EA will "set the standard" at next-gen transition - Jenson

Electronic Arts' chief financial officer Warren Jenson has revealed more details of the company's strategies for handling the transition to next-generation platforms as well as plans to support current consoles.

In an interview with financial news site TheStreet.com, Jenson outlined the major factors driving EA's future plans, stating: "Our first priority: deliver great entertainment. Secondly, it's to be ready for the next generation."

"The critical thing for us is that we are ready with entertainment that utilizes that technology horsepower when those consoles emerge. Transitions are where you really set the standard for the next several years of your business," he explained.

"We just think it's the way you build a lead. If you look at our shares the last go-round in transition, our segment shares improved very dramatically by really being the leader. Making the necessary investments today, we'll be ready for this next generation of technology."

Jenson went on to discuss the importance of looking at the new platforms with a view to the future: "This is about sustaining what will continue to be a very strong business, and we have to take a much longer-term perspective than how many Xbox 360 units are sold in the fourth quarter of this calendar year," he said.

"This is about the next five years, not about the next two quarters."

However, Jenson was quick to point out that the current generation of platforms also need to be considered as the industry moves forward. "I would say without being quite that specific is the PlayStation 2 is going to be around for a while. And people are going to continue to buy that entertainment.

"I can show you a chart on just how strong pricing has held up for the top 20 titles in the marketplace. And the reason why it's holding up that strongly is because of the quality of the entertainment. People still love the stuff," he said.

Jenson declined to comment directly on the issue of Ubisoft's outspoken resistance to a possible EA takeover, stating only: "I can't speak for them and what and why they're saying it."

"I think our team has nothing but the best to say about Ubi and their employees. We admire their studios, we admire their creativity. We admire them. From our standpoint, we can't say anything but the best."

The full interview can be found here.