Quarterly numbers: EA with records, the digital business is humming

EA ended the fiscal year 2017 with a record turnover. In the fourth quarter, approximately $ 1.527 billion was invested and the profit was $ 566 million. Digital sales, game consoles and extra content remain the decisive forces. However, much more complete games were downloaded.

For the year as a whole, EA reports revenue of $ 4,845 billion (Net Revenue) and $ 4,942 billion, respectively (net sales). Approximately 61 percent of net sales were generated in digital form: 3.034 billion US dollars represents an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous year. The digital sales as well as the “increasing success” with the so-called live services, which include additional content (extra content), abmodels and advertising, are led as driving forces. In the next fiscal year sales are to grow to over 5 billion US dollars and the profit exceed one billion US dollars, according to the forecast.

Live services and game consoles

The revenues of digital sales have thus far divided EA into full game downloads, extra content, subs / ads / other and mobile. From the current financial year 2018, the categorization will change: ExtraContent as well as Subs / Ads / Other will be combined under Live Services. Together these categories rose to $ 518 million in the fourth quarter, accounting for 59 percent of digital sales. In fiscal year 2017 accounted for 55 per cent of these areas.

However, the growth of the previous third fiscal quarter is a different category in the front line: sales of downloading complete games climbed 43 percent to 192 million US dollars. Live services, on the other hand, rose by only 28 percent, while the Mobile segment remained virtually unchanged at 1 percent plus and 175 million US dollars.

EA also encapsulates sales by platform in the document (PDF). A little surprising, the game consoles remain at 515 million US dollars and 58 percent respectively. PC & Other brings it to about 22 percent and is ahead of mobile with 20 percent.

These game features have been announced

For the current financial year 2018, which began on 1 April 2017 and continues until 31 March 2018, EA has announced several new titles. In the first quarter there is no new entry, while in the second quarter with FIFA 18, Madden 18, NBA Live 18 and NHL 18 to be four titles of the established sports series. In the third quarter, and thus in the late course of the calendar year 2017, a new Need For Speed with the missing pause function is to be released. In the same period is also expected Star Wars Battlefront 2, here EA has already called the 17th November as an appointment. An exact date is not yet known for the fighting sport game UFC 3, which is expected with the fourth fiscal quarter however only in the calendar year 2018.