EA Play Live Is Cancelled. Why Does Nobody Care?
EA has canned their yearly gaming event - but nobody really cares. Why aren't fans devastated?
Joseph Kime
17th Mar 2022 16:46
Images: EA
As we seemingly move away from summers ruled by COVID anxiety, it looks as though that gaming companies are doing the same, and getting excited for events seasons. Though E3 is going all-digital this year, the likes of EGX and Gamescom seem to be adopting an all-systems-go attitude to getting back to the world of in-person gaming events.
And, of course, with these companies gearing up for a big year, developers and creators are doing the same. Many companies have distanced themselves from the likes of E3, but it doesn't keep them all from unveiling many of their new games around its dates, making for a two-week brick of huge announcements for the industry.
But, someone is missing. EA Play Live has been canned. The huge conference that brought us huge reveals last year has been left aside, with nothing similar to take its place.
But nobody actually gives a s**t. Sorry, EA.
Nobody Is Mourning EA Play Live
It was revealed that EA Play Live would not be going ahead in 2022, with an EA spokesperson stating that they'll reveal more about their ongoing projects "when the time is right for each of them."
This is pretty big news, what with EA being such a heavy-hitter in the gaming industry, as events season looks more and more uncertain despite the persistence of some conferences. Last year's EA Play Live introduced an all-new season and character to Apex Legends, and gave players all-new looks at FIFA 22 and Battlefield 2042, a game that was then expected to be a huge deal for the FPS genre.
EA Play, though many are reluctant to admit, is a pretty huge conference, and a pretty big point of sticking when it comes to yearly conferences. So why does nobody care?
EA Play Wanted Much More Fanfare Than It Got
Players simply do not care that EA Play Live has been cast aside in favour of individual reveals, mostly because of EA's presence in the gaming industry, no matter how many top-selling games they release.
EA has been known, for almost a decade now, as the company that peddles micro-transactions seemingly more than any other. The team have always seemed to avoid putting the consumer first, always coming off as more money-grubbing than sincere. Especially after the chaos that came with the launch of Battlefield 2042, it's no surprise that fans still think the same of them after so many years, making lofty promises, never following through, but still charging AAA prices on the way through.
It's clearly rubbed a lot of gaming fans the complete opposite way, and though many fans are still waiting on Jedi: Fallen Order 2, they'd still be more likely to avoid an EA conference either way.
EA Certainly Aren't Fan Favourites
Though EA Play Live is a nice accompaniment to the huge reveals of events season, it's not likely that anyone's going to feel the loss of a canned EA Play Live. We may well be too busy with Nintendo and PlayStation, whose branding hasn't quite fallen so far as EA's. The company aren't exactly well known for being good to their consumers, and consumers have responded accordingly.
Still, this isn't a bad thing - at least it means that games aren't being rushed or delayed in order to be a part of a bigger reveal. And maybe that's for the best. So basically, keep it to yourself, EA - we don't need it.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
