Tag Archives: EA

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Take Down Legends! Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition

March 26, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Take Down Legends! Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition in Stores Now

Tee Off Against Golf’s Greatest Icons to Rewrite Majors History

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Electronic Arts Inc., (NAS: EA) announced today that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 14 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 14: The Masters Historic Edition have shipped in North America and will be available worldwide starting on March 29. Both editions pay homage to golf’s rich history and legendary golfers through an all new game mode, Legends of the Majors featuring six different eras of golf and period specific equipment, night golf and for the first time in franchise history the chance to go for the Grand Slam by playing historical events in all four majors.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 has generated early accolades by enthusiast press. According to @Gamer Magazine, “EA clearly isn’t resting on its laurels, despite the knowledge that it’ll sit atop the leaderboards for another year.” The game is available on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, including support for the Kinect™ for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Move.

“We wanted to celebrate the world of golf in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 and give gamers and golf fans a chance to learn about the amazing legacy of the sport of golf through legendary players and iconic moments in majors history,” said Brent Nielsen, Executive Producer of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14. “We are excited for gamers to start taking down legends and earn their seat at the table of golf’s greatest players.”

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 also features 20 on-disc championship courses, over 35 playable golfers representing both the PGA TOUR and LPGA, deep and innovative online connected experiences and a host of community-driven gameplay enhancements that closely mirror what a PGA TOUR golfer sees out on the course.

In addition to all the content available in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition allows gamers to step back in time and experience the 1934 layout of famed Augusta National Golf Club, its famous Par 3 Course, Augusta National Golf Club‘s Tournament Practice Facility, an authentic Green Jacket Ceremony, as well as four …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

EA and Insomniac Games Unleash the Power of Lethal Teamwork with Fuse on May 28

March 23, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

EA and Insomniac Games Unleash the Power of Lethal Teamwork with Fuse on May 28

Brand New IP from the Award-Winning Studio behind Ratchet & Clank, Resistance Franchises Brings Co-Op Action Gameplay to Explosive Levels

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– A new kind of arms race is about to begin. Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NAS: EA) and Insomniac Games announced that the four-person co-op action shooter – Fuse™ – will launch on May 28 in North America and on May 31 in Europe. Fuse thrusts players into the roles of four elite, covert agents – Dalton Brooks, Izzy Sinclair, Jacob Kimble and Naya Deveraux – each with their own Xenotech weapon and set of unique skills used to fight to protect mankind from a deadly alien energy source known as Fuse. Developed by the critically-acclaimed independent studio, Insomniac Games, Fuse will mark the company’s first multiplatform release when it becomes available for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system this spring.

Fuse Key Art (Photo: Business Wire)

“Insomniac Games is known for delivering best-in-class weaponry that breaks the mold of traditional video games – and Fuse is no different,” said Ted Price, CEO and Founder of Insomniac Games. “These Xenotechweapons further the innovation players will find in this unique, action co-op shooter. We can’t wait to bring Fuse, our first multi-platform game, to gamers worldwide this May.”

Players who pre-order Fuse from select retailers will be able to unlock special armor and weapon customization for each of the game’s four elite agents. These weapons can be used to bolster their characters’ respective arsenals through increased damage on all one-handed weapons.

The pre-order bonuses include:

Four Hyperion Prototype Agent Armor Skins—Upgrade your agents’ look with four special, state-of-the-art armor skins discovered inside the top-secret Hyperion Base
Four Hyperion Prototype Weapon Skins—Customize your Fuse weapons with four skins based on each of the original prototypes developed inside Hyperion Base
Quickdraw Team Perk—Increase your damage with this team perk …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Movies & TV

IGN UK Podcast #178: Tom Braider Returns

March 22, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

It’s been out for a few weeks, and now we’ve all played it, let’s talk Tomb Raider. It’s fair to say we all liked it, but some way more than others. For a full, frank, spoilerific discussion download the podcast now or wait for it to pop up on iTunes.

But if you’ve not played Lara’s latest adventure, don’t worry, we stil chat about the week’s news from free EA games atoning for the SimCity debacle to Deus Ex heading to Wii U.

So what are you waiting for? Tickle your ears now. And make sure if you do nothing else, you listen to the very end of the podcast to hear Alex’s God of War video review outtakes.

IGN UK Podcast #178: Tom Braider Returns – 52.1 MB

Video Gaming

Unity Engine Headed to PlayStation Platforms

March 22, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Unity Technologies today announced a partnership with Sony that will see Unity tools developed for PlayStation platforms.

Announced on the PlayStation blog, the news means that games built in the Unity engine will be portable to the PS3, PS Vita, PS Mobile, and the future PS4.

Unity’s one of the most popular game creation programs in the business due to the ease with which developers, whether big-name or indie, can learn its tools. Companies such as EA, Ubisoft, and Square Enix use Unity in some of their projects, but this news is a real boon to independent developers and fans of indie games. Unity allows developers to easily port their games across numerous platforms, and with PlayStation now added to the list, the number of titles available to gamers is likely to increase significantly.

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Chillingo, Peanuts Worldwide and CGMatic Debut 'Snoopy Coaster' on the App Store

March 21, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

Chillingo, Peanuts Worldwide and CGMatic Debut ‘Snoopy Coaster’ on the App Store

MACCLESFIELD, England–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Chillingo, leading independent games publisher and division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NAS: EA) , independent developer, CGMatic and Peanuts Worldwide today announced the launch of SnoopyCoaster on the App Store.

Take Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty and Woodstock on the wildest rollercoaster ride ever. Speed through loop-the-loops, jump over ramps and avoid pitfalls in this action arcade endless runner.

Featuring the iconic original artwork of the universally adored Peanuts comic, players simply tap the screen to jump and catch coins, pop balloons and avoid careening off the tracks. Ride from the amusement park to snowy mountains to Halloween-themed environments. Fans can chat, swap, share and compete with friends through social network integration as well as collect trading cards to unlock special Peanuts comic strips. Packed with fun at every corner, Snoopy Coaster is a must-have for fans everywhere.

Snoopy Coaster is available for $.99 on the App Store^SM as a universal build for the iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad® at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snoopy-coaster/id568890139?mt=8

Trailer & Screenshots:
http://chillingo.com/games/snoopy-coaster/

About Chillingo

Chillingo, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, is a leading games publisher on iOS with numerous award-winning hits around the world including Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Contre Jour, and Anomaly Warzone Earth. The company also publishes games for Android, Windows Phone 7, Steam, and other digital platforms. For more information about the company and its games, please visit www.chillingo.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NAS: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 275 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

EA's CEO Isn't the Problem, Folks

March 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Rick Munarriz, Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

You don’t often see a CEO shown the door after his stock hits a 52-week high, but that’s pretty much what’s happening at Electronic Arts .

John Riccitiello will be leaving both the company and the boardroom of the country’s second-largest video game publisher by the end of next week.

“We have mutually agreed that this is the right time for a leadership transition,” offers the press release, but we all know what that means. EA‘s board wants new blood at the helm, and will now work with an executive search firm to consider internal and external candidates.

Was EA a disappointment under Riccitiello’s watch? Definitely. The stock shed roughly two-thirds of its value during his six-year tenure. However, it did hit a 52-week high last week. Despite the challenging climate, EA delivered better-than-expected bottom-line results in each of the six previous periods.

It obviously hasn’t been a very easy level for EA to play lately.

Despite the new high, this is still a company whose adjusted revenue and net income plunged 28% and 47%, respectively, in its latest quarter. EA is also now warning that results for its current quarter will come in at the low end — and possibly even below the low end — of its earlier guidance.

Is this problem really limited to EA? Isn’t the board aware of what’s happening in its own industry?

Industry tracker NPD Group has been reporting consistently lower hardware and software sales for years. Its latest update found retail sales of video game software plunging 27% last month.
As Riccitiello has struggled, larger rival Activision Blizzard hasn’t been able to trade higher than the mid-teens. Analysts also see revenue and profitability declining at Activision Blizzard this year. Again, this isn’t just a problem at EA.
Video game retailer GameStop has lowered its same-store sales outlook four times over the past year.
A popular thesis last year was that die-hard gamers would come out again when new consoles hit the market. Well, the Wii U rolled out in November. Crickets are still chirping.

If anything, these moves should validate Riccitiello’s strategy of attacking the casual and social gaming markets. The acquisitions of Playfish and PopCap Games didn’t come cheap, but they did help EA become the top iOS publisher last year. Traditional video game sales are sputtering for everybody, and Riccitiello’s decision to move on after Take-Two Interactive rebuffed its buyout offer of $26 — instead of coming back with a higher price — was the right thing to do. The company behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise is stuck in the mid-teens.

EA‘s problem isn’t Riccitiello, and investors will realize that when the company’s next CEO inherits the malaise.

Continue?
While Activision and Microsoft have been taking the headlines when it comes to console gaming, Fools following the gaming sector would do well to also keep tabs on Electronic Arts. We can help. Our new special report breaks down the risks and opportunities facing …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — March 19, 2013: Market Closes Mixed Without Solution in Cyprus (JNPR, RIO, CHK, EBAY, EA, FF, SBLK, FDS, WAG, ADBE, CTAS, FTEK, WSM, FDX, GIS, LEN, AFFY, S, HAL, SLB)

March 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

Filed under: Investing

U.S. equity markets opened higher this morning but worries about a resolution to the banking crisis in Cyprus soon took over and pushed shares down. In other parts of Europe, Spain’s bad loan ratio rose to 10.78% in January and eurozone economic sentiment came in far below expectations. German 10-year bond yields fell on a rising dollar. In Asia, China’s central bank will drain 39 billion yuan in liquidity with a short-term repurchase agreement after foreign direct investment fell less than expected in the month. In the U.S., the report on housing starts was somewhat better than last month, with an annualized 917,000 new homes being built (more coverage here). The Cypriot parliament rejected a revised tax proposal on bank deposits (more coverage here), so it’s anyone’s guess what tomorrow may bring.

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.35% today, now at 82.983. The GSCI commodity index is down 0.3% at 650.30, with commodities prices mixed today. WTI crude oil closed down 1.7% today, at $92.16 a barrel. Brent crude trades down 1.8% at $107.50 a barrel. Natural gas is up 2.1% today at about $3.96 per million BTUs. Gold settled up 0.4% today at $1,611.30 an ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up about 4 points to 14,455.90 (0.03%), the NASDAQ fell more than 8 points (-0.26%) to 3,229.10, and the S&P 500 fell -0.24% or nearly 4 points to 1,548.35.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE: JNPR) cut to ‘sell’ at Goldman Sachs; Rio Tinto plc (NYSE: RIO) cut to ‘sell’ at Goldman Sachs; Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) cut to ‘underperform’ at Sterne Agee (more coverage here); eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) raised to ‘buy’ with a price target of $56 at Cantor Fitzgerald; and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) cut to ‘hold’ at Needham.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in several price moves today, including these: FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE: FF) is down 9.2% at $12.40; Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: SBLK) is up 5.7% at $6.50; FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE: FDS) is down 5.6% at $92.52; and Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) is up 5.2% at $44.65 (more coverage here).

Before markets open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear from Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE), Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS), Fuel Tech Inc. (NASDAQ: FTEK), Williams-Sonoma Inc. (NYSE: WSM), FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS), and Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

Affymax Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFY) is down 62.6% at $1.09 after posting a new 52-week low of $1.02 earlier today. The drugmaker fired 75% of its workforce today and will begin exploring “strategic alternatives” including bankruptcy. More coverage here.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) is up 2.9% at $6.05 after posting a new 52-week high of $6.09 earlier today. The telecom company had no big news today, but led a sector that was up on a down day.

Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) is down 3.4% at $39.36. The oil field …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

EA's Real Racing 3 Review: The Waiting Game

March 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Paul Tassi, Contributor

I was planning on writing this review anyway today, but the departure of EA CEO John Riccitiello has made it all the more relevant. Struggles with major console and PC titles aside, mobile is a market that EA has aggressively courting, and they’ve concocted a few hits in the genre so far. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

EA Launches Need for Speed Most Wanted U Today

March 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

EA Launches Need for Speed Most Wanted U Today

Players Leave Rivals and Cops in the Dust Together with All New Co-Op Features Designed Specifically for the Wii U

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Ready, set, floor it! EA and Criterion Games announced today that Need for Speed™ Most Wanted U, the Nintendo Wii U™ enhanced version of the critically acclaimed Need for Speed Most Wanted, is now available at North American retail stores. Whether gamers are playing with friends or family in the living room or competing against others in the connected open world through Autolog 2, Need for SpeedMost Wanted U makes the race to become Most Wanted more fun, more social and more interactive than ever before.

Rob O’Farrell, Executive Producer, said, “AtCriterion Games, we really took the time to learn and understand the Wii U. When creating Need for Speed Most Wanted U, we wanted to maximize the console’s power to deliver an immediately fun and accessible racing experience. We are very proud of the end result.”

Designed specifically for the Wii U, Need for SpeedMost Wanted U delivers gameplay mechanics built for the unique features of the Wii U™ GamePad controller. The local co-op mode, called Co-Driver, allows one player to drive using the Wii Remote™ controller or Wii U Pro Controller while another player uses the Wii U GamePad to provide control and navigation assistance on an interactive real-time map. Using just their fingertips, the partner can distract pursuing cops, switch from night to day or activate enhanced performance for any car and even control the amount of traffic on the road. For another competitive edge, players can switch into their favorite cars, track milestones, uncover the city’s hidden gems and more, all on the fly with the Wii U touch screen, ensuring nothing ever slows them down.

Need for Speed Most Wanted U brings the blockbuster action of the open world racer to players’ fingertips. The entire game is playable off-screen using the Wii U GamePad, so gamers never have to put the game down.

Need for Speed Most Wanted U includes the Ultimate Speed Pack expansion, so players can take to the streets with five of the most absurdly fast cars ever made: McLaren’s F1 LM, Lamborghini’s minimalist artwork, the Aventador J, the track-focused Pagani Zonda R, Bugatti’s reigning world speed champion, the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Dow Jones Flat Ahead of Fed Meeting and Housing Starts

March 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Roland Head, The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

LONDON — Stock index futures at 7 a.m. EDT indicate that the Dow Jones Industrial Average may open up by 0.07% this morning, while the S&P 500 may open 0.1% lower.

No decision has yet been made on the final terms of the Cypriot bailout, but reports this morning suggest that savers with deposits of less than 20,000 euros may end up being exempt from the bank levy. Any decision has to be voted on in Cyprus‘ parliament, and as yet policymakers have not agreed upon an acceptable deal.

At home, today’s economic reports may provide more detail on the housing-market recovery. At 8:30 a.m. EDT, housing starts in February are expected to have risen slightly to 913,000, up from 890,000 in January. Similarly, an increase in housing permits to 925,000 is expected, up from 904,000 in January. The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee begins a two-day meeting today but is not expected to change its current commitment to monetary easing.

In corporate news, Adobe Systems is due to report earnings after the closing bell tonight, while shoe retailer DSW is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings of $0.72 per share on sales of $601.9 million before markets open this morning. Other stocks that could be actively traded include Electronic Arts after the video game maker announced that its CEO, John Riccitiello, has resigned and will leave the company on March 30. EA also announced that earnings for the current quarter are likely to be “at the lower end of, or slightly below” its previous guidance, which suggested earnings of between $0.92 and $1.12 for the current quarter on revenue of $1.12 billion to $1.23 billion. A poll of analysts by Thomson Reuters suggested that EA‘s earnings may now be as low as $0.65 on revenue of $1.08 billion. EA shares are 0.75% higher in premarket trading.

European markets
European markets drifted lower this morning, but there were no dramatic sell-offs despite the ongoing uncertainty in Cyprus, which has extended Monday’s bank holiday until Wednesday to prevent the risk of a bank run. Although there are fears that a similar solution could be applied in Spain or Greece, the situation in Cyprus is slightly different because the tiny nation’s banking system is eight times annual GDP and has almost no debt — it is entirely funded by deposits. This means that a haircut for bondholders would not raise sufficient funds to meet the bailout requirements.

At 7:40 a.m. EST, the DAX was down 0.3%, the CAC 40 was down 0.59%, the FTSE MIB was down 0.32%, and the IBEX 35 was down 0.62%. In London, the FTSE 100 was down 0.09% as mining stocks fell heavily due to a combination of broker downgrades and lower iron-ore price forecasts from key players such as Rio Tinto. Smartphone chip designer ARM Holdings was also lower, down 3.3% after announcing the retirement of its CEO, Warren East.

If you’re looking for …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

EA CEO Steps Down, Citing Financial Results. But Is SimCity the Real Issue?

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Carol Pinchefsky, Contributor

Back in 2012, Electronic Arts was named the worst company in America, and the recent less-than-smooth release of SimCity did little to bolster its image. The ramifications may have been farther-reaching than just bad PR. It may have been the instigator for today’s news: John Riccitiello, the CEO of EA, has stepped down today. Riccitiello has claimed that he’s leaving because of poor earnings: My decision to leave EA is really all about my accountability for the shortcomings in our financial results this year. It currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued to the Street, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. And for that, I am 100 percent accountable. However, it’s hard not to draw conclusions that his leaving is related to SimCity’s always-online DRM, which has lit up the Internet with fan ire. As we know, the reboot of the popular simulation game required players to log into servers before swearing in as mayor of their town. But with overcrowded serve queues, players had to wait before creating their urban sprawl (or their tidy urban order). Then, when they could play, some gamers were subject to disconnects, causing them to lose game progress. All of their hard work (or is it “hard play?”) was down the drain. The fact that the game has never before required an always-online component is as abrasive to SimCity fans as, well, Mass Effect 3’s ending. The poor launch was further exacerbated by EA’s response: that the game had been written with an always-online mode in mind, and that the game could not be played offline without “a significant amount of engineering work.” Meanwhile, Kotaku played SimCity offline for 19 minutes, thus making EA’s statement look as if they outright lied. Riccitiello’s will leave the company “in a few weeks” and has not stated his plans for the future. But what about plans for SimCity? Does this mean that EA will reverse its policy—because if the game can actually be played offline, the always-online component is indeed a policy—about requiring an Internet connection to enter your own SimCity? We can only hope. Coincidentally, EA is currently a contestant on Consumer’s poll for “worst company in America” for 2013. One person who is likely to vote for EA? The customer that EA had threatened to ban for asking for a refund. Voting begins on March 19th. However, EA was also named the best place to work for LGBT equality in 2013. Riccitiello had been CEO and director of EA since 2007. He also had served as EA’s president and COO from 1997 to 2004. According to his Forbes profile, “Prior to re-joining EA, he was a co-founder and Managing Partner at Elevation Partners, a private equity fund.” You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and here at Forbes. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Video Gaming

EA CEO John Riccitiello Steps Down

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Electronic Arts’ John Riccitiello is stepping down as chief executive officer. Effective March 30, former EA president and CEO Larry Probst will step in as executive chairman.

“We appreciate John’s leadership and the many important strategic initiatives he has driven for the Company,” Probst said. “We have mutually agreed that this is the right time for a leadership transition.”

Riccitiello served as CEO since 2007.

Developing…

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Electronic Arts Is Poised to Pull Back

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Brian Pacampara, Pacampara, The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool’s free investing community, video game publisher Electronic Arts has received a distressing two-star ranking.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at EA and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

EA facts


Headquarters (founded)	Redwood City, Calif. (1982)
Market Cap	$5.7 billion
Industry	Home entertainment software
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$4.0 billion
Management	CEO John Riccitiello (since 2007) CFO Blake Jorgensen (since 2012)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)	(5.1%)
Cash/Debt	$1.5 billion/$554.0 million
Competitors	Activision Blizzard Microsoft Nintendo

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 12% of the 2,215 members who have rated EA believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just last week, one of those Fools, sikiliza, succinctly summed up the EA bear case for our community:

Another gaming company that does not seem to understand their constituent clientele. Their decisions are knee-jerk reactions to what might work rather than anticipatory moves that illustrate their view of the gaming world and the future of gaming. The stock is currently being carried along by the upward tidal movements of the market.

While Activision and Microsoft have been taking the headlines when it comes to console gaming, Fools following the gaming sector would do well to also keep tabs on Electronic Arts. We can help. Our new special report breaks down the risks and opportunities facing the company to help you decide if EA is right for your portfolio. Click here to get your copy now.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ eventType: “TickerReportPitch”, contentByline: “Brian Pacampara, Pacampara”, contentId: “cms.24616”, contentTickers: “NASDAQ:EA, NASDAQ:MSFT, NASDAQ:ATVI”, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

EA Maxis Gifting Free Offline SimCity Game After Server Launch Meltdown

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Gaudiosi, Contributor

Electronic Arts is offering patient SimCity mayors who have stuck with EA Maxis through thick and thin (not that retailers allow you to return PC games these days) with a selection of free digital games. One of those games is none other than SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition, an offline, DRM-free game that doesn’t force players to remain online to play single player. It’s a bit ironic that EA is offering this game to fans who have been begging for the game developer to deliver an offline experience for the new SimCity 5 game (EA gave up on numbers with this latest sequel). …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Electronic Arts CEO to Step Down

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Eric Volkman, The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

Electronic Arts is losing its chief executive. John Riccitiello will leave his post, as well as his seat on the board of directors, effective March 30. The company has tapped board chairman Larry Probst to assume his duties on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found.

Riccitiello has been CEO for six years. In EA‘s press release announcing the move, the company quoted him as saying: “I feel it is the right time for me pass the baton and let new leadership take the company into its next phase of innovation and growth. I remain very optimistic about EA‘s future.”

Probst has been in the top executive seat before, having served as CEO from 1991 to 2007. He has been the company’s chairman of the board since 1994.

The article Electronic Arts CEO to Step Down originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Eric Volkman and The Motley Fool have no position in Electronic Arts. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Video Gaming

SimCity Sells 1 Million Copies

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

Maxis’ SimCity has sold 1.1 million copies in its first two weeks, EA has revealed. More than half of those sales stem from Origin and other digital distribution services.

EA also noted some fun facts about SimCity’s opening weeks:

• SimCity players have logged more than 15 million hours of online gameplay.

• More than 5.7 million original cities have been created since launch.

• More than 780 million buildings have been built.

• SimCity mayors to date have built enough road and railroad tracks to circle the globe more than 40,000 times.

Not bad for a game that barely functioned in its early days.

Recently, EA awarded SimCity buyers with a free game in apology for the city-building sim’s numerous online issues. The publisher claims to have increased server capacity by over 400% since release.

News, Politics, Government

For Your SimCity Headaches, EA Offers (Offline) SimCity 4 and More

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Paul Tassi, Contributor

For your troubles as being part of the unlucky masses unable to properly play SimCity since launch, EA previously said that you’d be receiving a free game some time soon as a “sorry” present. They’ve just announced what titles are on the table, and it includes a version of SimCity that actually works. Just not the edition you’d like. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

News, Politics, Government

For 'Patient and Amazing Mayors' – EA Names Free Games For SimCity Buyers

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Daniel Nye Griffiths, Contributor

When EA and Maxis announced that they were going to offer a free game to buyers of SimCity through their Origin download store, it seemed like a good gesture to make. The games would cost almost nothing for EA to offer, may actually shift some DLC, and a similar approach after the Sony PlayStation Network hack was widely praised. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

EA Wants New Blood To Turn Its Ship Around

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

Filed under: Media, Industry News

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is going to see if a new Chief Executive Officer will get its growth fortunes back on track. The video game giant has now confirmed that CEO John Riccitiello will step down effective March 30. He will also lose his position as a member of the Board of Directors. Wall Street so far is glad to see the transition.

This is a move which signals that business remains challenged, and its implied guidance also confirms that. The EA board of directors has appointed Larry Probst as EA‘s executive chairman while it looks for a permanent CEO. EA has signaled that it will consider internal and external candidates and will also hire a leading executive search firm.

The company’s quote included, “We have mutually agreed that this is the right time for a leadership transition.” That might not be a firing and the departure might not be on bad terms. The flip-side is that this confirms that the company knows it will take new blood to drive initiatives in whatever form they are going to take on.

We noted that the implication is for more weakness. EA signaled that revenues and earnings for the current quarter will be at the low-end of expectations or will even fall slightly below its previously issued guidance.

Still, the stock is up on news that new blood will bring new direction for the company. EA shares closed down 0.9% at $18.71 on the day against a 52-week range of $10.77 to $19.51. Being that close to a 52-week high is very misleading. EA shares were peaking at almost $25 in 2011 and its stock was north of $50 back before the recession took hold.

EA shares are up over 3% at $19.31. A CEO has to feel bad when issuing an earnings and sales warning but thew stock rises because a new unnamed CEO will get to change things.

New blood is what this company needs. The question which remains to be answered is whether or not EA has waited too long to bring in new blood. Hopefully it doesn’t think that an out-of-favor recently fired daily deals CEO in Chicago is the answer.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Activist Investor, Corporate Governance, Management Change, Media, Video Games Tagged: EA

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Electronic Arts Announces Change in Executive Leadership

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

Electronic Arts Announces Change in Executive Leadership

Larry Probst Appointed Executive Chairman, Effective Immediately

Company Updates 2013 Fiscal Outlook

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Electronic Arts Inc. (NAS: EA) today announced that John Riccitiello will step down as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective March 30. The Board has appointed Larry Probst as Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition and to lead EA‘s executive team while the Board conducts a search for a permanent CEO. The Board will consider internal and external candidates with the assistance of a leading executive search firm.

Mr. Probst has played a leadership role at EA since 1991. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board since 1994, he previously served as the Company’s CEO from 1991 to 2007. As CEO, Probst successfully grew the Company’s annual revenues from $175 million to approximately $3 billion, led EA into new platforms such as mobile, online and other emerging markets and expanded its international presence to more than 75 countries.

“We thank John for his contributions to EA since he was appointed CEO in 2007, especially the passion, dedication and energy he brought to the Company every single day,” said Mr. Probst. “John has worked hard to lead the Company through challenging transitions in our industry, and was instrumental in driving our very significant growth in digital revenues. We appreciate John’s leadership and the many important strategic initiatives he has driven for the Company. We have mutually agreed that this is the right time for a leadership transition.”

On behalf of the Board, Lead Director Richard A. Simonson stated, “As we begin the CEO search, we are fortunate that Larry, who has a proven track record with our employees, partners and customers, has agreed to assume a day-to-day leadership role as Executive Chairman. He has 16 years of experience as CEO of EA and a deep understanding of the Company’s strategy, management team, business potential and industry trends.”

Mr. Riccitiello stated, “EA is an outstanding company …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

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