EA: Music Genre Could Rebound, Skating Games Sliding

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After producing several billion dollars a few years back, the music genre will be lucky to generate $400 million in 2010. But EA CEO John Riccitiello says the category can recover...he isn't so sure about skateboarding games, though.

In speaking to Kotaku, Riccitello spoke about the future of certain franchises, like Harmonix's Rock Band, which has admittedly remained stellar throughout. Still, the music genre has fallen off big time and the boss isn't entirely sure how it will recover; perhaps through innovation...? Said Riccitiello:

"I think the music genre is going to recover. I don't know exactly how. It could be based on some new innovation. Maybe it all becomes dance-based."

Even though Rock Band 3 is a darn good game and in our estimation, the best one going in the music category this year, Viacom has since put Harmonix on the auction block. There have been rumors that EA might want to pick up the studio, but Riccitiello recently said doing so would be like "trying to catch a falling knife." And as for the skateboarding genre, which has also taken a dive - despite EA's solid efforts with the Skate series - Riccitiello isn't holding out hope:

"When it comes to action sports, I think that's going to be an an ongoing exciting genre. But at least for the level of excitement out there, skateboarding seems to have run its course as the representative example in that broader genre."

Things change. The industry flexes and bends. Companies like EA have to try to keep up and to be perfectly honest, we don't envy them in the slightest. It's gotta be...wicked hard.

Tags: ea, electronic arts, game industry, music games

12/1/2010 9:18:32 PM Ben Dutka

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