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Asked about Switch 2, EA says new platforms ‘are typically good for us’
Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson was asked about the expected launch of new Nintendo hardware during an earnings call on Wednesday.
The exec responded by saying that, while he would not comment directly on any unannounced platforms, broadly, the launch of more powerful hardware has benefited the publisher and its franchises FC, Battlefield and Madden.
“I can absolutely not comment on anything that has not been announced, or acknowledge it in any way,” he responded, when asked about reports that a new Nintendo console will release this year.
“What I would say however is, to the extent that platforms over the course of the last 20 years [have] offered improved CPU, GPU, memory, battery life, screen resolution… to the extent that those things have happened, where we’re able to deliver more immersion for our players, particularly around our biggest franchises like FC, like Madden, like Apex, like Battlefield… that has typically been very good for our business.
“Our players’ ability to really experience our games at the highest level has typically worked out very well for us.
“So without commenting at all about anything around Nintendo or Switch, I would just say new platforms are good for us, and when new improvements offer improved [power], that is typically a plus for our portfolio of games and the communities that play them.”
Although the company has yet to comment publicly, Nintendo’s Switch successor is widely expected to launch this year.
VGC reported last summer that development kits for ‘Switch 2’ were in the hands of key partner studios, with a launch expected in late 2024.
Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based game industry consultancy Kantan Games, recently predicted that the new console could launch at $400 – $100 higher than the Switch launched at – and there’s a chance its games could adopt the $70 pricing of PS5 and Xbox Series X.
According to the industry consultant, Nintendo’s next console will again have portable functionality, as VGC reported last year.
