EA boss claims 3D gaming is giving 'poor returns'

3D gaming not appealing to enough gamers, according to EA boss
3D gaming not appealing to enough gamers, according to EA boss

EA boss John Riccitiello has claimed this week that the publisher sees little current demand for 3D gaming, with poor returns to date from the investments the company has made in 3D console and PC game development.

The gaming exec said that EA was "not here to drive a market" when discussing what he thought to be the slow uptake of 3D TVs in the home.

What customers want

"We are here to react to what customers want," said Riccitiello. And what gamers want (according to the hive-mind at EA HQ) is mobile and social gaming, not high def 3D console gaming.

3D watchers

Following EA's recent buy-out of leading mobile and social gaming developer PopCap, Riccitiello added: "We really see high returns in these markets…and very poor returns focusing on 3D, so we are allocating our resources toward new innovations."

Riccitiello added that most of the games industry's console development is focused on making games in 3D already, hence there is no need for a massive extra investment to produce stereoscopic 3D gaming content, unlike the current situation in the TV industry.

Nintendo has had to slash the cost of its glasses-free stereoscopic 3DS handheld this week, reportedly now losing money on every 3DS handheld sold.

Via VentureBeat

Adam Hartley