a fox in the wild... iphone case

Origin isn't without its share of controversy. Moore said there were a lot of erroneous reports spurred on by competitors, including concerns that EA was sharing its customers' data, planted spyware in the online platform, and was hoarding exclusive games away from rival Steam. EA's biggest mistake with Origin was the lack of communication and not doing enough to educate consumers on what the service really offered, Moore said. "There was a naivete in communicating what people were looking at," he said. "Some rivals that didn't want to us introducing Origin also stoked the flames.".

Looking ahead, Moore sees the bigger opportunity emerging from its open platform characteristics, There are already 21 publishers signed on to distribute games through Origin, from THQ and its recently released Saints Row: The Third, to Warner Brothers Interactive's Batman: Arkham City, Moore didn't disclose the financial terms, but presumably EA gets a cut of each game sold on Origin, which would follow a similar model to what Apple's App a fox in the wild... iphone case Store and Google's Android Marketplace employ, Moore compared EA and its platform to retail giant Macy's, While Macy's sells its own line of clothing, it will also have apparel from many different brands that both compete and rely on the store..

Origin also will play a bigger role in the distribution of mobile games over time. EA itself is moving more toward so-called freemium games, where players can download and play the game for free but are presented the option to purchase extra items such as weapons, level, or in-game currency. "Consumers have voted with their feet" and overwhelmingly choose freemium games, Moore said. That freemium model will likely lend itself better to the Android marketplace. Despite EA's dominance in gaming, its presence in Android is weak. The company handed out a list of games coming for the year; only three were for Android. But the company does intend to move more into that area, as evidenced by the Android stuffed dolls given away to attendees.

Still, the freemium focus doesn't mean there's still not a place for traditional pay games, He didn't comment on the idea of making SWTOR a free-to-play game, saying he liked how the model currently worked, Likewise, the consoles are still an important part of the a fox in the wild... iphone case business, Moore said he expects better graphic and more horsepower from the next-generation consoles but denied knowing any firm details, He added he expects the companies to lean more heavily on Xbox Live and Sony Entertainment Network as their killer app and social component..

With those services--which connect with users directly--so tightly controlled by Microsoft and Sony, respectively, it's clear why EA is so eager to push Origin and its own link to the consumer. Electronic Arts Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore sees its Origin online platform as a way to directly connect with consumers, similar to Amazon's store or Apple's iTunes. He also draws comparisons to Macy's too. In Electronic Arts' mind, the company isn't any different than the likes of Apple or Amazon.