Take-Two has released its financial report for its fiscal fourth quarter 2013 and its full fiscal year sales, which ended March 31, 2013. Revenue for the quarter reached $299.5 million, double the $148.1 million that was posted a year ago. The company posted a profit of $22.5 million, up from a loss of $66.8 million.

For the full fiscal year, revenue jumped to $1.21 billion, from $825.8 million. Despite the increase in sales, Take-Two posted a loss of $29.49 million, though this is an improvement over a loss of $108.8 million the prior year.

Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick, in the investors conference call, announced that BioShock Infinite has shipped 3.7 million units to date, while Borderlands 2 has shipped more than six million units. Also NBA 2K13 has shipped more than five million units.

Take-Two has stated that its digital sales have continued to grow at a rapid pace with revenue up 192 percent year-over-year. Digital sales also accounted for 27 percent of the total Non-GAAP revenue. Digital sales were driven by Borderlands 2, BioShock Infinite, NBA 2K13 and the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

“With BioShock Infinite, Borderlands 2, NBA 2K13 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, our 2K label released four of the past year’s most critically acclaimed titles,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “Our commitment to delight consumers with the highest-quality interactive entertainment experiences enabled Take-Two to have an outstanding year, despite a challenging environment for many in our industry.”

“2013 is the 20th anniversary of Take-Two’s founding and, today, our Company is better positioned for success than at any other time in its history,” added Zelnick. “With Rockstar Games launching Grand Theft Auto V in September, fiscal 2014 is poised to be one of our best years ever. Looking ahead, we have an extensive pipeline of next-generation and emerging platform titles in development, including both new intellectual property and releases from our proven franchises.”

Take-Two has also released its forecast for the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2013, as well as full 2014 fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2014. For the first quarter 2014, Take-Two expects revenue to be between $100 million and $125 million. For the full fiscal year, Take-Two expects revenue to be between $1.75 billion and $1.85 billion. This is roughly a 50 percent increase year-over-year.

Read more here: VG Charts

Latest entry in FPS series posts best first-month sales in franchise history; Take-Two full-year revenue hits $1.222 billion; Max Payne 3 shipments reach 4 million.

BioShock Infinite has sold-in (i.e. shipped) 3.7 million copies worldwide life-to-date, publisher Take-Two Interactive announced today as part of its fourth quarter and full-year earnings report.

From Irrational Games, BioShock Infinite launched March 26 and has seen higher first-month sales than any other entry in the series to date. Take-Two also reported “solid demand” for the BioShock Infinite Season Pass, which offers three upcoming add-ons.

None have been released thus far, though a past rumor suggests the first will add a new companion character.

The news comes as part of Take-Two Interactive’s fourth quarter and full-year earnings report for the periods ended March 31. For the fourth quarter, revenue was $303.1 million, compared to $148.1 million last year. The company pulled a profit of $42.9 million for the quarter, up from a loss of $50.9 million last year.

Catalog sales made up 25 percent of net revenue in the quarter, while revenue from digitally delivered content surged 192 percent year-over-year and made up 27 percent of net revenue.

For the fiscal year, Take-Two net revenue hit $1.222 billion, up from $825.8 million last year. The company posted a profit of $33.1 million for the period, compared to a loss of $59.4 million last year.

The largest contributors to Take-Two’s bottom line in fiscal 2013 were Borderlands 2, NBA 2K13, BioShock Infinite, Max Payne 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and Red Dead Redemption.

Revenue from digital content jumped 148 percent year-over-year and made up 22 percent of net revenue. Take-Two attributed this boost in digital revenue to offerings from Borderlands 2, the Grand Theft Auto franchise, NBA 2K13, Civilization V, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

Take-Two also gave sales updates for two of its major 2012 titles. The company revealed that Max Payne 3 has now shipped 4 million units since launch in May 2012 and reiterated that Borderlands 2 has shipped 6 million copies and is likely to become 2K’s most successful title to date.

“Our commitment to delight consumers with the highest-quality interactive entertainment experiences enabled Take-Two to have an outstanding year, despite a challenging environment for many in our industry,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in a statement.

“2013 is the 20th anniversary of Take-Two’s founding and, today, our Company is better positioned for success than at any other time in its history. With Rockstar Games launching Grand Theft Auto V in September, fiscal 2014 is poised to be one of our best years ever,” he added. “Looking ahead, we have an extensive pipeline of next-generation and emerging platform titles in development, including both new intellectual property and releases from our proven franchises.”

This is a breaking news story. Additional details will be added

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Borderlands publisher won’t have official presence at trade show in June; Take-Two Interactive will conduct business meetings only.

2K Games will not have a booth on the show floor at the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo this summer, the publisher has announced on its website.

“At 2K, we’re excited for the new opportunities coming with the next generation of hardware, and are hard at work preparing our announced titles for release,” the company explained.

“While 2K will not have a booth on the show floor at this year’s E3 conference, we will have a lot of great news coming your way this spring,” the statement continues.

2K’s slate of upcoming titles includes the Brave New World expansion for Civilization V, XCOM: Enemy Unknown for iOS, WWE 14, NBA 2K14, and The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

Though 2K Games will not have a presence on the E3 2013 show floor, parent company Take-Two Interactive will hold its typical business meetings at the event.

“We are going to have a meeting room in the upper concourse level and we’ll be doing some business meetings as we usually do,” a Take-Two spokesperson confirmed with Joystiq. “2K is not participating.”

It is unclear if Rockstar Games will participate in E3 2013. The label typically does not attend the show. Grand Theft Auto V launches on September 17 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Earlier this week, Nintendo announced that it would not host a major presentation at E3 2013 in favor of smaller events to showcase new titles.

The Entertainment Software Association–the group responsible for organizing E3–is seeking $190,000 from bankrupt publisher THQ for money owed over booth space reserved for the show.

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Chinese publisher Shanda Games said to have spent 8-figure sum for NBA star.

RIFT has a new face promoting the MMORPG in China; Miami Heat point guard Dwayne Wade.

Yep, that’s an NBA star promoting an MMO in China.

Shanda Games’ official website has confirmed NBA basketball player Dwyane Wade’s new role as Rift spokesperson. Based on the video here, the catchphrase for the promotion is “RIFT: the true American style, just like the NBA”.

According to additional information from website MMO Culture, Shanda Games paid an 8-figure sum in US dollars to hire the basketball player. GameSpot is currently reaching out to Shanda Games for clarification on this payment.

On February 9, Shanda Games announced that it had partnered up with Trion Worlds to publish the MMO in China. The game was praised by critics for its rift and invasions game mechanics, flexible class system, and visuals.

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Microsoft has released the sales of the Xbox 360 in the US in January. The Xbox 360 was the bestselling console for the month, selling 281,000 units. This is also the 25th straight month that the Xbox 360 was at the top. The Xbox 360 had a 44 percent market share for the current generation consoles, which include the PlayStation 3 and Wii.

There was also more than $338 million spent on the Xbox 360 at retail. This includes console sales, software sales, and accessories like controllers and Kinect. Five of the top 10 games for the month were for the Xbox 360. The games are Far Cry 3, NBA 2K13, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Madden NFL 13, and Halo 4.

“This year, Xbox 360 will continue to expand its interactive entertainment portfolio with experiences including Redbox Instant, MTV and PBS, solidifying its position as the best all-in-one entertainment package,” read the press release.

“Xbox showed incredible growth throughout 2012, almost tripling its entertainment offerings with nearly 100 custom, voice-controlled Xbox LIVE apps, and delivering users with 18 billion hours of entertainment. Xbox has sold three times the number of original Xbox consoles, with 76 million units sold around the world to-date.”

Source: VG Charts

Take-Two has released its quarterly report for its third fiscal quarter of 2013, which ended on December 31, 2012. Revenue nearly doubled to $15.8 million, up from $236.3 million during the same quarter a year ago. Profits were up nearly 400 percent to $70.9 million.

“Take-Two’s positive business momentum continued in the third quarter, enabling us to deliver growth and profits that exceeded our outlook,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “Our results benefited from the record-breaking launch of NBA 2K13, along with continued strong demand for Borderlands 2, the successful launch of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and robust holiday sales of our catalog and growing portfolio of digitally delivered offerings.”

“With consumer anticipation building for the launches of BioShock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V, we are well positioned for a solid finish to fiscal year 2013 and substantial revenue and earnings growth in fiscal year 2014,” Zelnick continued.

NBA 2K13 was one of the main reasons for the strong quarter. The game set a franchise record in its first week and has since almost sold 4.5 million units. Borderlands 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Red Dead Redemption are still selling well. Catalog game sales accounted for 22 percent of the revenue. Digital sales increased 244 percent year-over-year.

Take-Two has also released its outlook for its full 2013 fiscal year which ends March 31, 2013. Revenue for the fill year is expected to hit $1.15 billion to $1.20 billion. Releases for the rest of the fiscal year include Major League Baseball 2K13 and BioShock Infinite.

Source: VG Charts

Publisher sees net revenue jump 71 percent to $405 million, with profit surging 148 percent to $78.8 million; digital business grows 244 percent.

Grand Theft Auto parent publisher Take-Two Interactive today reported financial results for its third quarter ended December 31, revealing rising revenue and profit. The company posted net revenue of $405 million, up 71 percent from last year. Net income surged by a greater margin, jumping 148 percent to $78.8 million.

Take-Two said the strongest contributors to its bottom line for the period were NB2K13, Borderlands 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and catalog sales led by Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption. Catalog sales made up 22 percent of all net revenue.

NBA 2K13 has now sold through more than 4.5 million copies since launch, the company said. In addition, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said Borderlands 2 has now shipped 6 million copies and is one of the company’s most important long-term properties.

Take-Two’s digital sector was another bright spot during the quarter, with revenues in this area rising 244 percent year-over-year, making up 23 percent of net revenue. Success in this area was led by digital sales of Borderlands 2 and its expansions, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the GTA franchise, and NBA 2K13.

Looking ahead, Take-Two said it expects net revenue for its fourth quarter ending March 31 to come in at $235 million to $285 million, with full-year net revenue hitting $1.15 billion to $1.20 billion. And regarding next-generation platforms, Zelnick said Take-Two has an “extraordinary array of offerings” for these still-unannounced platforms.

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Overview

Hardware sales decreased 10 percent this week to 482,432 units, from 534,930 units last week. All platforms are down week-on-week. Year-on-year sales are down 41 percent. The Vita is the only platform up year-on-year.

Four games debuted in the top 30 this week. Gintama no Sugoroku (PSP) debuted at number 20 with sales of 26,581.

Software milestones this week in the top 30: Just Dance 4 (Wii) passed the five million mark; NBA 2K13 (X360) passed the two million mark.

Worldwide Hardware

Hardware home console sales week-on-week are down across the board. PlayStation 3 sales are down 10,045 (-9%) to 101,538 units sold. Xbox 360 sales are down 9,257 (-11%) to 75,559 units sold. The Wii U sold 33,549 units, a decrease of 5,841 (-15%). The Wii sold 25,990 units, a decrease of 6,615 (-20%).

Handheld sales week-on-week are down across the board. The 3DS sold 167,621 units, which is down 9,119 (-5%) week-on-week. The DS is down 3,950 (-14%) to 24,386 units sold. The PSP sold 26,440 units which is down 5,751 (-18%) compared to last week. The PlayStation Vita is down 1,920 (-7%) to 26,349 units sold. Total week on week sales are down 52,498 units (-10%) to 482,432 units.

The PlayStation Vita is the only platform up year-on-Year. The PlayStation 3 is down 90,107 (-47%), the Wii is down 86,522 (-77%), and the Xbox 360 is down 92,227 (-55%). The PSP is down 43,638 (-18%), the DS is down 28,308 (-54%), the Vita is up 4,731 (22%) and the 3DS is down 36,181 (-18%). Year on year sales are down 338,293 units (-41%).

Hardware sales have dropped significantly since the week ending December 22. All four home consoles have dropped for five straight weeks. The PlayStation 3 has led for five straight weeks and six of the last 10 weeks. The Xbox 360 led for three of the other weeks and the Wii U one of the weeks.

The PlayStation 3 has a 50 percent market share for the seventh generation; the Xbox 360 has a 37 percent market share; and the Wii has a 13 percent market share. Compared with ten weeks ago all four home consoles are down.

Handheld sales have dropped significantly since the holiday peak, especially for the 3DS which got the biggest holiday boost. The 3DS, DS, and Vita have all dropped for five straight weeks and the PSP for three straight weeks. The 3DS remains well above all the other handhelds, outselling them combined.

The PSP has a 52 percent market share this week for the seventh generation handhelds and the DS with 48 percent. The 3DS has an 86 percent market share for the eighth generation of handhelds, while the Vita has a 14 percent market share. Compared with ten weeks ago all four handhelds are down.

Worldwide Software

Four games debuted in the top 30 this week. Gintama no Sugoroku (PSP) debuted at number
Source: VG Charts

Almost halfway through the NBA season, San Antonio Spurs center Matt Bonner ranks tied at 122nd for three-pointers made with 30. Considering he is seldom used in coach Gregg Popovich’s rotation — Bonner averages just 11 minutes a game — his three-point numbers are impressive, especially for a 6’10″ big man…
Source: Spin News

We’ve collected every current NBA player who has been mentioned in a rap song, from the omnipresent LeBron James to preeminent punching bag Darko Milicic — which team do rappers love the most?

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