EA’s 2008 earnings will be announced during a conference call today at 2:00 PM PST. Besides WAR, EA publishes the Spore franchise which has done very well and is releasing expansions and console stand alone games this year. They also publish the Madden series which has done quite well.
There have been various rumors flying around the web mostly thanks to an unsubstantiated article on joystiq.com. Finally we can put these all to rest. Yes, there have been some layoffs, Mark Jacobs admits to this, as does EA. But read his responses here on WHA (easier than reposting from VN piecemeal)
Once the numbers are out I will post them here; below is a link to EA’s Investor Relations webcasts and conference calls. We all wanted to know the numbers of WAR, and soon we will at least know the financials.
http://investor.ea.com/events.cfm
Update:
There are currently 300,00 plus subcribers currently, generating $150MM profit (which may include all 3 of their IPs including Spore). This number may be for their full IP lineup including Spore; reading through the 8k and press release now. Not bad for a game people keep crying doom. Also, they are predicting for 2010 to grow that number. Overall the company posted a net loss of around $641MM, which is bad but misleading.
WAR Herald Press Release (Wow, Mythic doesn’t like giving the numbers, it took EA to do that. This is the report that Mythic linked to)
SEC Filings
The below release was actually from back in October. The current figures are listed above. Below is what Mythic re-posted
Everyone here at Mythic Entertainment is beaming with pride at the current success of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning! The WAR is raging, players are having a great time, and today we announced that we have 750,000 players registered. This is an incredible number just three short weeks after launch. We want to thank each and every one of you for your support, and we look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with all of you as our numbers continue to grow!
WAAAGH!
Click ‘Read More’ to check out the Press Release.
750,000 Players JOIN THE WAAAGH! IN
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
The Armies of WAR Continue to Grow as New Recruits
Join the Battle in Support of Order or Destruction
FAIRFAX, Va. – October 10, 2008 – Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that 750,000 players have registered for the critically acclaimed fantasy MMORPG, Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) in North America, Europe and the Oceanic territories. WAR topped the PC sales charts around the world at launch, and is on track to be one of the best-selling PC games of 2008.
“Thanks to our players, the war between the Realms continues to escalate at an incredible pace,” said Mark Jacobs, co-founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “The battlefields are alive with three quarters of a million players fighting for the forces of Order and Destruction in truly epic and unparalleled Realm vs. Realm battles!”
Based on the popular tabletop war game from Games Workshop, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ conflict that will provide an engaging battleground for years to come. Available for PC and rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB, WAR is now in stores everywhere at an MSRP of $49.99. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.
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About Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™
Experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm™! Declare your allegiance and join thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the new MMORPG from Mythic Entertainment, the creators of Dark Age of Camelot™. Enter a grim world of perpetual conflict to fight for the Realms of Order (Dwarfs, High Elves, and Empire) or Destruction (Greenskins, Dark Elves, and Chaos). Invade enemy lands, besiege imposing fortresses, and sack sprawling capital cities for the glory of your Realm. Wield devastating magic and deadly weapons, battle monstrous creatures, and join your brothers-in-arms in epic Public Quests™. Climb the Bastion Stair, carry your Guild Banner into battle, and unlock the infinite secrets of the Tome of Knowledge as you travel the world. So sharpen your blade and unleash your inner mutation. The Age of Reckoning has begun and WAR IS EVERYWHERE!
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS Freestyle™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, Mythic Entertainment, Dark Age of Camelot, Public Quests, and Realm vs. Realm are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Games Workshop, Warhammer, Warhammer Online, Age of Reckoning, and all associated marks, names, races, race insignia, characters, vehicles, locations, units, illustrations and images from the Warhammer world are either ®, ™ and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2008. Used under license by Electronic Arts Inc. All Rights Reserved.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective licensors.
