Battlefield 3, FIFA 12 Sell Over 10 Million Each
Also, Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.7 million subscribers.
Electronic Arts made public its financial results for the third fiscal quarter of 2011 and it's reporting that both Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12 sold 10 million copies each across their respective platforms. It also reports that Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.7 million active subscribers and has sold more than two million units in just a little over a month.
"We recorded our highest operating cash flow in 31 quarters and grew segment share in both Europe and North America," said Eric Brown, Chief Financial Officer. "Third quarter non-GAAP digital revenue grew 79% year-over year, and we achieved our goal of generating over $1 billion in non-GAAP digital revenue on a trailing-twelve-month basis."
Other significant data: five million copies have been sold of Madden NFL 12, Origin has 9.3 million registered consumers and has generated over $100 million, and PopCap has seen growth in revenue by 30 percent. Full details about the financial report can be seen in the press release.
Press Release
Electronic Arts Reports Q3 FY12 Financial Results
Q3 Non-GAAP Revenue and EPS Ahead of Expectations
Highest Operating Cash Flow in 31 Quarters
More Than $1 Billion in Non-GAAP Digital Revenue in Calendar Year 2011
Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12 Each Sells-Through Over 10 Million Units
Origin Generates $100 Million in Calendar Year 2011
Star Wars: The Old Republic Has More Than 1.7 Million Active Subscribers
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) today announced preliminary financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011.
"We are pleased to report a strong holiday quarter driven by Battlefield 3, FIFA12 and a strong showing by our digital games and services," said Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello. "Star Wars: The Old Republic is developing a committed community of players with more than 1.7 million active subscribers and growing."
"We recorded our highest operating cash flow in 31 quarters and grew segment share in both Europe and North America," said Eric Brown, Chief Financial Officer. "Third quarter non-GAAP digital revenue grew 79% year-over year, and we achieved our goal of generating over $1 billion in non-GAAP digital revenue on a trailing-twelve-month basis."
Selected Operating Highlights and Metrics:
Star Wars®: The Old Republic™ has generated 1.7 million active subscribers and sold through more than 2 million units in a little over one month.
Battlefield 3™ and FIFA 12 each sold through more than 10 million units. Madden NFL 12 has sold through almost 5 million units life-to-date.
EA was the number one publisher by segment share in Western markets for the calendar year, where EA segment share grew by 3% to 20% in Europe and by 1% to 17% in North America.
PopCap — which joined EA in August has grown revenue by 30 percent on a trailing-twelve-month basis.
EA's Playfish social gaming network released Risk™: Factions in partnership with Hasbro.
EA was the number one game publisher in the Apple App StoreSM in December. In December, EA's first free-to-play mobile game, The Sims™: FreePlay, reached the number one position on the list of top-grossing iPad® Apps.
EA's Nucleus registration system now has a database of more than 168 million consumers.
Origin™ — EA's direct-to-consumer digital service has registered more than 9.3 million consumers and generated more than $100 million in non-GAAP revenue since launch. Origin has publishing agreements with Warner Brothers, THQ, CapCom and recently added 11 new publishing partners including Trion and Robot Entertainment.
Non-GAAP digital revenue exceeded $1 billion in calendar year 2011 and continues to grow significantly with new subscriptions, micro-transactions and advertising.
Q3 FY12 Financial Highlights:
Non-GAAP net revenue of $1,651 million exceeded our guidance of $1,550 million to $1,650 million. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.99 exceeded our guidance of $0.85 to $0.95. Non-GAAP net revenue in Q3 fiscal 2012 was higher as compared to Q3 fiscal 2011 driven by digital growth and by the successful launches of Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
(in millions of $ except per share amounts)
Quarter
Ended
12/31/11
Quarter
Ended
12/31/10
Net Digital Revenue $ 274 $ 195
Net Publishing Packaged Goods and Other Revenue 738 767
Net Distribution Packaged Goods Revenue 49 91
GAAP Total Net Revenue 1,061 1,053
Non-GAAP Net Digital Revenue $ 377 $ 211
Non-GAAP Net Publishing Packaged Goods and Other Revenue 1,225 1,108
Non-GAAP Net Distribution Packaged Goods Revenue
49 91
Non-GAAP Total Net Revenue 1,651 1,410
GAAP Net Loss (205 ) (322 )
Non-GAAP Net Income 334 196
GAAP Diluted Loss Per Share (0.62 ) (0.97 )
Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share 0.99 0.59
Cash Flow from Operations 475 349
Trailing Twelve Month (TTM) Financial Highlights:
(in millions of $ except per share data)
TTM
Ended
12/31/11
TTM
Ended
12/31/10
GAAP Net Revenue $ 3,865 $ 3,478
GAAP Net Loss (173 ) (397 )
GAAP Diluted Loss Per Share (0.54 ) (1.20 )
Non-GAAP Net Revenue 4,204 3,683
Non-GAAP Net Income 311 173
Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share 0.92 0.52
Cash Flow from Operations 243 320
Q3 FY12 Digital Metrics:
(in millions)
Quarter
Ended
12/31/11
Quarter
Ended
12/31/10
GAAP Net Mobile Revenue
Non-GAAP Net Mobile Revenue
$
70
83
$
59
64
Monthly Active Users (MAU) in Social Games 52 39
Core Registered Users 160 98
Business Outlook as of February 1, 2012
The following forward-looking statements, as well as those made above, reflect expectations as of February 1, 2012. Electronic Arts assumes no obligation to update these statements. Results may be materially different and are affected by many factors, including: product development delays; 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; the financial impact of 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.
Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2012 Expectations — Ending March 31, 2012
GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $1.425 billion to $1.475 billion.
Non-GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $925 million to $975 million.
GAAP diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately $1.45 to $1.59.
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately $0.10 to $0.20.
For purposes of calculating fourth quarter fiscal year 2012 diluted earnings per share, the Company estimates a share count of 338 million.
Expected non-GAAP net income excludes the following from expected GAAP net income:
o Non-GAAP net revenue is expected to be approximately $500 million lower than GAAP net revenue due to the impact of the change in deferred net revenue (packaged goods and digital content);
o Approximately $45 million of estimated stock-based compensation;
o Approximately $20 million of acquisition-related expenses;
o Approximately $2 million of restructuring charges;
o Approximately $5 million from the amortization of debt discount; and
o Non-GAAP tax expense is expected to be $28 million to $41 million higher than GAAP tax benefit.
Fiscal Year 2012 Key Titles by Label and Platform
Q1 Games Alice: Madness Returns(2) Console PC
Portal 2(1) Console PC
Shadows of the Damned(2) Console
Maxis Darkspore PC
Q2 Sports FIFA 12 Console Handheld/Mobile PC
Madden NFL 12 Console Handheld/Mobile
NCAA Football 12 Console
NHL 12 Console
Maxis Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Console Handheld/Mobile PC
Q3 Games Battlefield 3 Console PC
Need for Speed The Run Console Handheld/Mobile PC
Sports FIFA Manager 12 PC
Maxis The Sims 3 Pets Console Handheld/Mobile PC
EAi Hasbro Family Game Night 4 Console
BioWare Star Wars: The Old Republic PC
Q4 Games Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning(2) Console PC
Syndicate(2) Console PC
BioWare Mass Effect 3 Console Handheld/Mobile PC
Sports SSX Console
EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis 2 Console
FIFA Street Console
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 Console
Note: (1) Distribution Title, (2) Co-Published Title.
This Key Titles Schedule is current as of February 1, 2012 and is subject to change. Electronic Arts assumes no obligation to update this schedule.
Conference Call and Supporting Documents
Electronic Arts will host a conference call on February 1, 2012 at 2:00 pm PT (5:00 pm ET) to review its results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2011 and its outlook for the future. During the course of the call, Electronic Arts may disclose material developments affecting its business and/or financial performance. Listeners may access the conference call live through the following dial-in number: 773-799-3213 (domestic) or 888-677-1083 (international), using the password "EA" or via webcast at http://ir.ea.com.
EA will also post a slide presentation that accompanies the call at http://ir.ea.com.
A dial-in replay of the conference call will be provided until February 15, 2012 at the following number: 203-369-0099 (domestic) or 866-356-3373 (international). A webcast replay of the conference call will be available for one year at http://ir.ea.com.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, Electronic Arts uses certain non-GAAP measures of financial performance. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the Company's results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures used by Electronic Arts include: non-GAAP net revenue, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) and historical and estimated non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items, as applicable in a given reporting period, from the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations:
Acquisition-related expenses
Amortization of debt discount
Change in deferred net revenue (packaged goods and digital content)
Loss on licensed intellectual property commitment
Loss (gain) on strategic investments
Restructuring charges
Stock-based compensation
Income tax adjustments
Electronic Arts may consider whether other significant non-recurring items that arise in the future should also be excluded in calculating the non-GAAP financial measures it uses.
Electronic Arts believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company's performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the Company's core business, operating results or future outlook. Electronic Arts' management uses, and believes that investors benefit from referring to, these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the Company's operating results both as a consolidated entity and at the business unit level, as well as when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate comparisons of the Company's performance to prior periods.
In addition to the reasons stated above, which are generally applicable to each of the items Electronic Arts excludes from its non-GAAP financial measures, the Company believes it is appropriate to exclude certain items for the following reasons:
Acquisition-Related Expenses. GAAP requires expenses to be recognized for various types of events associated with a business acquisition. These events include, expensing acquired intangible assets, including acquired in-process technology, post-closing adjustments associated with changes in the estimated amount of contingent consideration to be paid in an acquisition, and the impairment of accounting goodwill created as a result of an acquisition when future events indicated there has a decline in its value. When analyzing the operating performance of an acquired entity, Electronic Arts' management focuses on the total return provided by the investment (i.e., operating profit generated from the acquired entity as compared to the purchase price paid including the final amounts paid for contingent consideration) without taking into consideration any allocations made for accounting purposes. Because the final purchase price paid for an acquisition necessarily reflects the accounting value assigned to both contingent consideration and to the intangible assets (including goodwill), when analyzing the operating performance of an acquisition in subsequent periods, the Company's management excludes the GAAP impact of any adjustments to the fair value of these acquisition-related balances to its financial results.
Amortization of Debt Discount on the Convertible Senior Notes. Under GAAP, certain convertible debt instruments that may be settled in cash on conversion are required to be separately accounted for as liability (debt) and equity (conversion option) components of the instrument in a manner that reflects the issuer's non-convertible debt borrowing rate. Accordingly, for GAAP purposes, we are required to amortize as a debt discount an amount equal to the fair value of the conversion option as interest expense on the Company's $632.5 million of 0.75% convertible senior notes that were issued in a private placement in July 2011 over the term of the notes. Electronic Arts' management will exclude the effect of this amortization when evaluating the Company's operating performance and the performance of its management team during this period and will continue to do so, when it plans, forecasts and analyzes future periods.
Change in Deferred Net Revenue (Packaged Goods and Digital Content). Electronic Arts is not able to objectively determine the fair value of the online service included in certain of its packaged goods and digital content. As a result, the Company recognizes the revenue from the sale of these games and content over the estimated online service period. In other transactions, at the date we sell the software product we have an obligation to provide incremental unspecified digital content in the future without an additional fee. In these cases, we account for the sale of the software product as a multiple element arrangement and recognize the revenue on a straight-line basis over the estimated period of game play. Internally, Electronic Arts' management excludes the impact of the change in deferred net revenue related to packaged goods games and digital content in its non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating the Company's operating performance, when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods, and when assessing the performance of its management team. The Company believes that excluding the impact of the change in deferred net revenue from its operating results is important to (1) facilitate comparisons to prior periods during which the Company was able to objectively determine the fair value of the online service and not delay the recognition of significant amounts of net revenue related to online-enabled packaged goods and (2) understanding our operations because all related costs are expensed as incurred instead of deferred and recognized ratably.
Loss on Licensed Intellectual Property Commitment. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, Electronic Arts amended an agreement with a content licensor. This amendment resulted in the termination of our rights to use the licensor's intellectual property in certain products and we incurred a related estimated loss of $38 million. This significant non-recurring loss is excluded from our non-GAAP financial measures in order to provide comparability between periods. Further, the Company excluded this loss when evaluating its operating performance and the performance of its management team during this period and will continue to do so when it plans, forecasts and analyzes future periods.
Loss (Gain) on Strategic Investments. From time to time, the Company makes strategic investments. Electronic Arts' management excludes the impact of any losses and gains on such investments when evaluating the Company's operating performance, when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods, and when assessing the performance of its management team. In addition, the Company believes that excluding the impact of such losses and gains on these investments from its operating results is important to facilitate comparisons to prior periods.
Restructuring Charges. Although Electronic Arts has engaged in various restructuring activities in the past, each has been a discrete, extraordinary event based on a unique set of business objectives. Each of these restructurings has been unlike its predecessors in terms of its operational implementation, business impact and scope. As such, the Company believes it is appropriate to exclude restructuring charges from its non-GAAP financial measures.
Stock-Based Compensation. When evaluating the performance of its individual business units, the Company does not consider stock-based compensation charges. Likewise, the Company's management teams exclude stock-based compensation expense from their short and long-term operating plans. In contrast, the Company's management teams are held accountable for cash-based compensation and such amounts are included in their operating plans. Further, when considering the impact of equity award grants, Electronic Arts places a greater emphasis on overall shareholder dilution rather than the accounting charges associated with such grants.
Income Tax Adjustments. The Company uses a fixed, long-term projected tax rate of 28 percent internally to evaluate its operating performance, to forecast, plan and analyze future periods, and to assess the performance of its management team. Accordingly, the Company has applied the same 28 percent tax rate to its non-GAAP financial results.
In the financial tables below, Electronic Arts has provided a reconciliation of the most comparable GAAP financial measure to the historical non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements set forth in this release, including the estimates relating to EA's fourth quarter guidance information under the heading "Business Outlook", and the fiscal year 2012 key title slate, contain forward-looking statements that are subject to change. Statements including words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and statements in the future tense are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are preliminary estimates and expectations based on current information and are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or actual future results to differ materially from the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Some of the factors which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from its expectations include the following: sales of the Company's titles; the Company's ability to manage expenses; the competition in the interactive entertainment industry; the effectiveness of the Company's sales and marketing programs; timely development and release of Electronic Arts' products; the Company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, including the PopCap acquisition; the consumer demand for, and the availability of an adequate supply of console hardware units; the Company's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing platforms; the Company's ability to service and support digital product offerings, including managing online security; general economic conditions; and other factors described in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2011.
These forward-looking statements are current as of February 1, 2012. Electronic Arts assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. In addition, the preliminary financial results set forth in this release are estimates based on information currently available to Electronic Arts.
While Electronic Arts believes these estimates are meaningful, they could differ from the actual amounts that Electronic Arts ultimately reports in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011. Electronic Arts assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these estimates prior to filing its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011.
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