Joystiq

Rayman Origins is actually profitable for Ubisoft

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

Rayman Origins has been profitable for publisher Ubisoft and the company feels the title will be an evergreen success. Although the publisher didn't share sales figures or what the budget was for the title on today's investor call, Rayman Origins' apparent lack of sales success didn't make it a complete financial failure.

"Two successes more than compensated for the performance of Rayman: Origins, Tintin and the non-dance Kinect titles," said Alain Martinez, chief financial officer for Ubisoft on today's call. "We believe Rayman: Origins, which is rated 89 percent on Metacritic with enthusiast reviews and is already profitable, has the capacity to become a long-term seller for the company."

Rayman Origins, which has been a critical darling for combining classic platforming with lush visuals, is currently in process of being ported to every platform in existence. We keep hope alive for a sequel some day, but we'd be just as happy if UbiArt was widely available for indie designers to utilize.

Rayman Origins is actually profitable for Ubisoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami net income up 77 percent year-over-year

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

We're still a couple of months away from the end of fiscal 2012, but the first 9 months of the confusingly offset financial season have treated Konami extremely well: The company reports a 77.3 percent year-over-year increase in net income over fiscal 2011, earning profits of ¥17.05 billion ($224 million) for the period.

Most of that, however, was pushed by Konami's social networking devision, which operates mobile/casual games in Japanese markets and posted revenues of $348 million, up from $127 million over the same period last year. The company's "consumer games" segment fell year-over-year, from $698 million in fiscal 2011 to $465 million in fiscal 2012. Konami has also adjusted its predictions for the end fiscal 2012, anticipating overall revenue at $3.38 billion and net income at $298 million.

Konami net income up 77 percent year-over-year originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ reveals $56 million loss in Q3

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:15:00 EST

THQ CEO Brian Farrell started yesterday's third quarter earnings call with investors by saying, "On our last call we told you we anticipated that our third quarter would be the largest in our company's history. Unfortunately, we were wrong."

The company announced a $56 million loss for the quarter ending December 31, 2011, nearly triple the loss of the same period last year. Sales also slumped slightly from $314.6 million to $305.4 million

Despite the success of Saints Row: The Third and WWE '12, the discontinued uDraw tablet took a majority of blame for the company's ill condition.

"Revenues were lower by about $100 million," Farrell explained. "We've got 1.4 million [uDraw units] still in inventory we haven't sold that we planned on selling." He estimated about $80 million of the lost revenue was from units the company didn't sell, and the other $20 million was from lowering the price of what they did sell. He concluded on the topic, "We would have doubled the profitability in the quarter were it not for uDraw."

THQ is currently attempting to make itself a leaner, more efficient entity. Part of its announced realignment includes pay cuts for the top brass, layoffs of 240 people and seeking help for big-ticket items like the Warhammer 40K MMO. The company didn't provide estimates for its expected financial condition for the final quarter of the year.

THQ reveals $56 million loss in Q3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two Q3 financials down year-over-year, still within predictions

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST

Take-Two Interactive has released its financial figures for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, which ended on December 31, 2011. While "in line" with the publisher's predictions, results are down when compared year-over-year to the same period in fiscal 2011.

During Q3 2012, Take-Two's net revenue of $236.3 million was $97.7 million less than its net revenue of $334.3 million in Q3 2011. Operational income for the period was $14.2 million, down $22.6 million from the same quarter last fiscal year. Take-Two attributes this disparity to the fact that fiscal 2011 benefitted from the launch of Red Dead Redemption and its Undead Nightmare DLC more so than fiscal 2012 was able to.

When looking at the entirety of Take-Two's fiscal 2012 performance so far, the downward year-over-year trend continues with an overall net revenue of $677.7 million (compared to 2011's $954.6 million), and an operating loss of $76.2 million (compared to 2011's operating income of $76.2 million).

The company has also adjusted its outlook on Q4 in response to moving Max Payne 3's release date into the first quarter of fiscal 2013. It now expects net revenue for the period ending on March 31, 2012 to land between $112 million and $162 million, with its prediction for all of 2012 adjusted accordingly to a range of $790 million to $840 million.

Take-Two Q3 financials down year-over-year, still within predictions originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ no longer manufacturing uDraw hardware

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:12:00 EST

THQ will no longer manufacture uDraw hardware, according to its fiscal 2012 third quarter financial report. "Sales of the uDraw GameTablet and related software, and other titles in the kids, family and casual category were far weaker than anticipated, substantially reducing our financial results for the quarter," reported THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell.

The uDraw is seemingly out of picture at this point, as the publisher "has no future commitments or plans to manufacture uDraw hardware." The Wii version of the tablet proved to be a success for THQ in 2010, leading the company to produce versions for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Sales of uDraw on Sony and Microsoft's platforms were underwhelming, however, leading the company to lower financial forecasts at the end of 2011.

THQ now plans to focus on "premium core and fighting franchises." The report doesn't specify whether or not THQ will continue to produce software for uDraw, though it seems unlikely given the transition away from children's products. Unless someone is working on a Saints Row art game, of course.

THQ no longer manufacturing uDraw hardware originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony plans on $2.9 billion loss for the year

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:15:00 EST

When Kaz Hirai takes over as CEO of Sony on April 1st, he's going to have to roll up the sleeves of his $10,000 suit and get in a good cry before figuring out the future of the struggling giant. The company announced a loss of ¥159 billion ($2.1B) for the third quarter ending December 31, 2011, with an expected loss of ¥220 billion ($2.9B) for the year. We imagine every meeting between Hirai and outgoing CEO Howard Stringer begins with a sarcastic "Thanks, buddy!"

The consumer products and services division, which includes TVs and PlayStation, had an operating loss of over a billion dollars with sales down 24 percent from the same period.

This is likely due more to the declining sales of Sony's TVs, video cameras and PCs, than it is of the PlayStation brand. PS3 sales are staying level with last year, with the company expecting to sell 14 million units or hardware and 148 million units of software. Vita sales were not specified at all, though PSP and PS2 sales were -- and the PSP data is declining, which means the Vita debut wasn't hidden in there.

Sony plans on $2.9 billion loss for the year originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA sees $205 million net loss in Q3, rise in social-games users

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:48:00 EST

EA recorded a net loss of $205 million, but its highest operating cash flow in 31 quarters for the fiscal third quarter ending December 31, 2011. In Q3 2011, EA generated $1.06 billion in net revenue, which is up from the previous Q3, with a net revenue of $1.05 billion. EA's cash flow from operations is recorded at $475 million.

EA's Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12 have each sold more than 10 million units, while Madden 12 sold almost 5 million. PopCap, which EA acquired in August, grew revenue 30 percent on a trailing 12-month basis, and its monthly active users for social games rose to 52 million, up from 39 million the previous year.

EA sees $205 million net loss in Q3, rise in social-games users originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA was No. 1 game publisher on App Store in December, mobile revenue up over last year

David Hinkle — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:32:00 EST

EA's continuing efforts in the mobile space are paying off. Thanks to a ridiculous sale in December, the publisher managed to best all competitors and become the top publisher in the App Store throughout December. The Sims: FreePlay was the top-grossing iPad app.

The news comes from the company's third quarter fiscal year earnings report, which shows a substantial increase in gains and registered users throughout its digital products compared to the same period last year. In the period ending December 31, 2010, EA Mobile earned $59 million, while earnings at the end of December 2011 were up to $70 million.

EA was No. 1 game publisher on App Store in December, mobile revenue up over last year originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo: 3DS sales prove there's still room for dedicated gaming handhelds

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata believes the company has proven there's still a market for dedicated gaming handheld hardware like the 3DS. In a briefing -- which covered a lot of ground -- Iwata revealed the pictured chart above, comparing internal Nintendo weekly sales data of the Wii, DS and 3DS. The executive said the initial sales pace of the 3DS was "unsatisfactory," but the device gained momentum after the price cut and the launch of popular games like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 (and Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) G in Japan).

"Last summer, when the sales pace of the Nintendo 3DS was slow, there were extreme remarks saying, 'With the penetration of smartphones, will there still be a market for handheld hardware?,' which was almost equal to 'Handheld hardware is not necessary anymore,'" Iwata said. "I believe we proved that such opinions are incorrect."

In the end, however, Nintendo did not reach its internal sales goal for the device, despite the 3DS gaining momentum and ending the year with a respectable 15 million unit sales. Iwata says the company could not cover the lack of units sold pre-price drop, which is one of the reasons for its negatively revised financial forecasts.

Nintendo: 3DS sales prove there's still room for dedicated gaming handhelds originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo enhances expected loss; 15 million 3DS units sold since launch

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST

Nintendo has once again revised its expected loss for the fiscal year ending in March, widening its forecasted financial misfortune from ¥20 billion ($258M) to ¥65 billion ($839M). The increased loss comes a quarter after Nintendo switched its forecast from a ¥20 billion profit to loss.

For the first nine months of the fiscal year ending December 31, Nintendo had sales of ¥556 billion ($7.2B), a 31 percent decrease from the same period last year. Overall, it posted a loss of ¥48.4 billion ($620M).

"Nintendo 3DS hardware during the nine months ended December 31, 2011, were 11.43 million units, and the total worldwide sales since its launch exceeded 15 million units," the company stated. Both Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 have gone on to become million-selling titles.

The company also mentioned that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii recorded "strong sales, especially in the United States." Worldwide Wii sales over the nine-month period hit 8.96 million units, with software selling 89 million units.

Nintendo's financial woes, coupled with mobile gaming's increased portion of the handheld market, are not sitting well with investors. The House of Mario continues to see its stock sitting at a five-year low.

Nintendo enhances expected loss; 15 million 3DS units sold since launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft sales up in Q3, year-end forecast raised

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:00:00 EST

Ubisoft estimates sales reached €650 million ($831M), up 8% from the same period last year, during its third fiscal quarter spanning the holiday months. At the same time, Ubi revised its estimate for the full fiscal year, ending in March, to between €1.05 and €1.08 billion ($1.34-$1.38B), elevating its lower estimate from €1.04 billion.

"In continuation of the robust trends recorded for the first half of the fiscal year, Ubisoft reported record-high sales for the Christmas period, exceeding expectations. Against an extremely competitive backdrop," said CEO Yves Guillemot. "Assassin's Creed Revelations posted a solid performance, in line with our forecasts, and Just Dance generated outstanding sales."

Since Ubisoft is a French company, which often separate their sales data from profit/loss details, the company will publish its "definitive sales figure for the third quarter" on February 15. By that point, the Just Dance franchise will have sold another several million copies.

Continue reading Ubisoft sales up in Q3, year-end forecast raised

Ubisoft sales up in Q3, year-end forecast raised originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

The business world, like the rest of the world, is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. Following the "weaker than expected" sales figures achieved by THQ's uDraw tablet during the third quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, THQ has let go 30 members of its Play THQ team; the Agoura Hills unit responsible for uDraw.

"We are taking a difficult but important step to reduce the number of employees that supported this brand," a THQ representative said in a statement to Game Informer. "30 people will be leaving the company and business unit leader Martin Good will also be leaving to pursue new opportunities outside the company."

THQ is still hopeful that the success of Saints Row: The Third and WWE '12 will pull out a fourth quarter turnaround before the end of fiscal 2012.

THQ lays off 30 Play THQ employees originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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uDraw hasn't fared so well on Xbox 360 and PS3, THQ lowers its forecast

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:00:00 EST

THQ has lowered its earnings forecast for the third quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, citing underwhelming sales of its recently multiplatform uDraw tablet.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell explained in a press release, "Despite uDraw's strong success on the Wii in fiscal 2011 and market research indicating strong demand for uDraw on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, initial sales of our uDraw tablet and software on these high-definition platforms have been weaker than expected." As a result, the company is lowering its original sales guidance of between $510 million and $550 million by "approximately 25 percent," which is a large number of millions (at least $127.5 million).

We'll know how poorly the device did when third quarter results drop next February. Until then, Farrell assures investors that "WWE '12 and Saints Row: The Third are expected to perform at or better than the levels we discussed on our fiscal 2012 second quarter earnings call." We guess folks are just more into simulated violence and genuine bonersword violence than they're into drawing things with their kids.

uDraw hasn't fared so well on Xbox 360 and PS3, THQ lowers its forecast originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision reports record digital revenue, raises 2011 financial outlook

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST

Activision has reported its financial results for its fiscal third quarter, ended September 30. The company posted revenues of $754 million, up from $745 million during the same period last year and, more importantly, over $100 million more than its original outlook of $650 million. Net income came in at $148 million, a hefty increase over the $51 million brought in during the same period last year.

The company brought in a record $427 million in revenues from digital channels, accounting for 57 percent of total revenue. The results also make note of Call of Duty: Black Ops, which Activision cites as "the #1 best-selling title in dollars in aggregate across all platforms in the U.S. and Europe for each of the first three quarters of 2011."

On the back Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and the "stronger than expected consumer response" to the toy-driven Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, the company is raising its revenue outlook for the rest of the year from $4.18 billion to $4.33 billion.

Activision reports record digital revenue, raises 2011 financial outlook originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga reports record quarterly revenue, profits still down year-over-year

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST

Never underestimate the addictive power of microtransaction infused farms, apparently, as Zynga has disclosed a record quarter for the period between July 1 and September 30: Over $306 million, an 80 percent increase in revenue over that same period in 2010. The social megalith attributes the increase in revenue to the successful launches of Adventure World and the Facebook version of Words with Friends, which took place during this quarter.

Revenue is a very different beast than profit, however, where Zynga continues to decline. Following a 95 percent year-over-year profit decrease in Q2, the SEC filing shows a 54 percent decrease year-over-year in Q3 after a total of $12.5 million in net profits.

Hey Zynga, want a tip? It's on the house: Monetize letter tiles in Words with Friends. We'll pay you fifteen dollars to get rid of "MXLCZDL."

Zynga reports record quarterly revenue, profits still down year-over-year originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bastion coming to PC on August 16, soundtrack available right now

David Hinkle — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST

Xbox Live Arcade's Bastion has gotten its launch date on the PC. Bastion will be available as a $14.99 download on Steam August 16, one day before From Dust debuts on the platform. You're getting two Summer of Arcade goodies in one week!

Additionally, we'd like to point out that the Bastion soundtrack is currently available as a $10 download, replete with a new narration intro and bonus track, "The Pantheon (Ain't Gonna Catch You)." If you're looking for an actual physical disc, maybe to clutch against your bosom tightly as you fall asleep at night -- hey, no judgment here -- then you can shell out $15. The actual CD comes in a custom wallet, featuring original art by Jen Zee and (optionally) signed by composer Darren Korb.

If you're really distrustful of your mail man (or don't want to wait until September when the disc ships), you can snag the album at PAX Prime in Seattle at the end of the month. Before you go diving into those beautiful tunes, take some of our advice: the songs are definitely best heard first in-game.

Bastion coming to PC on August 16, soundtrack available right now originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 sees record fiscal Q3 sales, Kinect sold 2.4M units in quarter

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:25:00 EST

Microsoft reports results were up across the board in its fiscal-year third quarter (ending March 31, 2011), with the Redmond giant's Entertainment & Devices Division (EDD) -- that's Xbox and other stuff -- one of the standouts, enjoying 60 percent growth year-over-year. The group generated $1.94 billion in revenue and saw $225 million in profit in Q3, up 50 percent from the same period last fiscal year.

2.7 million Xbox 360 units were sold during the quarter, a new record for the console in Q3 sales (and up 70 percent over last year). Kinect sales followed suit with 2.4 million units sold in the quarter -- and passed the 10-million mark to boot. Microsoft expects revenue growth of at least 25 percent for the EDD during Q4, with "more to be shared at E3 in June."

Overall, thanks to strong sales of Windows 7, Microsoft recorded Q3 revenues of $16.43 billion and a net income of $5.23 billion.

Xbox 360 sees record fiscal Q3 sales, Kinect sold 2.4M units in quarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atari revenue down, but MMO business blooming

JC Fletcher — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:00:00 EST

Without an equivalent of the Ghostbusters game, Atari's revenue for the nine-month period from April 1 through December 31, 2010 was, well, a bit busted. Through the first three quarters of its current fiscal year, the publisher has reported €41.0 million ($55.3 million) in revenue, down 55.7 percent from the same period in 2009.

However, Atari doesn't seem too bugged by the decline. In its latest earnings release, CEO Jim Wilson said that current-year revenues are "in line with our outlook and show a continued shift toward fewer but more profitable retail releases and the growing online games market." And, in fact, Atari's online revenue has increased by €15.3 million year-over-year to €18.4 million ($24.8 million) through nine months, thanks to Champions Online and Star Trek Online.

Revenue from online games represented a whopping 44.9 percent of Atari's total net revenue for the period, compared to just 3.4 percent in the first nine months of its previous fiscal year.

Atari revenue down, but MMO business blooming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dance games made it rain on Ubisoft's holiday quarter

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST

Ubisoft today reported sales figures for its fiscal-year third quarter, which ended December 31, 2010. For the period, the French publisher recorded €600 million ($809 million) in total software sales, up just over 21 percent from the same quarter in 2009 (though factoring in constant exchange rates -- nearly 60 percent of sales were made in North America -- year-over-year growth was closer to 15 percent).

In 2010's three-month holiday period alone, Ubisoft shipped a staggering 10.5 million copies of dance titles, which included Just Dance, Just Dance 2, Just Dance Kids, Michael Jackson: The Experience and Dance on Broadway. Additionally, the company claimed an 18 percent market share of the Kinect platform in the US (and 21 percent in Europe), following its push to become the "top third-party publisher" for Microsoft's successful motion-control add-on. Ubisoft put its Kinect game shipments at over 2 million -- "a very nice level of profitability," CEO Yves Guillemot said in an investor call today -- for the fiscal third quarter.

Add in all those copies of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and Ubisoft outsold its projected quarterly sales total by €80 million ($108 million), bringing its nine-month fiscal 2010-11 year sales up to €861 million ($1.16 billion) -- a marked increase over the €661 million in sales generated during the same period in 2009, and making it a near certainty that the company will return to profitability at the end of its current fiscal year (on March 31, 2011). With a relatively quiet fourth quarter of scheduled releases, however, the publisher anticipates its total fiscal-year sales to reach only €1.02 billion. Still, "cash flow generation is expected to be positive."

Dance games made it rain on Ubisoft's holiday quarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Catz posts record sales, income up 70% in fiscal Q3

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Mad Catz has posted record sales for its fiscal third quarter, which ended December 31. Net sales of $92.9 million have been reported by the company, up from $48.7 million during the same period last year. The company reported net income (i.e. profit) of $9.69 million, up from $5.59 million during the same period last year, an increase of over 70 percent.

The report does note, however, that gross profit margin -- an expression of how much money is earned versus how much is spent -- is slightly down over last year. The primary reason for the decreased margin is attributed to "a shift in the Company's sales mix which included higher levels of licensed products." In other words, all those popular game licenses aren't cheap. Still, this marks the second quarter in a row that Mad Catz has posted record results, so we doubt anyone is too broken up about it.

Mad Catz posts record sales, income up 70% in fiscal Q3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two revenue down, but profit earned in latest quarterly results

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:40:00 EST

The last time we checked in on Take-Two's quarterly earnings the publisher was operating on a different fiscal calendar -- and had regained profitability. Today, the company introduced its recalibrated fiscal year, reporting on the third quarter results of its fiscal 2011 year -- in our world: October-December 2010. Revenue was down for the quarter, recorded at $334.3 million, compared to the $360.4 million for "the year-ago period," though Take-Two remained profitable, reporting a non-GAAP income of $49.5 million.

The usual culprits were bringing home the bacon for the period, including Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands, and Grand Theft Auto IV (now in its "Complete Edition" form). Through the first nine months of the current fiscal year (April-Dec. 2010) revenue jumped 80 percent from the previous year, reaching $954.6 million. Take-Two expects to trot past the billion-dollar mark this quarter as the sun sets on its fiscal 2011 (ending March 31) and has increased its projected annual revenue to $1.10 billion.

Take-Two revenue down, but profit earned in latest quarterly results originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega Sammy posts profitable third quarter, Vanquish moves 820K

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST

Sega Sammy's financial results for the nine months ending December 31, 2010 showed marked upswings in overall sales and profit for the company. While the majority of money came through its pachinko and amusement arm, game publishing saw ¥67.4 billion ($826 million) in revenue and ¥2.8 billion ($34.3 million) in profit -- both notable increases since the company's last check-in.

Hidden among the many, many financial numbers was news that Platinum Games' fourth effort, Vanquish, had sold 820,000 copies since its release in late October, while Sonic Colors had moved a whopping 1,850,000 by the end of 2010. That's alotta hedgehog! The majority of the company's overall sales took place in Europe (owing to sales of Football Manager 2011), with the US following closely behind and Japan in a distant third.

Sega Sammy posts profitable third quarter, Vanquish moves 820K originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix profits plummet, but loss avoided to close out 2010

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

The potentially lucrative holiday quarter -- Q3 of Square Enix's fiscal year -- didn't bring a slowdown to the publisher's sinking profits. Instead, the company slid closer to landing in the red as 2010 came to an end. For the nine months ending December 31, 2010, Square Enix today reported a net income of ¥1.821 billion ($22.33 million), a 76.6 percent decrease in profits from the same period the year before. When the iPhone port of Secret of Mana is perhaps your most significant release during the holidays, what more can you expect?

Accordingly, net sales in the nine-month period were also down year-over-year (though just by 27.5 percent) for the business, which (aside from games) includes amusement, publication and merchandising products. Speaking of games, the holiday quarter didn't push any additional Square Enix titles into coveted "million-seller" status -- only Kane & Lynch 2 and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (Japan only) have reached a million in sales during the company's current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2011), and both had done so by the end of last September.

"Responding to intensifying competition in the console game market, the company has implemented organizational changes in the third quarter while also working to better select and further strengthen our most competitive titles," Square Enix president Yoichi Wada offered in a short statement accompanying the financial report.

"In other platform areas including PCs and smartphones, we have created successful examples of new content such as Nicotto Town and Sengoku Ixa," Wada added. "By pursuing these two independent markets, we are raising our ability to succeed in diverse business models." So diversified has Square Enix become, in fact, that this is the first we've ever heard of these two "successful" projects!

[Pictured: Nicotto Town; image source: nifty.co.jp]

Square Enix profits plummet, but loss avoided to close out 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony posts strong Q3 profits (+135%!) in PlayStation group

Christopher Grant — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:45:00 EST

Despite a small 6% dip in quarterly sales year-over-year, "due to a decrease in sales in the game business resulting primarily from unfavorable foreign exchange rates," Sony's Networked Products & Services group, which houses its PlayStation brand, posted an impressive ¥45.7 billion (rougly $564 million) in profits for the third quarter period, ended December 31, an impressive 135% boost over the prior-year period. "The game business benefited from significant cost reductions of PlayStation 3 ("PS3") hardware and higher unit sales of PS3 software," the earnings report reads.

Though quarterly sales of both the PlayStation 3 and PSP lagged year-over-year, Sony is forecasting 15 million PS3 consoles sold for the fiscal year, compared to 13 million for the year prior. Coupled with the aforementioned "cost reductions" and significant bumps in PlayStation 3 software sales, things are looking up in PS3-land. Over in PSP and PS2 land, things aren't so bright. The PSP, recently stricken by hardware obsolescence, is forecasted to sell eight million units for the year, versus nearly ten million last year, while the PS2 is on track to rack up six million in sales, compared to over seven million last year.

Toss in some profitability on the PSN front - Sony's working on it - and fiscal 2011 is looking bright for Sony.

Sony posts strong Q3 profits (+135%!) in PlayStation group originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Company of Heroes Online, WWE Online canceled

JC Fletcher — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:25:00 EST

This morning, we reported that THQ would "evaluate the next steps for the Company of Heroes series" after the March 31 conclusion of the Company of Heroes Online beta. We now know that whatever those next steps are, they won't include Company of Heroes Online.

The latest THQ earnings report notes that the company has "reevaluated its strategy of adapting certain Western content for free-to-play online games in Asian markets." And, as a result of that reevaluation, it has canceled Company of Heroes Online and WWE Online. COH Online was originally announced as a South Korean release in partnership with Windysoft, and WWE Online was only intended for release in Asia.

In an investor phone call, THQ CEO Brian Farrell explained the decision, claiming that THQ's focus is on "developing great content, most of it IP owned by THQ. And the concept of converting some of these concepts for a market -- though Korea's still a great market -- it just wasn't the top of our list for focus." He noted that THQ's "small" Korean office has also been closed.

Company of Heroes Online, WWE Online canceled originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ highlights 1.2m uDraw units in Q3 earnings; wants more uDraw, fewer kids movie-based games

Christopher Grant — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:10:00 EST

While a large slate of AAA titles is expected from THQ's Core Games unit in its Q4 2011 and 2012 fiscal periods, its fiscal Q3 2011 (October-December 2010) financial results are all about the less high-profile Kids, Family and Casual Business which had an unexpected hit with the North American release of uDraw Game Tablet for Wii last November. In less than two months, THQ managed to move over 1.2 million units in North America alone; an international release is expected "in the March quarter" (by the end of March this year).

And it's a good thing, too! THQ also "reevaluated the sales potential of games based on its kids movie-based licenses" for its Q3 statement and, "consistent with recent industry trends," it "lowered expectations for this category." That cost the company an impairment of $30.3 million which was excluded from its Q3 non-GAAP results (which we're getting to, hold on!). Instead of licensed kid's games, the Kids, Family and Casual Business is "increasing its focus on popular new play patterns and devices such as Kinect for Xbox 360, PlayStation Move, the uDraw GameTablet and Nintendo 3DS." Makes sense, right?

Now for the numbers: For the three-month quarter ending December 31, 2010, THQ posted net sales of $314.6 million, an eight percent drop year-over-year, resulting in a net loss of $14.9 million compared to a net income of $542,000 in the same period the previous year. In addition to the aforementioned $30.3 million impairment, THQ also excluded "a charge of $9.9 million related to the cancellation of Company of Heroes Online and WWE Online" from its non-GAAP results. So, with those things in mind, THQ reported non-GAAP net income of $28.5 million for the quarter compared with net income of $26.6 million for the prior-year period.

We're on the THQ earnings call now, and will report back any updates.

THQ highlights 1.2m uDraw units in Q3 earnings; wants more uDraw, fewer kids movie-based games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA incurs $322 million loss in Q3, 22% of employees in 'low cost locations'

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST

EA suffered a net loss of $322 million for its fiscal third quarter ending December 31, 2010, a fourfold increase from the same period last year. The company generated revenues of a mere $1.05 billion during Q3, a decrease of nearly $200 million from the holidays last year. Despite significant increases in digital revenue and "record breaking" iOS sales, there wasn't enough to offset the reduction in packaged goods (disc-based games) sales, titles with "significant" development costs and the general cost of goods sold for EA's business.

The company also noted that it ended the quarter with 7,742 employees, down from 8,537 a year ago and the 7,820 workers it employed during Q2 before committing its "seasonal roll-offs." EA CFO Eric Brown mentioned that 22 percent of the publisher's employees are now in "low cost locations." We've followed up with EA for its definition of "low cost locations."

EA incurs $322 million loss in Q3, 22% of employees in 'low cost locations' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monster Hunter again captures 'center stage' in Capcom 9-month fiscal report

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:49:00 EST

At this time last year, Capcom was thanking Monster Hunter Tri for helping the company boost its 2009 year-end financial results. Today, Capcom heralded the monstrous shipments of Monster Hunter Freedom 3 that closed out 2010 and propelled the publisher's profits up nearly 300 percent in a nine-month period. During the first three quarters of its current fiscal year (which ends March 31, 2011), Capcom netted ¥6.836 billion (nearly $84 million) in profit -- up from just ¥1.731 the same period the year before. Sales of "Consumer Online Games" (what we call "video games," excluding mobile content) were the driving force, totaling ¥54.057 billion ($663.6 million) -- a bit more than 76 percent of total sales for the business, which includes arcade and amusement ("slot machine") operations.

Joining Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (currently only available in Japan), Capcom noted three additional "million-sellers" in the nine-month period (April-December 2010): Dead Rising 2 (with more than 2 million units shipped); Super Street Fighter IV (1.6 million units shipped "mainly to Europe and the United States"); and Lost Planet 2 (1.5 million sold -- "though the figure was less than [the] projected shipment").

During the period, Capcom also worked on "rebuilding the development departments comprising our core competence" in an effort to shift greater resources to its mobile operations, with specific focus on social gaming. Sales of "Mobile Contents" for the three quarters amounted to a modest ¥2.383 billion ($29.25 million), led by a bevy of iPhone releases and some "positive surprises," including the popularity of The Smurfs' Village on Facebook. And Capcom hasn't even accounted for all the MaXplosion press in January yet!

Monster Hunter again captures 'center stage' in Capcom 9-month fiscal report originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA earnings from digital distribution up in fiscal Q3, retail not so much

JC Fletcher — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:10:00 EST

EA sent out its earnings for fiscal Q3 2011, which ended December 31 of last year, and it was a good quarter for EA ... 's digital distribution initiatives. Net digital revenue is up $62 million year over year, hitting $195 million, while net "packaged goods" publishing revenue dropped $78 million to $91 million in the quarter. Along with a drop in revenue from games distributed by EA, the publisher's year-over-year take dropped $190 million.

Touting its digital domination, EA claimed to be the "#1 publisher in the Apple App Store for both iPhone and iPad and #1 on Microsoft Windows Phone 7" in the West during the quarter. It also touted large shipments of two of its Q3 retail releases, Medal of Honor and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, both of which have passed five million units shipped to date.

EA earnings from digital distribution up in fiscal Q3, retail not so much originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Q3 profits dip 46 percent, Wii and DS sales forecasts cut

Christopher Grant — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:30:00 EST

Well, that's awkwardly timed. Just as Sony was wowing the world with its new, super-powered PSP dubbed NGP and its wow-that's-smart plan to bring "PlayStation content" to Android phones, Nintendo was reporting a 46 percent dip in its October to December Q3 profits, thanks to flagging Wii and DS sales. Acknowledging the tough market, the Big N cut its sales forecast for the Wii 1.5 million units, down to 16 million, and for the DS 1 million units, down to 22.5 million.

But it's not all sad faces here. Nintendo's leaving its annual operating profit forecast alone at its already revised ¥210 billion, altered after it was clear the 3DS would miss the lucrative holiday shopping season. But the late February release of the 3DS in Japan gives the console maker one month of 3DS sales for its Q4 period. So, the question becomes: how many units can they move in Japan in a month? Our official estimate is a lot.

Nintendo Q3 profits dip 46 percent, Wii and DS sales forecasts cut originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop enjoyed sales of $1.9B in Q3; Kinect, Move in 'very short supply'

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:00:00 EST

GameStop's money bin kept on filling up in the third quarter of its fiscal year, with the company reporting $1.9 billion in sales, up 3.5 percent from the same period last year. The company saw a profit of $54.7 million, up 4.8 percent from the $52.2 million from Q3 of last year.

The top five selling games for the retailer during the period, ending October 30, 2010, were Halo: Reach, Madden NFL 2011, Fallout: New Vegas, NBA 2K11 and Medal of Honor.

Gamasutra reports that during an investor call earlier today, company president Tony Bartel noted there is strong demand for both Sony's Move and Microsoft's Kinect. The company is "excited" to see that the peripherals are currently in "very short supply" and that they are bringing in an "expanded audience." Company execs believe the two items are comparable to the Wii in terms of bringing a different set of customers to stores.

GameStop enjoyed sales of $1.9B in Q3; Kinect, Move in 'very short supply' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision Blizzard posts better-than-expected Q3 results: $51m in profits on $745m in revenue

Christopher Grant — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:15:00 EST

Thanks to "strong performance" from industry staples like Activision Publishing's Call of Duty franchise and Blizzard Entertainment's perennial MMO World of Warcraft and a stellar launch for Blizz's long-anticipated sequel StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, Activision Blizzard exceeded its prior third-quarter outlook of $600 million with net revenues of $745 million in the period ending September 30, 2010. Compare that to net revenues of $703 million for the same period last year. It also reported profits of $51 million for the quarter versus $15 million for the same period last year.

"For the third quarter, we exceeded our net revenues and earnings per share outlook and delivered strong year-over-year growth," Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick explained. "Activision Publishing is about to introduce what is likely to be the biggest entertainment launch of the year with Call of Duty: Black Ops, followed by Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, which we believe will deliver an incredible breadth of new content to the world's largest massively multiplayer online role playing game community." That's another way of saying, "If you think these Q3 numbers are great, wait until you see next quarter!"

And with Q4 capping off Activision Blizzard's fiscal (and calendar) year, Kotick notes that things are looking better than ever for ol' Actiblizzard. "As a result of our over-performance, we are raising our calendar year 2010 net revenue and earnings outlook. We expect to deliver the most profitable year in our history with record operating margins." Specifically the publishing giant is raising its outlook for net revenues from $4.18 billion to $4.28 billion - shareholders should like the sound of that. Gamers will just enjoy Black Ops and Cataclysm. And gamers who are also shareholders can use some of that money to pay for the games you just bought. Investing!

Activision Blizzard posts better-than-expected Q3 results: $51m in profits on $745m in revenue originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Dead Redemption pushes Take-Two Q3 revenue up to $354.1 million

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Take-Two has reported that net revenue for its third fiscal quarter, which ended July 31, 2010, reached $354.1 million -- an increase of $259.2 million over the same period last year. The company attributed the rise primarily to Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption, which has shipped more than 6.9 million units life-to-date. And while several older games, including Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, NBA 2K10 and Borderlands, contributed to overall sales at retail, Take-Two highlighted digitally distributed content as a "meaningful component" of this quarter's outcome.

Operating income for the quarter landed at $12.4 million, a big turnaround compared to the $58.3 million loss suffered in the same quarter during 2009, and a minor dip from Q2 2010's $16.9 million. Take-Two's fourth quarter won't benefit from Red Dead's landing impact, but the company already has an extensive lineup of DLC planned for the coming months.

Red Dead Redemption pushes Take-Two Q3 revenue up to $354.1 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock takes the stage September 28

David Hinkle — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Anxious to get your hands on Activision's werething-infused rock-em-up, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock? Activision revealed a launch date for the game during its annual investors call last night: September 28 (September 24 in the UK). For those of you keeping score at home, that's a full month before the arrival of its competitor, Rock Band 3, which is set to launch on October 26.

Outside of being compatible with "your existing Guitar Hero music library," Warriors of Rock adds 95 new tracks into the mix, including re-recordings from Alice Cooper and The Runaways. Additionally, if you're one of the first million to purchase the game in North America, you get a free Soundgarden album.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock takes the stage September 28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Front Mission Evolved pushed back to September 28, 2010

David Hinkle — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:01:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

When we announced Front Mission Evolved's September 14th launch date we joked that Square Enix had neglected to check the calendar. You know, because September 14 is also "International Halo: Reach Day," a notable religious holiday. Also there's another video game coming out that day.

Now Front Mission Evolved has been pushed back two weeks, to September 28. The funny thing is, other high-profile games are arriving on that new launch date -- sometimes you just need to mecha decision, we guess. Update: Check out pre-order bonuses after the break.

Continue reading Front Mission Evolved pushed back to September 28, 2010

Front Mission Evolved pushed back to September 28, 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow slays retail 'later this fall'

David Hinkle — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

During its keynote press conference, Konami confirmed that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the Kojima-assisted, MercurySteam-developed 3D reboot of the classic series set to vanquish the forces of evil on the Xbox 360 and PS3, would arrive "later this fall." Word came from producer David Cox, who emerged before a new trailer was shown to attendees. We'll try to get our hands on said trailer and whip it up on the site.

Get it? Whip? Anybody?

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow slays retail 'later this fall' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ninety-Nine Nights 2 assaults Xbox 360 on June 29

David Hinkle — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST

Konami has announced that Ninety-Nine Nights 2, sequel to Q Entertainment's lackluster 2006 title, is set to launch on June 29. And because the first game was met with such lukewarm reception, Konami has prepared a media onslaught documenting the story, improvements and multiplayer of the sequel. Above, you can find a brisk video highlighting the events of the second game.

For the remainder of the videos, you'll have to head past the break. One provides a quick rundown of the sequel's improvements, while the other gives us an overview of the multiplayer functionality. And if all of that hacking and slashing gives you a touch of the Lucille Twos, then maybe you should just check out the motionless stills in our gallery below.

Gallery: Ninety-Nine Nights 2 (6.3.2010)

Continue reading Ninety-Nine Nights 2 assaults Xbox 360 on June 29

Ninety-Nine Nights 2 assaults Xbox 360 on June 29 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Front Mission Evolved shoots for September 14 release

David Hinkle — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:45:00 EST

Spring has turned to fall for Front MIssion Evolved, as Square Enix has announced the game will launch on September 14. The latest entry takes the SRPG franchise into a new direction: third-person shooter. Double Helix, of Silent Hill: Homecoming fame, is developing. Square Enix also announced that the PC version will be playable in stereoscopic 3D, which effectively swaps out the gameplay depth from the strategy games for visual depth.

It's great we finally have a solid release date, Square Enix, but you probably should've checked the calendar before deciding on September 14. Just saying!

Front Mission Evolved shoots for September 14 release originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 May 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SouthPeak made a molehill of profit last quarter

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:25:00 EST

SouthPeak Interactive bounced back from a quarterly net loss of a couple million dollars, pocketing $192,000 in profit for the third quarter (January-March) of its fiscal year ending June 30 -- time to splurge on Charmin for the executive bathrooms! Despite the profit, net revenues during the quarter were down to $7.5 million, compared to $13.5 million during the Q3 last year. Total revenue for the first nine months of the fiscal year was reported to be $34 million, also down compared to the $39 million during the same period in fiscal 2009.

With its legal issues apparently over, hopefully SouthPeak can focus on making its My Baby franchise grow up big and strong. The company also plans to build a better kingdom, announcing that it has acquired the rights to Firefly Studios' Stronghold 3.

SouthPeak made a molehill of profit last quarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 May 2010 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox division posts $165 million profit in fiscal Q3 on strength of Xbox Live business

JC Fletcher — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:35:00 EST

Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, the portion of the giant company responsible for Xbox operations (as well as Zune and Games for Windows) brought in $165 million in profits during the company's third quarter of fiscal 2010, which ended March 31. In the same period last year, the division lost $41 million.

The soaring profits were a result of a record third-quarter revenue haul of $14.5 billion for Microsoft, with the E&D division accounting for $1.67 billion of that total. CFO Peter Klein cited Xbox Live as one of the factors responsible for the company's growth. In fact, Xbox Live, and the reduced cost of Xbox 360 manufacturing, helped the E&D division profit despite console shipments falling year-over-year, from 1.7 million shipments in Q3 of fiscal 2009 to 1.5 million in 2010. Tacking on to the last reported figures, Xbox 360 shipments have now surpassed 40 million units worldwide.

With so many Xbox 360 units in the wild, Microsoft's Q3 Form 10-Q document [.docx] brings up a very good point: "Our hardware products such as the Xbox 360 console are highly complex and can have defects in design, manufacture, or associated software." You don't say.

Xbox division posts $165 million profit in fiscal Q3 on strength of Xbox Live business originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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