Sometimes we can count on quarterly financial calls dropping hints about games we’re looking forward to, but there was no such excitement in today’s third quarter earnings call by Electronic Arts.
That said, there was plenty to chew on during the hour-long call.
Throughout, CEO John Riccitiello and friends bobbed and weaved between numbers and pats on the back regarding the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, and I jotted down these bits for you.
- Origin now has 9.3 million users.
- The Old Republic sold two million copies across retail, digital.
- TOR has 1.7 million active users, with 300,000 users having “opted out” (read: quit) or not started at all.
- A “majority” of the 1.7 million active users of TOR are paying subscribers.
- EA was reluctant to discuss the outlook of TOR, saying it had avoided the worst outcomes, the game was profitable, but that “there could be a wide range of outcomes.”
- There will be a “major update, larger than the first [one]” for TOR sometime in March.
- Pre-orders for Mass Effect 3 are currently ahead of where Mass Effect 2 during the same period.
- Battlefield 3 sold more than 11 million copies, and more downloadable content is coming.
- EA claims to have had 11% of the first-person-shooter “market” prior to Battlefield 3. Now, it claims to have 23%.
- Mobile games are a $100 million-per-year business for EA.
- The company expects to generate more than $100 million from FIFA Ultimate Team in the next year.
- A major social game, based on an unknown but existing EA property, has been delayed a few months.
- There will be five new Facebook games based on EA properties within the next year.
- When asked about copying in social games, Riccitiello said this: “Fast iteration and mimicry is something we have to guard against.”
The most interesting financial call of the week, however, should come tomorrow from THQ.