One thing important to note is that EA has a lot of exclusivity deals for the sports games that are driving up the cost of development far more than necessary and they are unwilling to let go of what is essentially a monopoly on sports games. Madden alone cost them $50 million in 2013. The cost of exclusive NBA, Star Wars, FIFA, NCAA, and who knows what else is probably costing them significantly more. By ending exclusives and allowing these organizations to create games with other companies, they could save half a billion dollars.