Businessweek

Electronic Arts Inc. engages in the development, marketing, publishing, and distribution of game software content and services that can be played by consumers on a variety of video game machines and electronic devices (platforms). The platforms include video game consoles, such as the Sony PLAYSTATION 3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii; Personal computers, including the Apple Macintosh (referred to personal computers and the Macintosh together as ‘PCs’); Mobile devices, such as the Apple iPhone and Google Android compatible phones; Tablets and electronic readers, such as the Apple iPad and the Amazon Kindle; and the Internet, including social networking sites, such as Facebook. Brands The company’s portfolio of brands includes wholly-owned brands, such as Battlefield, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, The Sims, Bejeweled, and Plants v. Zombies. Its portfolio also includes brands based on licensed intellectual property, including sports-based brands, such as Madden NFL and FIFA, and titles based on other popular brands, such as Star Wars: The Old Republic. Labels EA Games The EA Games portfolio is comprised primarily of wholly-owned intellectual properties and includes franchises, such as Battlefield, Dead Space, Medal of Honor and Need for Speed. EA Games titles are developed primarily at the following EA studios: Criterion, DICE, EA Los Angeles, Visceral, and EA Montreal. EA Games also contracts with external game developers, to provide these developers with a variety of services, including development assistance, publishing, and distribution of their games. EA SPORTS EA SPORTS develops a collection of sports-based video games and related content and services marketed under the EA SPORTS brand. EA SPORTS games range from simulated sports titles with realistic graphics based on real-world sports leagues, players, events and venues to more casual games with arcade-style gameplay and graphics. Its EA SPORTS franchises include FIFA, Fight Night, Madden NFL, NCAA Football, NHL Hockey, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour. BioWare BioWare develops role-playing games, focused on stories, and unforgettable characters. BioWare’s portfolio includes the massively multi-player online (MMO) role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic and the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. BioWare operates in Texas, California, Canada, and Ireland. Maxis Maxis (formerly EA Play) focus on creating games and related content and services for a mass audience. Maxis games are intended to be accessible for people of all ages. Maxis products include wholly-owned franchises, such as The Sims, SimCity, MySims, and Spore. In 2012, the company released titles in The Sims 3 franchise, and together with Playfish, The Sims Social game on Facebook. PopCap PopCap develops games and includes Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies, Zuma, Peggle, and Bookworm. Social/Mobile Studios Social/Mobile studios are focused on developing interactive games for play on mobile devices and Internet platforms, including social networking sites such as Facebook. EA Mobile: Through EA Mobile, the company publishes games for mobile devices. Its customers purchase and download games through a mobile carrier’s branded e-commerce service and mobile application storefronts accessed directly from their mobile devices. It focuses on producing branded titles across a multitude of carriers, geographies, and mobile devices and tablets, including the Apple iPhone and iPad, and Google Android compatible phones. Playfish: Through Playfish, the company offers free-to-play social games, including The Sims Social, Pet Society, EA Sports FIFA Superstars and Madden NFL Superstars that can be played on platforms such as Facebook, Google, iPhone and Android. Pogo: Through Pogo online service, the company offers casual games, such as card, puzzle and word games on www.pogo.com, as well as on Facebook and other platforms. In addition, the company has a licensing agreement with Hasbro, which provides with the rights to create digital games for all major platforms based on Hasbro’s toy and game intellectual properties, including MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE (for United State