Electronic Arts' Top Retail Partner? Apple.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out by Electronic Arts

For games publisher Electronic Arts, brick-and-mortar stores have historically generated the bulk of its sales. But not anymore.

Reporting first-quarter earnings this week, EA said that digital sales have surpassed those made through physical outlets. The company's top retail partner for the period? Not GameStop. Not Walmart. Not Amazon.

Apple.

"Our quarter was notable for its strong digital sales," EA COO Peter Moore explained. "To that end, Apple was EA's biggest retail partner as measured by sales. That is a first."

That's quite a milestone for EA and Apple, both. Remember, EA is the world's third-largest gaming company.

Moore didn't say exactly how much revenue Apple was responsible for. But, of $495 million in total revenue EA posted for the quarter, $378 million was digital, and $90 million of that originated on smartphones and tablets. So, some portion of that.

Not a huge number, but big enough, and one that speaks to Apple's growing importance in the gaming space. How many more game sales will Apple drive once it has released iOS 7, which includes game-controller support? How many more when it finally brings gaming support to Apple TV - which seems inevitable? As Gabe Newell, co-founder of celebrated videogame publisher Valve, said earlier this year, "The threat right now is that Apple has gained a huge amount of market share, and has a relatively obvious pathway towards entering the living room with their platform. I think that there's a scenario where we see sort of a dumbed down living room platform emerging - I think Apple rolls the console guys really easily."

Electronic Arts ditches Online Pass finally.

At long last Electronic Arts has seen the light, they have listened to the scathing fans, they have reached some form of common sense in their corporate minds. The Online Pass a.k.a. Project Ten Dollar is finally being scrapped, no seriously, it’s over. The witch is dead. She can’t get you nor your little dog now.

After 3 ridiculous years of budget minded shoppers getting the shaft on buying used games, EA will no longer shove those stupid little codes inside each new copy of their blockbuster titles. Originally envisioned as ”an effort to package a full menu of online content and services,” otherwise none as “OP Jack the Consumer” the program morphed into a way to cut used games out of the system. Instead “many players didn't respond to the format.” And rightly so. Some people can’t drop $60 bucks down for every title and either have to wait for a sale (in which a significant time passes and often rendered the Online Pass invalid) or buy used.

“We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward." Say what? You guys listened? I guess being named “The Worst Company in America” will do that to you, just maybe. Although let’s be real here, there are far worse companies here than Electronic Arts. Of course now we have to sit back and wonder how they’re going to gouge us. $70 games? $30 map packs? It boggles the mind!

So what you geeks think? About time or too little too late?