EA suffers Q2 loss, revenue propped up by FIFA and Madden

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EA's net performance during its second fiscal quarter, ended September 30, 2011, was either good or bad, depending on which net you're referring to.

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EA reported a net loss of $340 million, but scored a significant goal in shipping "nearly" 8 million copies of FIFA 12 -- half of the 16 million shipped in the game's lifetime. Overall sales of the footie franchise improved 25 percent year-over-year.

Madden NFL 12 was another standout performer during the quarter, shipping more than 3 million units. EA also pointed out continued strong performance of 2010's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (with shipments at 11 million so far). In a follow-up investor call last night, EA predicted similar fortunes from this quarter's Battlefield 3 launch, with store shipments already hitting 10 million.

Though EA's bottom line certainly didn't improve for the quarter (net loss for Q2 2010 was $201 million), revenue was up overall to $715 million. The biggest increase was in net digital revenue -- the realm of add-ons and online passes -- which rose over 40 percent to $234 million compared to the same period last year.

EA's next Q3 will provide a crucial look at the company's future, as it'll divulge Battlefield 3 sales and an early performance indication for BioWare's big-huge investment in Star Wars: The Old Republic.