EA Sports FC relaxes restrictions on external application usage, benefiting Futbin.
Tech-driven Football Pioneer Futbin: Navigating the Rough Seas with EA Sports FC
Futbin, the brainchild of third-party entity Better Collective, has had an intricate dance with video game juggernaut Electronic Arts (EA) surrounding the popular EA Sports FC franchise. Serving as a companion app for the Ultimate Team mode, Futbin arms gamers with up-to-date live market data on player card prices and streamlined team-building visualizations.
Boasting approximately 3.5 million daily active users, Futbin seized the market lead from Futhead in the 2010s and has been on a mission to stay ahead ever since. With EA's valuable intellectual property – mainly data and images from the Ultimate Team mode – at the forefront, these tech-savvy businesses found themselves under EA's scrutiny emanating from their Redwood City, Calif., headquarters.
Yet, the icy relationship appears to be thawing. A wave of dwindling user engagement in Ultimate Team, EA's primary cash cow, has spurred the company to rethink its stance. In a move to breathe life back into Ultimate Team after a holiday season stumble, EA recently struck a licensing agreement with Futbin, permitting the sharing of game data. As the chilly climate warms, the potential for further collaboration lurks on the horizon, according to Christian Sørensen, senior head of Futbin and esports strategy at Better Collective.
"EA is starting to see the potential in a third-party collaboration," Sørensen explained in a video interview.
EA didn't mince words when it came to the partnership, stating in a statement, "We're pleased to have a community fansite agreement in place with Futbin, allowing them to provide data to our community of players. EA Sports FC has, and will continue to, keep community at the forefront of the game and supporting these community websites enables us to do this."
Following the Better Collective acquisition, Futbin underwent a thorough overhaul of its tech stack, leading to a short-term growth halt. Since then, the company has worked tirelessly to revive its image by promoting itself more visibly in the gaming community. By collaborating with EA, Futbin hopes to carve out a larger user base and bolster its reputation relative to competitors.
Futbin recognizes the importance of becoming a go-to hub for gamers' conversations, intentionally using social media influencers popular in the sports gaming realm to boost its presence. However, the company's older, organically grown forums beneath player profile pages have frequently been marred by trolling, an issue Sørensen states his team is aware of.
With the new alliance comes a heavier responsibility for Futbin to foster a brand safe, respectful environment. Moderation will no doubt play a significant role in upholding these values, and Sørensen revealed that while human moderators are currently being employed, AI tools could potentially take over in the future.
The relationship with EA represents a crucial stepping stone for Futbin's longevity, offering new opportunities for growth. However, Futbin has ambitions beyond EA Sports FC's soccer-focused universe. By partnering with real-world sports clubs and players – particularly in non-English speaking regions like Brazil – Futbin aims to cultivate micro-communities reminiscent of popular social media platforms such as Discord. Initiatives like these aim to create a more diverse, multi-faceted gaming experience.
"The main goal is making it interesting for fans to visit the site for something other than just checking prices," Sørensen declared.
Beyond EA Sports FC, Better Collective is eyeing potential collaborations with other video game companies, such as the League of Legends developer Riot Games, which also presents loot box-like mechanics. The NBA 2K series from Take-Two Interactive, featuring the basketball game's MyTeam mode, is a notable potential target due to its resemblance to Ultimate Team. However, treading carefully is key because both EA and Take-Two are fierce competitors, and Futbin is keen not to jeopardize its burgeoning relationship with EA.
"We've had our ups and downs with EA, but we're looking forward," Sørensen concluded.
- As Futbin continues to expand, they've expressed interest in partnering with other video game companies like Riot Games, developers of League of Legends, and Take-Two Interactive, the creators of the NBA 2K series, to broaden their horizons beyond EA Sports FC.
- With their partnership with EA, Futbin aims to enhance their reputation within the gaming community and expand their user base, not just by focusing on sports games but also by collaborating with real-world sports clubs and players, especially in non-English speaking regions like Brazil, to create a more diverse gaming experience, appealing to fans for reasons beyond checking prices.
