While and are hard at work defending the clout of the gaming platform, Sports' has taken a swipe at the format's significance when it comes to game sales.

The exec believes sports games are now the preserve of consoles in the main, with the PC over-run with piracy; or heading towards a download-only future.

Moore tells his blog that consoles "have attracted millions of consumers to eschew the 'lean in' PC sports gaming experience for the 'lean back' full room console experience," thanks to next-gen technology in the main.

It's a matter of economics apparently: "I know this concept touches a nerve with some of you, but our is founded on publishers that have driven for financially-successful games and then re-invested the proceeds in of even more content for gamers to enjoy."

Regardless, changes are afoot at EA Sports, it would seem.

"In order to make fundamental shifts in an ecosystem, you sometimes have to hit the reset button. That's what we have done this year at as regards some of our franchises on the PC," Moore writes.

"That does not mean that we aren't coming back next year with new, innovative, maybe even less-expensive ways to play all of our franchises on the PC, but for right now we are assessing all of the options open to us to shift the current paradigm for our games on this platform."

By Luke Guttridge