Electronic Arts just had its earnings call and the numbers are looking great with its first-quarter sales garnering almost US$2 billion[AU$2.77 billion] in revenue.
Technically, EA received US$1.46 billion in total revenue, based on its recent earnings call. As many media outlets have reported, many have turned to games as a form of entertainment while the whole world was forced indoors due to the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the absence of sports, many have reverted to tuning in to eSports. With the restraint of outdoor activities, many have turned to games and of course, in-game spending.
EA’s earnings call details
Per Gamespot, the company’s report was the “best June quarter” EA has ever had in its 38 years in the industry.
With the aforementioned total revenue, EA reportedly received $365 million in profit. COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen cites that the player engagement throughout the first quarter was “exceptionally high.” As the majority of the said revenue came from microtransactions (live services) within EA’s games.
Jorgensen mentions that the company’s Our Stay Home, Play Together initiatives did impressively well for the business. This became a safe social haven for the people amid the pandemic.
CEO Andrew Wilson expressed:
“This was an extraordinary quarter, and we’re deeply proud of everything our teams at Electronic Arts are doing for our players and communities. We launched new games, deeply engaged players in our live services, and welcomed tens of millions of new players to our network. It was an unprecedented first quarter of growth in our business, and we will continue building on that strength with more innovative experiences, more groundbreaking content, and more ways to connect with friends and play great games throughout the year.”
The media outlet further highlights that among all the games, The Sim 4, was a big part of EA’s success during the said quarter. Accordingly, the game has garnered over 40 million players, with achieving all-new “record highs” within the first quarter.
Electronic Arts Earnings Call: #TheSims4 Contributed to Strong Earnings + Remarks on #Sims4 for #Xbox and #PS4
👉https://t.co/gfqhxl8OZt pic.twitter.com/WAuHLXngIX
— SimsVIP (@SimsVIP) July 27, 2017
Ea hinting interest in WB Games
EA is on a high lately, considering its whopping financial results. During the said earnings call, Comicbook reports that the gaming giant may have been hinting on a possible WB Games acquisition.
As readers should note, Many tech giants have been eyeing WB Games for a while now. Microsoft and Activision being two of the prominent companies reportedly interested in Warner Bros.
Electronic Arts “More Interested Than Ever” in Acquisitions of Talented Studios – https://t.co/ZJImlWP6Ub pic.twitter.com/MEZD6TNmi5
— Roberto Serrano' (@geronimo_73) July 30, 2020
By acquiring WB Games, the online publication notes that it will also inherit the studios under WB Games’ wings, such as:
- NetherRealm Studios
- Rocksteady
- TT Games
- Warner Bros. Montreal
Which also means acquiring IPs, such as:
- Mortal Kombat
- LEGO
- Harry Potter
- Game of Thrones
- Batman
Although, the gaming community is not sitting well with the idea of EA acquiring rights for WB Games’ titles as this would intensive microtransactions, among all others.
Well, EA did not deliberately say that they do have an interest in bagging WB Games. The public assumption came from Jorgensen’s response about EA “snapping up new studios,” wherein he said that the company is “more interested than ever” in acquiring studios with great talent.
Featured image courtesy of Electronic Arts/Twitter