New Bioware game slated for end of March 2018, Battlefield 1 player base 50% larger than Battlefield 4
Electronic Arts has reported its Q3 2017 fiscal results for the period ended December 31, 2016, attributing the banner quarter to its digital services, FIFA 17 and of course, Battlefield 1. The firm also drops hints on a new Bioware and Need for Speed title.
EA said during the call Bioware has a new action title in the works which will "disrupt" the action genre and change the way players "play an action title." It is slated for release sometime around the end of Q4 2018 which ends on March 31, 2018. E3 2017 announcement? Place your bets now.
According to CEO Andrew Wilson, the game is a wholly owned new IP. He said on the investor's call "it's an action-adventure title, not an RPG," but more of a "genre melding" game. He said to expect the same storyline progression and character customization players are used to with Bioware.
It's been in the works since 2012 and features "a new universe full of new characters, stories, and gameplay."
A new Need for Speed is also in the works. Wilson called it an ambitious title which will focus on competitive online. Not much else was stated on the game, other than it's expected to be released sometime before March 2018.
Battlefield 1 was the biggest Battlefield launch ever, with EA saying the player base was 50% larger than that of Battlefield 4 during the same launch quarters.
During the call to investors, the firm reiterated continued support for Titanfall 2 and also reiterated that there's plenty of content on the way to keep players busy.
CFO Blake Jorgensen also reiterated Titanfall 2 sold less copies than expected, but Battlefield 1 sold better than projected. That said, Battlefield 1 was a "higher margin title" compared to Titanfall 2, which is a third-party title from Respawn Entertainment.
That said, the firm called Titanfall 2 one of the best games of this console generation and of the year.
The firm also said FIFA 17 was the "best-selling console title in the world," during 2016 with more than 10 million please having played The Journey single-player mode in the football title.
EA reiterated that the next Star Wars Battlefront will be bigger with more heroes, a new single-player campaign, and more locations. DICE Motive and Criterion are all working on the game, which was previously reported.
Digital sales were nothing to sneeze at: $2.86 billion was reported for the trailing-twelve-month period which represents 60% of total net sales, up 18% year-over-year (yoy). As you can see in the chart about, the majority of digital sales came from consoles.
You will also note in the chart below, that DLC was the largest contributor to digital purchases with full game downloads coming in second.
“With the top console games and most-downloaded mobile portfolio in the industry for Q3, Electronic Arts is growing, engaging and exciting a global community of players,” said CEO Andrew Wilson in a prepared statement. “We will continue to push the boundaries of play, with stunning new titles like Mass Effect: Andromeda, global competitive gaming tournaments and more amazing experiences coming in the year ahead.”
For the quarter, net revenue was $1.4 billion (up 7.4%) from $1.07 billion yoy. As mentioned above, 60% can be attributed to digital, or $685 million (up 20.4%) compared to $569 million yoy.