EA and Activision's $79bn games-as-a-service growth
DFC reports shows both publishers' values have surged since 2012 as they increase focus on live titles
A new report shows Electronic Arts and Activision have grown by almost $80 billion combined since ramping up their efforts with games-as-a-service.
The Business of Video Games, published by DFC Intelligence and spotted by GameDaily, shows that since 2012, EA's value has risen from $4 billion to $33 billion.
Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard has seen its market value soar from $10 billion to over $60 billion in the same period.
Activision's growth can partly be attributed to live titles like Destiny and Overwatch, but also some key acquisitions - most notably, the purchase of King for close to $6 billion back in 2015.
This deal brings the likes of Candy Crush Saga, Bubble Witch Saga and other hugely popular casual games into the fold. In fact, DFC reports that Activision's digital profits almost doubled in the year following the acquisition.
Electronic Arts, on the other hand, has its annual sports franchises to thank. FIFA, Madden, NHL and NBA are all live service titles, with Ultimate Team modes in UFC and Hockey bringing in additional revenue.
DFC actually estimates EA currently has 12 titles and storefronts that serve as live service platforms. In addition to the sports titles above, there's EA Origin, Origin Access, the Battlefield Premium Pass, The Sims 4, casual games website pogo and a double helping of Star Wars (Battlefront and The Old Republic).
In fiscal 2018, EA generated $2 billion from its live service games alone. DFC also notes that during the same period, the publisher's digital revenue rose by 31 per cent, while physical game sales dropped by 17 per cent.
That's not to say these companies are the unchallenged leaders in the live service space. NCSoft is cited as another prime example, with mobile game Lineage M boosting that company's revenues to $1.6 billion last year.