Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2009 Financial Results

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended July 31, 2009.

Net revenue for the third fiscal quarter was $138.6 million, compared to $433.8 million for the same quarter of fiscal 2008, which benefited from the post-launch performance of Grand Theft Auto IV, the blockbuster title that surpassed all-time records for the launch of an entertainment property. Third quarter fiscal 2009 sales were led by catalog titles, including Grand Theft Auto IV, along with The BIGS 2™ and Major League Baseball® 2K9.

Net loss for the third quarter was $55.5 million or $0.72 per share, compared to net income of $51.8 million or $0.67 per share in the third quarter of fiscal 2008.

The third quarter results include $4.6 million in stock-based compensation expense ($0.06 per share) and $0.4 million in professional fees and expenses related to unusual matters ($0.01 per share). Results for the third quarter of 2008 included $12.6 million in stock-based compensation expense ($0.16 per share) and $7.2 million in professional fees and expenses related to unusual matters, as well as business reorganization costs ($0.09 per share).

Non-GAAP net loss was $50.4 million or $0.66 per share in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, compared to non-GAAP net income of $71.5 million or $0.93 per share in the third quarter of 2008. (Please refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures and reconciliation tables included later in this release for additional information and details on non-GAAP items).

For the nine months ended July 31, 2009, net revenue was $625.1 million, compared to $1,214.1 million for the same period a year ago, which included the release and strong post-launch performance of Grand Theft Auto IV. Net loss for the first nine months of fiscal 2009 was $115.9 million or $1.51 per share, compared to net income of $112.1 million or $1.48 for the 2008 period. Results for the first nine months of fiscal 2009 include $16.1 million in stock-based compensation expense ($0.21 per share) and $7.1 million in professional fees and expenses related to unusual matters ($0.09 per share). Results for the first nine months of fiscal 2008 included $31.1 million in stock-based compensation expense ($0.41 per share) and $13.5 million in professional fees and expenses related to unusual matters, as well as business reorganization costs ($0.18 per share).

Non-GAAP net loss was $92.7 million or $1.21 per share in the first nine months of 2009, compared to non-GAAP net income of $156.6 million or $2.07 per share in the comparable period of 2008. (Please refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures and reconciliation tables included later in this release for additional information and details on non-GAAP items).

Business Highlights

Among the recent developments, Take-Two noted the following:

• Take-Two completed a $138 million convertible debt offering.
• Rockstar Games announced Agent, a new wholly owned intellectual property being developed exclusively for the PLAYSTATION®3 system by Rockstar North.
• 2K Sports secured a multi-year license to develop an online version of the NBA simulation game in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia; and announced a partnership with Tencent Holdings Limited, one of China’s leading online game operators, to co-develop and distribute NBA 2K Online in China.
• 2K Games launched its celebrated Sid Meier’s Civilization® Revolution™ for iPhone™ and iPod® touch.

Financial Guidance

Take-Two‘s guidance for the fourth fiscal quarter and fiscal year ending October 31, 2009 is provided below.

Key assumptions and dependencies underlying the Company’s guidance include continued consumer acceptance of the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo; the ability to develop and publish products that capture market share for these current generation systems while continuing to leverage opportunities on certain prior generation platforms; as well as the timely delivery of the titles detailed in this release.

Product Releases

The following titles shipped during the third quarter of fiscal 2009:

Following are the key titles planned for release in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009:

Take-Two's lineup of key titles announced to date for fiscal 2010 includes:

Management Comment

“We remain focused on our core strategy of delivering high quality interactive entertainment experiences and exceptional value through our catalog of proven titles. While the economy and retail environment continue to be challenging, we are optimistic that ‘must have’ triple-A and value products will be key drivers this holiday season. That said, we are maintaining a prudent approach to our business outlook for the remainder of this year and as we head into fiscal 2010. We will continue to invest our resources in initiatives that will enhance our industry-leading creativity and innovation,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two.

Ben Feder, Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two, noted, “Our strong lineup for the balance of this year includes a broad array of titles that we believe will appeal to both hard core and casual gamers. Anchored by several new titles from our blockbuster Grand Theft Auto series and the latest installment of our #1-rated NBA 2K franchise, our holiday portfolio will also feature Borderlands, a genre-defining new intellectual property. Looking ahead, we will continue to support our product development efforts with a solid balance sheet, operational improvements, and a creative team that is among the most talented in our industry.”

Conference Call

Take-Two will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to review these results and discuss other topics. The call can be accessed by dialing (877) 407-0984 or (201) 689-8577. A live listen-only webcast of the call will be available by visiting http://ir.take2games.com and a replay will be available following the call at the same location.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the Company uses non-GAAP measures of financial performance that exclude certain non-recurring or non-cash items. Non-GAAP gross profit, income (loss) from operations, net income (loss) and earnings (loss) per share are measures that exclude certain non-recurring or non-cash items and should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP. They are not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. These non-GAAP financial measures may be different from similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The non-GAAP measures exclude the following items from the Company’s statements of operations:

• Business reorganization, restructuring and related expenses
• Stock-based compensation
• Professional fees and expenses associated with unusual legal and other matters, including the Company's concluded process to evaluate its strategic alternatives
• Income tax effects of the items listed above

In addition, the Company may consider whether other significant non-recurring items that arise in the future should also be excluded from the non-GAAP financial measures it uses.

The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken into consideration with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, are important in gaining an understanding of the Company’s ongoing business. These non-GAAP financial measures also provide for comparative results from period to period. Therefore, the Company believes it is appropriate to exclude certain items as follows:

Business reorganization, restructuring and related expenses

In March 2007, the Company’s stockholders elected a new slate of members to Take-Two’s Board of Directors, who immediately removed the Company’s former President and Chief Executive Officer. Subsequently, the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer resigned. As a result of these actions and the implementation of a business reorganization plan, the Company incurred significant costs in the fiscal years ended October 31, 2007 and October 31, 2008 to reduce headcount, relocate employees and consolidate sales and operational functions. These costs were related to severance, asset write-offs and associated professional fees. As of October 31, 2008, the Company had substantially concluded the reorganization plan.

The Company does not engage in reorganization activities on a regular basis and therefore believes it is appropriate to exclude business reorganization expenses from its non-GAAP financial measures.

Stock-based compensation

The Company does not consider stock-based compensation charges when evaluating business performance and management does not contemplate stock-based compensation expense in its short and long-term operating plans. The Company places greater emphasis on stockholder dilution than accounting charges when assessing the impact of stock-based equity awards.

Professional fees and expenses associated with unusual legal and other matters, including the Company’s concluded strategic review process

The Company incurred significant legal, consulting and investment banking expenses in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008 related to the tender offer by Electronic Arts Inc. to acquire all of the Company’s outstanding shares, which was launched in March 2008 and expired in August 2008, and the Company’s related strategic review process which was completed in October 2008.

Additionally, the Company has realized significant legal and other professional fees associated with both the investigation of its historical stock option granting process and the Company’s responses to related governmental inquiries and civil lawsuits. The Company has also incurred legal expenses related to the tender offer by Electronic Arts. One of management’s primary objectives is to bring conclusion to its outstanding legal matters. The Company continues to incur expenses for professional fees and has accrued for legal settlements that are outside its ordinary course of business. As a result, the Company has excluded such expenses from its non-GAAP financial measures.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

Earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) is a financial measure not calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management uses EBITDA adjusted for business reorganization and related expenses (“Adjusted EBITDA”), among other measures, in evaluating the performance of the Company’s business units. Adjusted EBITDA is also a significant component of the Company’s incentive compensation plans. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, net income/(loss) prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," "will," or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company's future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles for current generation platforms, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, our reliance on a primary distribution service provider for a significant portion of our products, our ability to raise capital if needed, risks associated with international operations, and the matters relating to the investigation by a special committee of our board of directors of the Company's stock option grants and the claims and proceedings relating thereto (including stockholder and derivative litigation and negative tax or other implications for the Company resulting from any accounting adjustments or other factors). Other important factors and information are contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008, in the section entitled "Risk Factors," as updated in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2009, and the Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.