Graphics card exclusivity steps up – EA and nVidia tell all
The beginning of a massive shift in the way gamers think about the PC.
Electronic Arts has shed further details on its “strategic alliance” with nVidia, as reported late last week. In a statement to press, EA has confirmed that nVidia will be the preferred graphics technology employed at its game studios.
What’s more, Electronic Arts PC games, amongst the best selling in the world, will begin to carry the slogan, “nVidia: The Way it’s Meant to be Played,” giving the company a massive profile at store-shelf level.
The deal also mentions that beginning with the next generation of Electronic Arts PC games, exclusive content will be included for nVidia cards, with “…nVidia-specific features and special effects in several upcoming EA titles such as Madden NFL Football 2004 and others for the PC platform.” Reading between the lines, this seems to indicate that you will be able to play the games using other cards, but they’ll look rubbish.
It’s also interesting to note that the game specifically mentioned, Madden 2004, is one of EA’s key titles for the coming months in the American market, indicating the level of cosiness between the two companies.
Indeed, nVidia insiders openly admit the fact that pitches are in place for a variety of titles to be nVidia exclusive. “Per-title exclusivity is the ideal situation for nVidia,” we were told.
What’s more, Electronic Arts PC games, amongst the best selling in the world, will begin to carry the slogan, “nVidia: The Way it’s Meant to be Played,” giving the company a massive profile at store-shelf level.
The deal also mentions that beginning with the next generation of Electronic Arts PC games, exclusive content will be included for nVidia cards, with “…nVidia-specific features and special effects in several upcoming EA titles such as Madden NFL Football 2004 and others for the PC platform.” Reading between the lines, this seems to indicate that you will be able to play the games using other cards, but they’ll look rubbish.
It’s also interesting to note that the game specifically mentioned, Madden 2004, is one of EA’s key titles for the coming months in the American market, indicating the level of cosiness between the two companies.
Indeed, nVidia insiders openly admit the fact that pitches are in place for a variety of titles to be nVidia exclusive. “Per-title exclusivity is the ideal situation for nVidia,” we were told.