly clear that the digital transformation is not confined to one group."
The reorganisation follows news that EA Interactive EVP Barry Cottle is to leave the company and head to Zynga as its EVP of business and corporate development.