EA has done pretty well for itself this generation. Some of the biggest and best franchises have come from this mega publisher, and today, preliminary financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter and fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2013, were released.
Here are some of the best bits of information. In terms of digital net revenue, the company saw a 36 percent increase in 2013 to $1.7 billion. This shows just how strong marketplaces like XBLIM and PSN have become, but that doesn’t mean that retail has faltered in any capacity. FIFA 13, in just a single year, sold 14.5 million units worldwide. Other noteworthy figures include Battlefield 3 Premium’s estimated 3.5 Million subscribers and the more than 1.6 million downloads SimCity has received. It seems launch issues haven’t stopped the city simulation title from breaking into millions of homes.
“As we enter a new fiscal year, EA is well-positioned for dynamic growth on next generation consoles, PCs, and mobile platforms,” Executive Chairman Larry Probst said in the official statement. “With world-class games, a rapidly growing digital business, and top-notch creative talent, we are excited about EA’s strategy for FY 2014 and beyond.”
And that solid industry positioning only improved with yesterday’s news that EA will be publishing all future Star Wars titles.
“EA and Disney have signed an agreement to create a number of games on the Star Wars franchise,” said EA President of Labels Frank Gibeau. “Our agreement unlocks a whole new future of Star Wars games that will span consoles, PCs, tablets, mobile, and more.”
Even with CEO John Riccitiello stepping down, the company is on the fast track to success as we shift to a new generation of consoles.