Electronic Arts posts wider 4Q loss on charges

The company expects to record full-year revenue of $4.9 billion to $5.15 billion, or adjusted revenue of $5 billion and $5.3 billion. Wall Street expects sales of $4.59 billion.

In fiscal 2008, EA lost $457 million, or $1.45 per share, compared with a profit of $76 million, or 24 cents per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings were $1.06 per share.

Analysts expected a profit of 94 cents a share.

Sales grew 19 percent to $3.67 billion. Adjusted revenue totaled $4.02 billion.

Analysts had forecast sales of $3.92 billion for the year.

The company said that, going forward, it will only provide guidance for the full year, updated each quarter.

This year, EA expects to launch about 30 games each for Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's XBox 360, and more than 20 for Nintendo's Wii.

EA's shares slid $1.77, or 3.2 percent, to $52.80 in after-hours electronic trading. The stock had closed up 30 cents at $54.57.