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Source:  3Dup.com - The Computer Graphics Portal
URL:  http://3dup.com/news/view.vfx?nid=274
Category:  Games
Overview about EA’s Near Future Included
3Dup.com - November 11, 2009 - 13:22
EA has announced a plan to narrow its product portfolio to provide greater focus on titles with higher margin opportunities.

This action will result in the closure of several facilities and a headcount reduction of approximately 1,500 positions, of which 1,300 are included in a restructuring plan. The majority of these actions will be completed by March 31, 2010. This plan will result in annual cost savings of at least $100 million and restructuring charges of $130 to $150 million.

EA remains committed to delivering high quality games for consumers and leading the industry in the growing digital direct gaming sector.

Highlights
  • EA was the #1 publisher in North America and Europe fiscal year to date, with 21% segment share - up four points. EA had four of the top-ten games in both North America and Europe.
  • Eight EA titles launched this quarter with a Metacritic rating of 80 or above, including: NHL® 10, The Beatles: Rock Band, FIFA 10, Battlefield 1943™, Madden NFL 10, NCAA Football 10, Dead Space™ Extraction, and Need for Speed SHIFT. Calendar year-to-date, EA has 17 titles rated at 80 or above.
  • FIFA 10, with a Metacritic rating of 91 on the Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3, was EA’s strongest European title launch in its history - selling 4.5 million copies in week one.
  • Madden NFL 10 was the #1 title in North America for the quarter, according to NPD.
  • Need for Speed SHIFT, with a 22 point increase in quality as measured by Metacritic, sold over 2.5 million copies in the quarter.
  • Digital non-GAAP net revenue was an all time quarter high at $138 million - up 23 percent year-over-year.
  • EA recently signed five new advertising partners - Johnson & Johnson, Doritos, Apple, Pfizer and Renault -- for $7 million in incremental advertising bookings.
  • EA Mobile, the world’s leading publisher of games for phones, delivered $50 million of non-GAAP net revenue in the quarter - up nine percent year-over-year. EA is the #1 publisher of games on the iPhone with seven of the top 10 games; and #1 on Verizon with eight of the top 10 games.
Acquisition of Playfish
EA has announced that it has acquired Playfish Limited, a leading social games company, for approximately $275 million in cash and approximately $25 million in equity retention arrangements. In addition, the sellers are entitled to up to an additional $100 million in consideration upon the achievement of certain performance milestones. The acquisition accelerates EA’s growth in social entertainment and strengthens its focus on the transition to digital and social gaming.

Playfish will operate within EA Interactive, a division of EA focused on the web and wireless space. Playfish’s industry-leading talent and critically acclaimed games join EA to capture the exciting opportunities for social gaming and networking across a mass-market audience.

Business Outlook
The following forward-looking statements, as well as those made above, reflect expectations as of November 9, 2009. Results may be materially different and are affected by many factors, including:
  • Development delays on EA’s products.
  • Competition in the industry; the health of the economy in the U.S. and abroad and the related impact on discretionary consumer spending.
  • Changes in anticipated costs.
  • Expected savings and impact on EA’s operations of the Company’s cost reduction plan.
  • Consumer demand for console hardware and the ability of the console manufacturers to produce an adequate supply of consoles to meet that demand.
  • Changes in foreign exchange rates.
  • The financial impact of the Playfish acquisition and potential future acquisitions by EA.
  • The popular appeal of EA’s products; EA’s effective tax rate.
  • ... and other factors detailed in this release and in EA’s annual and quarterly SEC filings.
More Information at www.ea.com