EA CEO Reportedly Calls FIFA Brand An "Impediment" To Its Football Games
After officially suggesting last year that it could part ways with the FIFA name, EA CEO Andrew Wilson has said more about the potential split in an internal meeting. In comments obtained by Video Games Chronicle, Wilson said that EA's popular football games could actually be better off without its long-term FIFA partnership.
EA has licenced the FIFA name for almost 30 years and is now at the end of its latest 10-year naming deal, which expires at the end of 2022 after the Qatar World Cup. While EA's next game will still likely release as FIFA 23, any subsequent games could release under a new name should EA choose not to renew the license.
You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or Sign in now!
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Now Playing: FIFA 22 Video Review
Late last year, EA expressed that it may decide to no longer use the FIFA name, while FIFA announced that it would be looking to end its exclusive arrangement with EA, and would be reaching out to more companies in the gaming space.
«I would argue--and this may be a little biased--that the FIFA brand has more meaning as a video game than it does a governing body of soccer,» Wilson told staff in comments published by VGC. «We don’t take that for granted and we try not to be arrogant. We’ve worked really hard to try and make FIFA understand what we need for the future.»
«Basically, what we get from FIFA in a non-World Cup year is the four letters on the front of the box, in a world where most people don’t even see the box anymore because they buy the game digitally,» Wilson continued. «In a World Cup year of course, we get access to the
Read more on gamespot.com
