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EA investigating virtual reality development

New CEO Andrew Wilson talks "modalities of play"

New Electronic Arts CEO talked virtual reality on a recent panel, and suggested the company is currently considering its options when it comes to new devices like the Oculus Rift.

"The thing I challenge my team to right now is - 'Listen, there's clearly a desire to add a modality of play to the three we're currently focused on,'" he said at SXSW Gaming, as reported by Polygon.

"I don't know who the technology partner is that's going to deliver that modality for us, but let's start thinking now about the experiences [...] so that we can deliver experiences that make sense for you; experiences that deliver on the promise and the fantasy of being inside a video game."

Wilson suggested that understanding how players interact with games now is key to those future platforms, rather than focusing on the specifics of the hardware.

"When we think about making games today, we think less about the technology or the means of experiencing the game, and we think more about the modality of play," he said.

"When I look at any of the VR devices, I look at that not in terms of 'What is that device going to deliver,' but a desire for gamers to have a different type of modality - the 'Get In' type of modality, right. That might be delivered to you through a headset, or through some hologram that evolves out of your living room floor."

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Rachel Weber

Senior Editor

Rachel Weber has been with GamesIndustry since 2011 and specialises in news-writing and investigative journalism. She has more than five years of consumer experience, having previously worked for Future Publishing in the UK.

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