Tuesday marks the North American launch of FIFA 2017, the largest sports game franchise globally and one of the biggest annual events in the $80 billion gaming industry. Over 100 million copies of FIFA have been sold since “FIFA International Soccer” was first released in 1993, making it one of the crown jewels in Electronic Arts’ EA -0.90% empire.
But it wasn’t always this way—either for EA Sports’ FIFA franchise or the company itself. In this week’s episode of Fortune Unfiltered, EA CEO Andrew Wilson sits down with Aaron Task to discuss the arc of his career, which is closely tied to the FIFA franchise. The CEO’s career has closely tracked the rise of Electronic Arts’ mega-franchise. Tuesday marks the North American launch of FIFA 2017, the largest sports game franchise globally and one of the biggest annual events in the $80 billion gaming industry.
Over 100 million copies of FIFA have sold since “FIFA International Soccer” was first released in 1993, making it one of the crown jewels in the Electronic Arts’EA -0.90% empire. But it wasn’t always this way—either for EA Sports’ FIFA franchise or the company itself. In this week’s episode of Fortune Unfiltered, EA CEO Andrew Wilson sits down with Aaron Task to discuss the arc of his career, which is closely tied to the FIFA franchise. After joining EA in 2000, Wilson started a small surfing game, ultimately working his way up through the company. A few years into his tenure, he moved to Vancouver.
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At the time, FIFA was the number two soccer game on the market, behind Pro Evolution Soccer, struggling. Under Wilson’s leadership, EA Sports FIFA broke out and became a juggernaut. “We were, I think, 19 different nationalities, speaking 20 different languages,” Wilson recalls. “We were like the UN of game development… but we all shared this one love, and we shared this love for football.”
Leading the revival of FIFA’s brand was a prelude to Wilson’s overall success at EA after being named CEO in September 2013. In the four years before the tumbling share price, any endured losses totaling $2.5 billion. and was called “Worst Compan,y in America” by Consumerist (a unit of Consumer Reports) in 2012 and 2013. After Wilson took over, EA notched big revenue increases and doubled its stock price in 2014. Wilson was named number three on Fortune’s 2015 Business Person of the Year list for leading EA’s revival.
In addition to being a soccer fan, Wilson is an avid surfer and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He brings a fighter’s mentality to the business world: “Even when you get to a powerful position… you always have to be moving forward.” See also: Accenture’s Julie Sweet Took an Unusual Route to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women List
EA has remained successful by valuing players and their experiences while adapting to the constant changes in the video game industry. “If we start every conversation with ‘what is good for the player,’ then ultimately, we will all orient towards a single point of inflection,” says Wilson, whose company’s mission statement is to “inspire the world to play.”
