EA warns against copycat publishing

Electronic Arts UK VP Keith Ramsdale has warned that publishers producing ‘me too’ product will struggle on Nintendo formats.

The publisher unveiled its Flips range last month – a line-up of e-books for kids on DS from popular authors including Enid Blyton and Eion Colfer.

And Ramsdale said that the range was another example of EA’s innovation in a market notorious for copycat product.

Where any publisher goes ‘me too’, they’re always going to struggle,” he told MCV. Unless you’ve got a compelling point of difference, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

If you look where EA’s successes so far in the Nintendo space have been – Littlest Pet Shop, EA Sports Active and more – wherever we’re first to market with an innovation, we perform really well. That’s why we’ve got high hopes for Flips.

[Nintendo’s] 100 Classic Books was out there, and that may have produced a thought in [EA Play VP] Harvey Elliott’s head, but to all intents and purposes we’re the first to market with this.”

Ramsdale’s comments come after Oxygen Games – best known for its Wii and DS titles – went into administration.

EA’s Flips will feature books from publishers Penguin and Egmont. Each title features multiple books and the first four SKUs will be released on December 4th.

The titles also feature quizzes and interactive elements to encourage children to finish each chapter.