Take-Two says latest title expected to become top-selling entry in the franchise; Borderlands 2 rises to 7 million, NBA 2K13 hits 6 million.

BioShock Infinite has now shipped 4 million units and is expected to become the top-selling entry in the series, according to comments from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick today during an earnings call.

Zelnick also revealed that Borderlands 2 has now shipped 7 million units worldwide. The game is on track to become the best-selling release in the history of the 2K Games label.

Lastly, the executive said NBA 2K13 has now shipped 6 million copies and is seeing record digital sales.

Zelnick also spoke highly of XCOM: Enemy Unknown for iOS. He did not give a specific sales update for the game, but said it proved that "gamers are willing to pay a premium price for premium experience." He added that its success has led Take-Two to consider how else it can adapt its franchises for mobile platforms.

Irrational Games today launched the first expansion for BioShock Infinite--Clash in the Clouds--for $5. Additional expansions Burial at Sea - Episode One and Burial at Sea - Episode Two will release in 2014 for $15 each.

Take-Two today reported an overall loss for the fiscal first quarter of $47.1 million on revenue of $144.3 million. Digital sales were a bright spot for the company, rising 128 percent year-over-year and making up a record 52 percent of net revenue for the quarter.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Grand Theft Auto parent publisher's digital business makes up 52 percent of all revenue; company posts overall loss of $47.1 million.

Take-Two's digital business is booming. The company today reported earnings for the quarter ended June 30, revealing revenue from digitally delivered content grew 128 percent year-over-year and accounted for a record 52 percent of net revenue.

This was driven by offerings, including full-game downloads and add-on content, for Borderlands 2, the Grand Theft Auto franchise, NBA 2K13, and BioShock Infinite.

Overall, Take-Two net revenue was $144.3 million for the quarter, compared to $226.1 million last year. The company posted a loss of $47.1 million for the period, better than the loss of $98.8 million it took last year.

The company pointed out that the same quarter last year benefited from the release of Max Payne 3 and Spec Ops: The Line.

Take-Two's loss includes an impairment of capitalized software development cost related to a 2K title currently in development of $29.6 million, though this game was not specified. As of June 30, Take-Two had cash and cash equivalents of $646.3 million.

The biggest contributors to Take-Two's bottom line for the quarter were Borderlands 2, NBA 2K13, Grand Theft Auto IV, and BioShock Infinite. Catalog sales made up 60 percent of net revenue, led by the Borderlands franchise, the GTA franchise, and Red Dead Redemption.

"Our better-than-expected first quarter results demonstrate that the market remains strong for the highest-quality interactive entertainment," Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in a statement. "We continue to benefit from robust demand for our recent genre-leading releases, iconic catalog titles and growing portfolio of innovative digitally delivered offerings."

Take-Two is currently holding a call to discuss the results and answer analyst and media questions.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot