Former EA CEO Talks About Free-To-Play Games

Riccitielo also said that the difference between console and mobile games is not as big as we may assume.

Electronic Arts' former CEO John Riccitiello says that there is a right way to monetize the free-to-play model without players feeling like it is a pay-to-win game.

"Nobody feels bad about going to the bowling alley and paying for time or per game. Nobody feels bad about going to the old style arcades and paying to play," Riccitiello said in a recent report from Game Monetization USA. He also explained that players feel ripped off when they are paying for what isn't central to what they are trying to do in the game, or if it's trying to take money away from them too fast.

"Arguably the worst thing is if it feels like the only thing you had to do to progress was to pay money for it," he said. "People aren't interested in just a pay mechanic, they want to enjoy the game and demonstrate some level of skill and mastery." For games that manage to find the balance, Riccitiello mentioned Supercell's mobile hit Clash of Clans.

Riccitiello also said that the difference between console and mobile games is quite small, contrary to popular belief. "I drive a car on a freeway and in the city and I don't have one car for each," he said. "It's really a question of big screens, medium sized screens and small screens as well as touch versus controller inputs. I don't think it's really so much about mobile versus console."

Riccitiello resigned from EA in March 2013, and Andrew Wilson took his place as CEO in September later that year.