Games are catching up, says EA boss

Electronic Arts boss John Riccitiello has said he reckons games are becoming ever-more important as an entertainment media - especially compared to movies.

Speaking to the Financial Times he said, "The buzz in Hollywood, which I heard from some Hollywood folks... Is people are worried whether Iron Man the movie is going to get killed by Grand Theft Auto the game. I don't think I've ever heard of that before."

According to Riccitiello, the balance is shifting significantly as the games industry grows. "There is more interest today from Hollywood to make movies out of our games than there is interest in our industry to make games out of their movies. There's a big reset happening now," he observed.

"It feels like what movie moguls might have seen in the 1920s and said: 'Hey, we've got talkies now, where is it going?' I feel like we've stepped through a time window where our games are so compelling and seem so real."

For more from Riccitiello, including his plans to "bring great quality and innovation back" to EA, visit GamesIndustry.biz.