how would you define the success of electronic arts's ultimate team feature in sports games?

Introduction

Defining the success of Electronic Arts' Ultimate Team feature in sports games requires a comprehensive approach to product success metrics. This feature, a cornerstone of EA's sports game portfolio, demands careful consideration of multiple stakeholders and complex user behaviors. To address this challenge effectively, I'll follow a structured framework covering product context, success metrics hierarchy, and strategic implications.

Step 1

Product Context

Ultimate Team is a game mode within EA's sports titles, primarily FIFA, Madden NFL, and NHL. It allows players to build and manage their dream teams using virtual cards representing real-world athletes. Users collect, trade, and compete with these teams in various online and offline modes.

Key stakeholders include:

1. Players: Seeking engaging gameplay and team-building experiences
2. EA: Aiming to drive revenue and player engagement
3. Sports leagues (FIFA, NFL, NHL): Protecting brand image and expanding fan engagement
4. Advertisers: Looking for exposure to a dedicated gaming audience

User flow:

1. Players start by opening card packs or purchasing individual cards from the transfer market
2. They build and customize their teams, considering player chemistry and tactics
3. Users compete in various game modes, earning rewards to further improve their teams
4. The cycle continues as players strive to build better teams and climb leaderboards

Ultimate Team fits into EA's broader strategy of creating long-term engagement and recurring revenue streams in their sports titles. It's a prime example of the games-as-a-service model, providing continuous content updates and monetization opportunities.

Competitors like Konami's eFootball and 2K Sports' MyTeam mode offer similar features, but EA's Ultimate Team remains the market leader due to its extensive licenses and polished gameplay.

Product Lifecycle Stage: Mature. Ultimate Team has been a staple of EA sports games for over a decade, with established mechanics and a large user base. The focus is on refinement, balancing, and maintaining engagement.