EA losses narrow as 2m buy Star Wars: Old Republic

You could almost smell the desperation in some quarters of the game press for EA’s Star Wars: The Old Republic to fail. Well guess what? It’s been a huge hit.

Since its release in December the game has sold in excess of 2m copies worldwide, with 1.7 players signing up to a paid subscription.

BioWare’s MMO wasn’t the only success, either. Both FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3 selling over 10m units each and Madden 12 hitting 5m.

But despite these positives, EA still reported a loss for the quarter, albeit a reduced one. Overall Q3 losses reached $205m, down from $322m a year before.

Digital revenue grew from $211m to $377m year-on-year and physical publishing revenue hit $1.225bn, up from $1.108bn in 2010. Net income grew from $196m to $334m.

Mobile revenue jumped from $64m to $83m, with digital MAU climbing 13m to 52m people year-on-year. Its digital store Origin has been a success, however, generating revenue of over $100m and attracting 9.3m users.

FIFA 12’s Ultimate Team alone is expected to deliver revenues of over $100m by the end of the current financial year.

We are pleased to report a strong holiday quarter driven by Battlefield 3, FIFA12 and a strong showing by our digital games and services,” Riccitiello added.