The earnings call basically ripped EA Louse's accusations apart and I'd be really surprised if any legit news site pick him as a source again. But then again if they were 'legit' they wouldn't have used him in the first place but whatever.
1M sub to be profitable will certainly raise eyebrows (esp those in Wall St following the so called 'analyst' article).
$60 game at retail = $40 for EA
1M box sales = 40 million
Gdemami - Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
The earnings call basically ripped EA Louse's accusations apart and I'd be really surprised if any legit news site pick him as a source again. But then again if they were 'legit' they wouldn't have used him in the first place but whatever.
1M sub to be profitable will certainly raise eyebrows (esp those in Wall St following the so called 'analyst' article).
$60 game at retail = $40 for EA
1M box sales = 40 million
Not really. If they had wanted to do that - or been able to do it - they would have specifically challenged his numbers. And actually $150 million studio development cost + $150 million distribution/server/marketing/advertising/crm costs are quite reasonable. About the price of a major Hollywood blockbuster - and a blockbuster can only make its money in about three months while an MMO can keep making money for ten years.
So you draw attention to this ex-employee (was this even confirmed?) at an earnings call?
Umm... I don't think that's how earnings call works or the way it should work.
If the numbers behind the '1M sub' comment was '1M sub for 10 years', sorry but that's not gonna fly and we are talking some very fast changes at the top (like C levels CEO/CFO etc) if it was true.
Gdemami - Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
Wow funny thread, my lawyer says this, my lawyer says that... you guys obviously have more money to toss around than the average gamer on here as any corporate lawyer worth his salt is going to charge you around a $500 consultation fee just to answer the phone.
Anyway you do not have to invest in any shares of EA to view thier complete financials including SEC filings, investor briefings, quarterly and annual reports, investor presentations, and so on. It is all open public record and they make it all very easily accessed at
However, you are investing in EA when you buy shares, not a specific project, and just being an investor does not give you a magic key to the executive bathroom. You are not privy to information that could be used, illicitily or illegally. To do so would be considered insider trading and Ill see you in 25 years.
Silly Billies
Still thanks to this thread after pouring through EA's financials I personally decided buy a block of shares, however after doing my due dilligence I would project a return on investment closer to 12% not the 25% someone else tossed about, but still not a shabby return on a short term investment in this economy,
I have to agree with you and Pugsleyxxx, Whilan. I do think the Beta Scaling is simply adding more people to the beta and slowly testing out the game like that, not to mention getting some initial stress testing of the servers done too. This is basically what Rift is doing right now and it seems to have people clamoring for beta invites/keys. Good marketing tool as well as a testing tool.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
The earnings call basically ripped EA Louse's accusations apart and I'd be really surprised if any legit news site pick him as a source again. But then again if they were 'legit' they wouldn't have used him in the first place but whatever.
1M sub to be profitable will certainly raise eyebrows (esp those in Wall St following the so called 'analyst' article).
$60 game at retail = $40 for EA
1M box sales = 40 million
Not really. If they had wanted to do that - or been able to do it - they would have specifically challenged his numbers. And actually $150 million studio development cost + $150 million distribution/server/marketing/advertising/crm costs are quite reasonable. About the price of a major Hollywood blockbuster - and a blockbuster can only make its money in about three months while an MMO can keep making money for ten years.
So you draw attention to this ex-employee (was this even confirmed?) at an earnings call?
Umm... I don't think that's how earnings call works or the way it should work.
If the numbers behind the '1M sub' comment was '1M sub for 10 years', sorry but that's not gonna fly and we are talking some very fast changes at the top (like C levels CEO/CFO etc) if it was true.
Well, you're the one who said they they 'ripped his accusations apart' at the earnings call, didn't you?
Yes.. cause saying '1M sub to make profit' is countering the notion that this is a 'big' bet by EA. Not countering him specifically but like I said, it rips him and others that's been sprouting the 'big bet/ investors are panicking' nonsense that actual investors might be concerned about.
Gdemami - Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
Wow funny thread, my lawyer says this, my lawyer says that... you guys obviously have more money to toss around than the average gamer on here as any corporate lawyer worth his salt is going to charge you around a $500 consultation fee just to answer the phone.
Anyway you do not have to invest in any shares of EA to view thier complete financials including SEC filings, investor briefings, quarterly and annual reports, investor presentations, and so on. It is all open public record and they make it all very easily accessed at
However, you are investing in EA when you buy shares, not a specific project, and just being an investor does not give you a magic key to the executive bathroom. You are not privy to information that could be used, illicitily or illegally. To do so would be considered insider trading and Ill see you in 25 years.
Silly Billies
Still thanks to this thread after pouring through EA's financials I personally decided buy a block of shares, however after doing my due dilligence I would project a return on investment closer to 12% not the 25% someone else tossed about, but still not a shabby return on a short term investment in this economy,
Well, they have just risen 9% in one day. I said they were due for a jump.
Wish I'd put some money in it myself. I think they could go 25% higher when they announce box sales figures after launch date.
9% on a tuesday are just daytraders making some coin, weekend sell off paints the real picture of where a stock is moving.
Some of today's movement was a little spree buying too. I moved in at 200 shares, and my dad moved in on top of me for 1000 or so, and Im sure he shared what I told him with some of his friends.
After I hit a little company called macromedia years back off an editorial in the back of PC Gamer talking about how cool a little program called flash was and how big it was gonna be, I have had a bit of a following.
Got into that little gem for $13 a share before it split 6 times and then ran to $100+ a share before being bought out by Adobe on a 2 for 1.
Been hunting the white whale ever since, and everywhere Ahab goes the Pequod and her crew all seem to follow.
Okay every once in a great while, something comes along that makes me go huh?
Well this is one of those times, and it happened just shortly after the earnings report.
Seeing as my question now is related to it, i figured it best to ask in this thread instead of creating a whole new one for just one question.
Anyway they stated in the report that beta scaling will begin in the next few months.
So now my guess would be that means they will increase the number of people invited to beta test the game (which would be great)
However i'm unsure if this is exactly what they mean so in the nature of keeping informed, my question as follows
Question: What does beta scaling mean in this context, did i guess it right or did i miss the mark?
I think it's what you said.
What we have been thinking of as 'limited level playtesting', Bioware regards as 'Beta'. As the weeks go on, they will scale up the amount of people involved in playtesting and increase the levels/areas/features they can experience.
I think they are doing it this way - plus taking a very hardline with NDA leaks - because they want to control all discussion of the game, and any potential negative news, so that they make the maximum box sales at launch which is where, as Brown says, liability becomes profit 'at the turn of a dime'.
I will second this guess. From what they said on the call, "We're currently testing it with a wide-scale consumer type thing but not sort of at the beta scale level-wise". I believe that they plan to first increase the current number of testers, then have a typical closed beta. After PAX East, an open beta will probably begin that leads to the launch in May.
Obviously with MMO's, problems can and will occur. So the game may still get pushed back. But as whilan has pointed out. All the Movies had a May launch. So the plan all along has been a May launch IMO.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them? R.A.Salvatore
EA and Bio both have huge in house testing teams, Im sure all the real " beta testing " will be done in house. We will only be there for the pre-release marketing hype and to test the server loads.
What I've gathered from the information in this thread as well as what I've read on the investor site itself (in relation to a launch date) are as follows:
Beta will be expanding with more players over the next few months
They're not prepared to give us a projected ship date until after FY11 ends (March 31)
So keeping these in mind, best case scenario is that we'll get word of a launch date probably in April or May. This gives them some time to ramp the beta up (presumably Feb-Apr). It's also unlikely they'll be saying "Okay the game launches next month" in the middle of May; usually there's 2-3 months of knowing the launch date while they do their marketing. With how quiet they've been on advertisements and press stuff, I find it highly unlikely they'll make their "Spring 2011" date, if you count spring as March-April-May.
I think extreme best-case scenario, we get a June ship date. That's assuming they'd be able to do everything within a month or two of announcing it. It could well go into a July-August-September release.
Another tidbit I wanted to point out taken from their "prepared statements" document.
"In terms of phasing, we expect the year to be a bit more back-end loaded given our expected title ship dates..."
This means that they're expecting most of their games to ship / create revenue for the latter half of the year.
a bit more back-end loaded given our expected title ship dates
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
EA and Bio both have huge in house testing teams, Im sure all the real " beta testing " will be done in house. We will only be there for the pre-release marketing hype and to test the server loads.
This would be my guess also, imo the only 'beta' most of us will see is a stress test a few weeks before early access.
----- The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
I honestly don't know how anyone could read that transcript and think they're still on schedule for a spring release. It's almost spring and they still would only commit to sometime in 2011 for a release, and they're only talking about ramping up beta in the coming months.
I was in the beta over 2 months ago, but I don't know how long they have been testing for. Maybe well before that ?
The game testing was announced on 7/9/2010. So it has been awhile, but still has never been a full closed beta.
And I do agree that most of us won't see this game until an open beta for stress tests and a staggard launch as BW put it. But a few more will get lucky as you did and get an invite as they ramp up testing.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them? R.A.Salvatore
I honestly don't know how anyone could read that transcript and think they're still on schedule for a spring release. It's almost spring and they still would only commit to sometime in 2011 for a release, and they're only talking about ramping up beta in the coming months.
Sorry there Darth, but Spring is a well over a month away with it officially starting about 20 March and then goes until June 20th or so. I am not saying they will meet this deadline, but the chances are just as good that they will as they are that they won't.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
Comments
The earnings call basically ripped EA Louse's accusations apart and I'd be really surprised if any legit news site pick him as a source again. But then again if they were 'legit' they wouldn't have used him in the first place but whatever.
1M sub to be profitable will certainly raise eyebrows (esp those in Wall St following the so called 'analyst' article).
$60 game at retail = $40 for EA
1M box sales = 40 million
Gdemami -
Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
So you draw attention to this ex-employee (was this even confirmed?) at an earnings call?
Umm... I don't think that's how earnings call works or the way it should work.
If the numbers behind the '1M sub' comment was '1M sub for 10 years', sorry but that's not gonna fly and we are talking some very fast changes at the top (like C levels CEO/CFO etc) if it was true.
Gdemami -
Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
Wow funny thread, my lawyer says this, my lawyer says that... you guys obviously have more money to toss around than the average gamer on here as any corporate lawyer worth his salt is going to charge you around a $500 consultation fee just to answer the phone.
Anyway you do not have to invest in any shares of EA to view thier complete financials including SEC filings, investor briefings, quarterly and annual reports, investor presentations, and so on. It is all open public record and they make it all very easily accessed at
http://investor.ea.com/financials.cfm
However, you are investing in EA when you buy shares, not a specific project, and just being an investor does not give you a magic key to the executive bathroom. You are not privy to information that could be used, illicitily or illegally. To do so would be considered insider trading and Ill see you in 25 years.
Silly Billies
Still thanks to this thread after pouring through EA's financials I personally decided buy a block of shares, however after doing my due dilligence I would project a return on investment closer to 12% not the 25% someone else tossed about, but still not a shabby return on a short term investment in this economy,
I have to agree with you and Pugsleyxxx, Whilan. I do think the Beta Scaling is simply adding more people to the beta and slowly testing out the game like that, not to mention getting some initial stress testing of the servers done too. This is basically what Rift is doing right now and it seems to have people clamoring for beta invites/keys. Good marketing tool as well as a testing tool.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"
Yes.. cause saying '1M sub to make profit' is countering the notion that this is a 'big' bet by EA. Not countering him specifically but like I said, it rips him and others that's been sprouting the 'big bet/ investors are panicking' nonsense that actual investors might be concerned about.
Gdemami -
Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
9% on a tuesday are just daytraders making some coin, weekend sell off paints the real picture of where a stock is moving.
Some of today's movement was a little spree buying too. I moved in at 200 shares, and my dad moved in on top of me for 1000 or so, and Im sure he shared what I told him with some of his friends.
After I hit a little company called macromedia years back off an editorial in the back of PC Gamer talking about how cool a little program called flash was and how big it was gonna be, I have had a bit of a following.
Got into that little gem for $13 a share before it split 6 times and then ran to $100+ a share before being bought out by Adobe on a 2 for 1.
Been hunting the white whale ever since, and everywhere Ahab goes the Pequod and her crew all seem to follow.
I will second this guess. From what they said on the call, "We're currently testing it with a wide-scale consumer type thing but not sort of at the beta scale level-wise". I believe that they plan to first increase the current number of testers, then have a typical closed beta. After PAX East, an open beta will probably begin that leads to the launch in May.
Obviously with MMO's, problems can and will occur. So the game may still get pushed back. But as whilan has pointed out. All the Movies had a May launch. So the plan all along has been a May launch IMO.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
EA and Bio both have huge in house testing teams, Im sure all the real " beta testing " will be done in house. We will only be there for the pre-release marketing hype and to test the server loads.
What I've gathered from the information in this thread as well as what I've read on the investor site itself (in relation to a launch date) are as follows:
Beta will be expanding with more players over the next few months
They're not prepared to give us a projected ship date until after FY11 ends (March 31)
So keeping these in mind, best case scenario is that we'll get word of a launch date probably in April or May. This gives them some time to ramp the beta up (presumably Feb-Apr). It's also unlikely they'll be saying "Okay the game launches next month" in the middle of May; usually there's 2-3 months of knowing the launch date while they do their marketing. With how quiet they've been on advertisements and press stuff, I find it highly unlikely they'll make their "Spring 2011" date, if you count spring as March-April-May.
I think extreme best-case scenario, we get a June ship date. That's assuming they'd be able to do everything within a month or two of announcing it. It could well go into a July-August-September release.
Another tidbit I wanted to point out taken from their "prepared statements" document.
"In terms of phasing, we expect the year to be a bit more back-end loaded given our expected title ship dates..."
This means that they're expecting most of their games to ship / create revenue for the latter half of the year.
a bit more back-end loaded given our expected title ship dates
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
This would be my guess also, imo the only 'beta' most of us will see is a stress test a few weeks before early access.
-----
The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
I honestly don't know how anyone could read that transcript and think they're still on schedule for a spring release. It's almost spring and they still would only commit to sometime in 2011 for a release, and they're only talking about ramping up beta in the coming months.
I was in the beta over 2 months ago, but I don't know how long they have been testing for. Maybe well before that ?
The game testing was announced on 7/9/2010. So it has been awhile, but still has never been a full closed beta.
And I do agree that most of us won't see this game until an open beta for stress tests and a staggard launch as BW put it. But a few more will get lucky as you did and get an invite as they ramp up testing.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
Sorry there Darth, but Spring is a well over a month away with it officially starting about 20 March and then goes until June 20th or so. I am not saying they will meet this deadline, but the chances are just as good that they will as they are that they won't.
"If half of what you tell me is a lie, how can I believe any of it?"