Major Executive, Label Shifts At Electronic Arts

Major games publisher Electronic Arts has announced a number of major organizational shifts for its various divisions and its top-ranking executives, among them the emergence of BioWare as its own label. The most major change is the formation of a division called EA Labels, which will oversee its EA Games, EA Sports, EA Play and BioWare divisions. EA Labels will be presided over by Frank Gibeau, formerly president of EA Games. BioWare has been splintered off from the EA Games label into its own organization. As part of the change, it will now oversee Dragon Age Legends studio EA2D, now part of a BioWare San Francisco organization, according to a new EA job post discovered by Gamasutra. EA Sports president Peter Moore, the former Microsoft executive who helped launch both the Xbox and Xbox 360, has been promoted to chief operating officer of Electronic Arts. According to company filings, he will oversee "EA’s global publishing organization, global online initiatives including the Origin platform, media sales and central development services." Finally, the company revealed that PopCap will be part of the EA Interactive business currently headed by Barry Cottle, following the close of its acquisition. PopCap will join Playfish, Pogo, EA Mobile, the company's online and mobile business in Asia, and its Hasbro partnership. EA CEO John Riccitiello commented that the move is part of the company's shift from 'defense' to 'offense' that he first outlined back in May. "We’re focusing on building our intellectual properties/franchises into year-round business," he wrote today. "We are already seeing big returns on our investment in change. That’s why this is precisely the right time to update our organization."