Love 'em or hate 'em, Electronic Arts remained the #1 publisher on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles "in the Western World" for another quarter. EA announced its financial results for Q2 FY16 ended September 30, 2015, and in doing so confirmed its spot atop all other publishers on current-gen systems.
EA reported "a great quarter" led by the strength of its EA Sports franchises, specifically FIFA and Madden. The company noted a monthly average player increase of 30% year-over-year across Madden NFL 16, NHL 16, and FIFA 16 combined.
Additionally, Battlefield Hardline and Battlefield 4 continue to thrive with more than 6 million monthly average players.
Looking ahead, things look even brighter for EA on consoles with the release of Star Wars Battlefront next month. EA recently wrapped up an open beta for the highly anticipated game which attracted more than 9.5 million players, making it the largest beta in EA's history.
“It’s been a great quarter. Our EA Sports titles are connecting millions of passionate fans around the world to each other and the sports they love, we have new mobile experiences for our players, and deeply-engaged communities in our live services,” said Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson. “With Star Wars Battlefront launching in less than three weeks, and a stunning new Need for Speed just days away, we’re excited for the holiday season and the remainder of the fiscal year for Electronic Arts.”
For the quarter, EA reported a non-GAAP net revenue of $1.146 billion, while noting a that "Non-GAAP net revenue for EA's FIFA, Madden NFL and Hockey Ultimate Team live services continue to perform well, collectively up 64% year-over-year."
“Results exceeded our expectations again,” said Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen. “Based on the ongoing strength of our business and reception of Star Wars Battlefront, we are raising our full-year outlook for the second time. Our markets are very healthy, the digital transition continues to drive margins, and engagement in our live services and excitement for our upcoming launches is exceptional.”
For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, EA no expects GAAP net revenue to be approximately $4.4 billion.
[EA]
