EA's Live Services Contribute to Nearly Three-Quarters of Revenue

EA's Q2 earnings call revealed that live services comprise 73% of the company's gaming business over a 12-month period, as disclosed by executive vice president and COO Christopher Suh. Digital game sales accounted for 66% of total full-game units sold, marking a 5% year-over-year increase. Suh highlighted the performance of recent sports titles, including FIFA 23, which saw a 10% rise in sell-through unit sales and a 6% increase in FIFA Ultimate Team players within the first four weeks. Madden 23 also demonstrated strong growth, with double-digit year-over-year increases in both Madden Ultimate Team players and net bookings. Additionally, the decision to make The Sims 4 free-to-play was addressed by CEO Andrew Wilson, who noted that approximately 90% of the game's revenue over the past 12 months came from extra content, rather than the base game, prompting the transition.