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Respawn Co-Founder Vince Zampella Clears Up Titanfall Exclusivity Confusion
Earlier today, EA conducted its second quarter 2014 financial earnings call. During the question and answer section, chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen stated with no uncertainty that Respawn’s Titanfall will be exclusive to Microsoft platforms and PC “for the life of the title.” What was unclear was whether this meant the first game or the franchise. Now we know the answer.
Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella took to Twitter to address concerned fans. In response to a fan asking whether Titanfall is an exclusive Microsoft franchise or if the comments pertain only to the first game, Zampella is clear. “First game,” he tweeted.
He also suggests that Microsoft’s exclusivity wasn’t always for the “life of the title,” as Jorgensen put it.
Always MS exclusive at launch, great partner and focus is good for a startup. EA made a deal for the rest, we only found out recently =(
— Vince Zampella (@VinceZampella) October 29, 2013
Regardless of how Titanfall started its life, it seems clear that this first title won’t be gracing the PlayStation 4, the only other likely home for the title. What happens after that will be determined by sales, revenue potential for further entries, and the individuals involved.
[Source: @VinceZampella (1), (2)]
Our Take
I’ve seen a number of comments suggesting that EA’s decision to go with Microsoft exclusively for Titanfall is about some kind of friendship that trumps sales potential. The fact is that third-party exclusives cost money (and quite a lot of it). In order for this deal to exist, there must be enough cash at play to trump the opportunity cost of foregoing one major platform. If Titanfall is as successful as I expect it will be, exclusivity for a sequel might cost more than Microsoft is willing or able to spent.
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