# ELECTRONIC ARTS INC. (EA) FY 2023 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2023.

SEC filing source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/712515/000071251523000028/ea-20230331.htm
Accession: 0000712515-23-000028
Filing date: 2023-05-24
Report date: 2023-03-31
Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary.
Confidence: high

Company profile: /company/EA/
All MD&A years: /company/EA/mda/
Previous year: /company/EA/mda/fy2022/ (FY 2022)
Next year: /company/EA/mda/fy2024/ (FY 2024)

Item 7:     Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

OVERVIEW

The following overview is a high-level discussion of our operating results, as well as some of the trends and drivers that affect our business. Management believes that an understanding of these trends and drivers provides important context for our results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, as well as our future prospects. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to be a substitute for the detailed discussion and analysis provided elsewhere in this Form 10-K, including in the “Business” section and the “Risk Factors” above, the remainder of “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”)” or the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. We develop, market, publish and deliver games, content and services that can be experienced on game consoles, PCs, mobile phones and tablets. At our core is a portfolio of intellectual property from which we create innovative games and experiences that deliver high-quality entertainment and drive engagement across our network of hundreds of millions of unique active accounts. Our portfolio includes brands that we either wholly own (such as Apex Legends, Battlefield, and The Sims) or license from others (such as Madden NFL, Star Wars, and the 300+ licenses within our global football ecosystem). Through our live services offerings, we offer our players high-quality experiences designed to provide value to players, and extend and enhance gameplay. These live services include extra content, subscription offerings and other revenue generated in addition to the sale of our base games. We are focusing on building games and experiences that grow the global online communities around our key franchises; reaching more players through connecting interactive storytelling to key intellectual property; and building re-occurring revenue from our annualized sports franchises, our console, PC and mobile catalog titles, and our live services.

Financial Results

Our key financial results for our fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 were as follows:

•Total net revenue was $7,426 million, up 6 percent year-over-year.

•Live services and other net revenue was $5,489 million, up 10 percent year-over-year.

•Gross margin was 75.9 percent, up 2.5 percentage points year-over-year.

•Operating expenses were $4,302 million, up 7 percent year-over-year.

•Operating income was $1,332 million, up 18 percent year-over-year.

•Net income was $802 million, up 2 percent year-over-year.

•Diluted earnings per share was $2.88, up 4 percent year-over-year.

•Operating cash flow was $1,550 million, down 18 percent year-over-year.

•Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $2,767 million.

•We repurchased 10.4 million shares of our common stock for $1,295 million.

•We paid cash dividends of $210 million during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023.

Trends in Our Business

Live Services Business. We offer our players high-quality experiences designed to provide value to players and to extend and enhance gameplay. These live services include extra content, subscription offerings and other revenue generated in addition to the sale of our base games and free-to-play games. Our net revenue attributable to live services and other was $5,489 million, $4,998 million, and $4,016 million for fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and we expect that live services net revenue will continue to be material to our business. Within live services and other, net revenue attributable to extra content was $4,277 million, $3,910 million, and $3,068 million for fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Extra content net revenue has increased as more players engage with our games and services, and purchase additional content designed to provide value to players and extend and enhance gameplay. Our most popular live services are the extra content purchased for the Ultimate Team mode associated with our sports franchises and extra content purchased for our Apex Legends franchise. Ultimate Team allows players to collect current and former professional players in order to build and compete as a personalized team. Live services net revenue generated from extra content purchased within the Ultimate Team mode associated with our sports franchises, a substantial portion of which was derived from FIFA Ultimate Team, and from our Apex Legends franchise, is material to our business.

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Digital Delivery of Games. In our industry, players increasingly purchase games digitally as opposed to purchasing physical discs. While this trend, as applied to our business, may not be linear due to a mix of products during a fiscal year, consumer buying patterns and other factors, over time we expect players to purchase an increasingly higher proportion of our games digitally. As a result, we expect net revenue attributable to digital full game downloads to increase over time and net revenue attributable to sales of packaged goods to decrease.

Our net revenue attributable to digital full game downloads was $1,262 million, $1,282 million, and $918 million during fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively; while our net revenue attributable to packaged goods sales was $675 million, $711 million, and $695 million in fiscal year 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. In addition, as measured based on total units sold on Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Sony’s PlayStation 4 and 5 rather than by net revenue, we estimate that 68 percent, 65 percent, and 62 percent of our total units sold during fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021 were sold digitally. Digital full game units are based on sales information provided by Microsoft and Sony; packaged goods units sold through are estimated by obtaining data from significant retail partners in North America, Europe and Asia, and applying internal sales estimates with respect to retail partners from which we do not obtain data. We believe that these percentages are reasonable estimates of the proportion of our games that are digitally downloaded in relation to our total number of units sold for the applicable period of measurement.

Increases in consumer adoption of digital purchase of games combined with increases in our live services revenue generally results in expansion of our gross margin, as costs associated with selling a game digitally is generally less than selling the same game through traditional retail and distribution channels.

Increased Competition. Competition in our business is intense. Our competitors range from established interactive entertainment companies to emerging start-ups. In addition, the gaming, technology/internet, and entertainment industries have converged in recent years and larger, well-funded technology companies have strengthened their interactive entertainment capabilities resulting in more direct competition with us. Their greater financial or other resources may provide larger budgets to develop and market tools, technologies, products and services that gain consumer success and shift player time and engagement away from our products and services. In addition, our leading position within the interactive entertainment industry makes us a prime target for recruiting our executives, as well as key creative and technical talent, resulting in retention challenges and increased cost to retain and incentivize our key people.

In the past several years, our industry has undergone a period of increased consolidation which increases competitive pressure on us as interactive entertainment companies grow through acquisition or as larger, well-funded technology companies strengthen their interactive entertainment capabilities.

Concentration of Sales Among the Most Popular Games. In all major segments of our industry, we see a large portion of games sales concentrated on the most popular titles. Similarly, a significant portion of our revenue historically has been derived from games based on a few popular franchises, several of which we have released on an annual or bi-annual basis. In particular, we have historically derived a significant portion of our net revenue from our global football franchise, the annualized version of which is consistently one of the best-selling games in the marketplace. We have invested in over 300 individual partnerships and licenses to create our global football ecosystem and starting in fiscal year 2024, our global football franchise will transition to a new EA SPORTS FC brand. Our vision for the future of interactive football with EA SPORTS FC is to create the largest football club in the world, and we believe this is the right opportunity for us so that we can continue delivering innovation and growing to connect more fans on a global scale.

Re-occurring Revenue Sources. Our business model includes revenue that we deem re-occurring in nature, such as revenue from our live services, annualized sports franchises (e.g., global football, Madden NFL), and our console, PC and mobile catalog titles (i.e., titles that did not launch in the current fiscal year). We have been able to forecast revenue from these areas of our business with greater relative confidence than for new games, services and business models. As we continue to incorporate new business models and modalities of play into our games, our goal is to continue to look for opportunities to expand the re-occurring portion of our business.

Free-to-Play and Free-to-Enter Games. We offer games in some of our largest franchises, including the PC version of our global football franchise, The Sims 4, and Apex Legends, through business models that allow consumers to access games with no-upfront cost. These games are then monetized through a live service associated with the game, particularly extra content sales. These business models are dominant in the mobile gaming industry and are becoming increasingly accepted in the online PC and console market. We expect to continue offering games through these business models across console, PC and mobile and expect extra content revenue generated through these business models to continue to be an important part of our business.

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Restructuring. In March 2023, our Board of Directors approved a restructuring plan (the "2023 Restructuring Plan" or the “Plan”) focused on prioritizing investments to the Company's growth opportunities and optimizing its real estate portfolio. The Plan includes actions driven by portfolio rationalization, including intellectual property impairment charges and headcount reductions, in addition to office space reductions. The actions associated with the Plan are expected to be substantially complete by September 30, 2023.

Net Bookings. In order to improve transparency into our business, we disclose an operating performance metric, net bookings. Net bookings is defined as the net amount of products and services sold digitally or sold-in physically in the period. Net bookings is calculated by adding total net revenue to the change in deferred net revenue for online-enabled games.

The following is a calculation of our total net bookings for the periods presented:

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Net bookings were $7,341 million for fiscal year 2023 primarily driven by sales related to our FIFA and Madden franchises, Apex Legends, and The Sims 4. Net bookings decreased $174 million or 2 percent as compared to fiscal year 2022 primarily due to the prior year release of Battlefield 2042, and a $244 million impact related to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, net of hedging activities, partially offset by strength in our FIFA franchise. Live services and other net bookings were $5,530 million for fiscal year 2023, and increased $160 million or 3 percent as compared to fiscal year 2022. The increase in live services and other net bookings was due primarily to strength in our FIFA franchise across all platforms (console, PC, and mobile), and the addition of Golf Clash. This strength was partially offset by fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, net of hedging activities, and softness in sales of extra content within the rest of our mobile catalog portfolio. Full game net bookings were $1,811 million for fiscal year 2023, and decreased $334 million or 16 percent as compared to fiscal year 2022 primarily due to the prior year releases of Battlefield 2042 and Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster, partially offset by the release of Dead Space Remake and sales related to our FIFA franchise.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these Consolidated Financial Statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, contingent assets and liabilities, and revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. The policies discussed below are considered by management to be critical because they are not only important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations, but also because application and interpretation of these policies requires both management judgment and estimates of matters that are inherently uncertain and unknown. As a result, actual results may differ materially from our estimates.

Revenue Recognition

We derive revenue principally from sales of our games, and related extra content and services that can be experienced on game consoles, PCs, mobile phones and tablets. Our product and service offerings include, but are not limited to, the following:

•full games with both online and offline functionality (“Games with Services”), which generally includes (1) the initial game delivered digitally or via physical disc at the time of sale and typically provide access to offline core game content (“software license”); (2) updates on a when-and-if-available basis, such as software patches or updates, and/or additional free content to be delivered in the future (“future update rights”); and (3) a hosted connection for online playability (“online hosting”);

•full games with online-only functionality which require an Internet connection to access all gameplay and functionality (“Online-Hosted Service Games”);

•extra content related to Games with Services and Online-Hosted Service Games which provides access to additional in-game content;

•subscriptions, such as EA Play and EA Play Pro, that generally offer access to a selection of full games, in-game content, online services and other benefits typically for a recurring monthly or annual fee; and

•licensing to third parties to distribute and host our games and content.

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We evaluate and recognize revenue by:

•identifying the contract(s) with the customer;

•identifying the performance obligations in the contract;

•determining the transaction price;

•allocating the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract; and

•recognizing revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied through the transfer of a promised good or service to a customer (i.e., “transfer of control”).

Certain of our full game and/or extra content are sold to resellers with a contingency that the full game and/or extra content cannot be resold prior to a specific date (“Street Date Contingency”). We recognize revenue for transactions that have a Street Date Contingency when the Street Date Contingency is removed and the full game and/or extra content can be resold by the reseller. For digital full game and/or extra content downloads sold to customers, we recognize revenue when the full game and/or extra content is made available for download to the customer.

Online-Enabled Games

Games with Services. Our sales of Games with Services are evaluated to determine whether the software license, future update rights and the online hosting are distinct and separable. Sales of Games with Services are generally determined to have three distinct performance obligations: software license, future update rights, and the online hosting.

Since we do not sell the performance obligations on a stand-alone basis, we consider market conditions and other observable inputs to estimate the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation. For Games with Services, generally 75 percent of the sales price is allocated to the software license performance obligation and recognized at a point in time when control of the license has been transferred to the customer. The remaining 25 percent is allocated to the future update rights and the online hosting performance obligations and recognized ratably as the service is provided (over the Estimated Offering Period).

Online-Hosted Service Games. Sales of our Online-Hosted Service Games are determined to have one distinct performance obligation: the online hosting. We recognize revenue from these arrangements as the service is provided.

Extra Content. Revenue received from sales of downloadable content are derived primarily from the sale of virtual currencies and digital in-game content that are designed to extend and enhance players’ game experience. Sales of extra content are accounted for in a manner consistent with the treatment for our Games with Services and Online-Hosted Service Games as discussed above, depending upon whether or not the extra content has offline functionality. That is, if the extra content has offline functionality, then the extra content is accounted for similarly to Games with Services (generally determined to have three distinct performance obligations: software license, future update rights, and the online hosting). If the extra content does not have offline functionality, then the extra content is determined to have one distinct performance obligation: the online-hosted service.

Subscriptions

Sales of our subscriptions are deemed to be one performance obligation and we recognize revenue from these arrangements ratably over the subscription term as the performance obligation is satisfied.

Licensing Revenue

We utilize third-party licensees to distribute and host our games and content in accordance with license agreements, for which the licensees typically pay us a fixed minimum guarantee and/or sales-based royalties. These arrangements typically include multiple performance obligations, such as a time-based license of software and future update rights. We recognize as revenue a portion of the minimum guarantee when we transfer control of the license of software (generally upon commercial launch) and the remaining portion ratably over the contractual term in which we provide the licensee with future update rights. Any sales-based royalties are generally recognized as the related sales occur by the licensee.

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Significant Judgments around Revenue Arrangements

Identifying performance obligations. Performance obligations promised in a contract are identified based on the goods and services that will be transferred to the customer that are both capable of being distinct, (i.e., the customer can benefit from the goods or services either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available), and are distinct in the context of the contract (i.e., it is separately identifiable from other goods or services in the contract). To the extent a contract includes multiple promises, we must apply judgment to determine whether those promises are separate and distinct performance obligations. If these criteria are not met, the promises are accounted for as a combined performance obligation.

Determining the transaction price. The transaction price is determined based on the consideration that we will be entitled to receive in exchange for transferring our goods and services to the customer. Determining the transaction price often requires judgment, based on an assessment of contractual terms and business practices. It further includes review of variable consideration such as discounts, sales returns, price protection, and rebates, which is estimated at the time of the transaction. In addition, the transaction price does not include an estimate of the variable consideration related to sales-based royalties. Sales-based royalties are recognized as the sales occur.

Allocating the transaction price. Allocating the transaction price requires that we determine an estimate of the relative stand-alone selling price for each distinct performance obligation. Determining the relative stand-alone selling price is inherently subjective, especially in situations where we do not sell the performance obligation on a stand-alone basis (which occurs in the majority of our transactions). In those situations, we determine the relative stand-alone selling price based on various observable inputs using all information that is reasonably available. Examples of observable inputs and information include: historical internal pricing data, cost plus margin analysis, pre-release versus post-release costs, and pricing data from competitors to the extent the data is available. The results of our analysis resulted in a specific percentage of the transaction price being allocated to each performance obligation.

Determining the Estimated Offering Period. The offering period is the period in which we offer to provide the future update rights and/or online hosting for the game and related extra content sold. Because the offering period is not an explicitly defined period, we must make an estimate of the offering period for the service-related performance obligations (i.e., future update rights and online hosting). Determining the Estimated Offering Period is inherently subjective and is subject to regular revision. Generally, we consider the average period of time customers are online when estimating the offering period. We also consider the estimated period of time between the date a game unit is sold to a reseller and the date the reseller sells the game unit to the customer (i.e., time in channel). Based on these two factors, we then consider the method of distribution. For example, games and extra content sold at retail would have a composite offering period equal to the online gameplay period plus time in channel as opposed to digitally-distributed games and extra content which are delivered immediately via digital download and therefore, the offering period is estimated to be only the online gameplay period.

Additionally, we consider results from prior analyses, known and expected online gameplay trends, as well as disclosed service periods for competitors’ games in determining the Estimated Offering Period for future sales. We believe this provides a reasonable depiction of the transfer of future update rights and online hosting to our customers, as it is the best representation of the time period during which our games and extra content are experienced. We recognize revenue for future update rights and online hosting performance obligations ratably on a straight-line basis over this period as there is a consistent pattern of delivery for these performance obligations. Revenue for service-related performance obligations for games and extra content sold through retail is recognized over an estimated ten-month period beginning in the month of sale, revenue for service-related performance obligations for digitally-distributed games and extra content is recognized over an estimated eight-month period beginning in the month of sale.

During the three months ended September 30, 2021, we completed our annual evaluation of the Estimated Offering Period and noted consumers are playing certain of our Online Hosted Service Games, such as PC and console free-to-play games, for longer periods of time than in previous years. This extended consumer gameplay is due to players engaging with services we provide that are designed to enhance and extend gameplay, and as such, concluded that the Estimated Offering Period for such games should be lengthened. As a result, for all new sales after July 1, 2021, the revenue that we recognize for service-related performance obligations related to our PC and console free-to-play games is recognized generally over a twelve-month period. The fiscal year 2022 change in Estimated Offering Period did not impact the amount of net bookings or the operating cash flows that we report. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, this increase to our Estimated Offering Period resulted in increases in net revenue of $103 million, net income of $79 million, and diluted earnings per share of $0.28. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, this increase to our Estimated Offering Period resulted in decreases in net revenue of $131 million, net income of $100 million, and diluted earnings per share of $0.35.

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Principal Agent Considerations

We evaluate sales to end customers of our full games and related content via third-party storefronts, including digital storefronts such as Microsoft’s Xbox Store, Sony’s PlayStation Store, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store, in order to determine whether or not we are acting as the principal in the sale to the end customer, which we consider in determining if revenue should be reported gross or net of fees retained by the third-party storefront. An entity is the principal if it controls a good or service before it is transferred to the end customer. Key indicators that we evaluate in determining gross versus net treatment include but are not limited to the following:

•the underlying contract terms and conditions between the various parties to the transaction;

•which party is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified good or service to the end customer;

•which party has discretion in establishing the price for the specified good or service; and

•which party has inventory risk before the specified good or service has been transferred to the end customer.

Based on an evaluation of the above indicators, except as discussed below, we have determined that generally the third party is considered the principal to end customers for the sale of our full games and related content. We therefore report revenue related to these arrangements net of the fees retained by the storefront. However, for sales arrangements via Apple App Store and Google Play Store, EA is considered the principal to the end customer and thus, we report revenue on a gross basis and mobile platform fees are reported within cost of revenue.

Income Taxes

We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for both (1) the expected impact of differences between the financial statement amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and (2) the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax losses and tax credit carryforwards. We do not recognize any deferred taxes related to the U.S. taxes on foreign earnings as we recognize these taxes as a period cost.

We record a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets when it is considered more likely than not that all or a portion of our deferred tax assets will not be realized. In making this determination, we are required to give significant weight to evidence that can be objectively verified. It is generally difficult to conclude that a valuation allowance is not needed when there is significant negative evidence, such as cumulative losses in recent years. Forecasts of future taxable income are considered to be less objective than past results. Therefore, cumulative losses weigh heavily in the overall assessment.

In addition to considering forecasts of future taxable income, we are also required to evaluate and quantify other possible sources of taxable income in order to assess the realization of our deferred tax assets, namely the reversal of existing deferred tax liabilities, the carryback of losses and credits as allowed under current tax law, and the implementation of tax planning strategies. Evaluating and quantifying these amounts involves significant judgments. Each source of income must be evaluated based on all positive and negative evidence and this evaluation may involve assumptions about future activity. Certain taxable temporary differences that are not expected to reverse during the carry forward periods permitted by tax law cannot be considered as a source of future taxable income that may be available to realize the benefit of deferred tax assets.

Every quarter, we perform a realizability analysis to evaluate whether it is more likely than not that all or a portion of our deferred tax assets will not be realized. Our Swiss deferred tax asset realizability analysis relies upon future Swiss taxable income as the primary source of taxable income but considers all available sources of Swiss income based on the positive and negative evidence. We give more weight to evidence that can be objectively verified. However, estimating future Swiss taxable income requires judgment, specifically related to assumptions about expected growth rates of future Swiss taxable income, which are based primarily on third party market and industry growth data. Actual results that differ materially from those estimates could have a material impact on our valuation allowance assessment. Swiss interest rates have an impact on the valuation allowance and are based on published Swiss guidance, which generally occurs in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year. Any significant changes to such interest rates could result in a material impact to the valuation allowance and to our Consolidated Financial Statements. We have adjusted our valuation allowance for changes in the published interest rates in the past and it is probable that we will do so again based on current global interest rate trends. Switzerland has a seven-year carryforward period and does not permit the carry back of losses. Actions we take in connection with acquisitions could also impact the utilization of our Swiss deferred tax asset.

As part of the process of preparing our Consolidated Financial Statements, we are required to estimate our income taxes in each jurisdiction in which we operate prior to the completion and filing of tax returns for such periods. This process requires

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estimating both our geographic mix of income and our uncertain tax positions in each jurisdiction where we operate. These estimates require us to make judgments about the likely application of the tax law to our situation, as well as with respect to other matters, such as anticipating the positions that we will take on tax returns prior to our preparing the returns and the outcomes of disputes with tax authorities. The ultimate resolution of these issues may take extended periods of time due to examinations by tax authorities and statutes of limitations. In addition, changes in our business, including acquisitions, changes in our international corporate structure, changes in the geographic location of business functions or assets, changes in the geographic mix and amount of income, as well as changes in our agreements with tax authorities, valuation allowances, applicable accounting rules, applicable tax laws and regulations, rulings and interpretations thereof, developments in tax audit and other matters, and variations in the estimated and actual level of annual pre-tax income can affect the overall effective tax rate.

IMPACT OF RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

The information under the subheading “Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards” in Note 1 — Description of Business and Basis of Presentation to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Our fiscal year is reported on a 52- or 53-week period that ends on the Saturday nearest March 31. Our results of operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 contained 52 weeks and ended on April 1, 2023. Our results of operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 contained 52 weeks and ended on April 2, 2022. For simplicity of disclosure, all fiscal periods are referred to as ending on a calendar month end.

Net Revenue

Net revenue consists of sales generated from (1) full games sold as digital downloads or as packaged goods and designed for play on game consoles, PCs and mobile phones and tablets (2) live services associated with these games, such as extra-content, (3) subscriptions that generally offer access to a selection of full games, in-game content, online services and other benefits, and (4) licensing our games to third parties to distribute and host our games.

Comparison of Fiscal Year 2023 to Fiscal Year 2022

Net Revenue

Net revenue for fiscal year 2023 was $7,426 million, primarily driven by sales related to FIFA 23, FIFA 22, Apex Legends, The Sims 4, and Madden NFL 23. Net revenue for fiscal year 2023 increased $435 million, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This increase was driven by an $868 million increase in net revenue primarily driven by year-over-year growth in the FIFA franchise and sales of extra content for Apex Legends, and the addition of Golf Clash, partially offset by a $433 million decrease in net revenue primarily due to the prior year release of Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster, the Star Wars franchise, and The Sims 4.

Net Revenue by Composition

Our net revenue by composition for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):

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Full Game Net Revenue

Full game net revenue includes full game downloads and packaged goods. Full game downloads primarily includes revenue from digital sales of full games on console, PC, mobile phones and tablets. Packaged goods primarily includes revenue from software that is sold physically through traditional channels such as brick and mortar retailers and certain licensing revenue.

Full game net revenue for fiscal year 2023 was $1,937 million, primarily driven by FIFA 23, Madden NFL 23, Battlefield 2042, and FIFA 22. Full game net revenue for fiscal year 2023 decreased $56 million, or 3 percent, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This decrease was primarily due to the prior year releases of Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster and It Takes Two, and The Sims 4, partially offset by the release of Dead Space Remake and growth in the FIFA franchise.

Live Services and Other Net Revenue

Live services and other net revenue primarily includes revenue from sales of extra content for console, PC, and mobile games, certain licensing revenue, subscriptions, and advertising.

Live services and other net revenue for fiscal year 2023 was $5,489 million, primarily driven by sales of extra content for FIFA Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, The Sims 4, and Madden Ultimate Team. Live services and other net revenue for fiscal year 2023 increased $491 million, or 10 percent, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This increase was primarily driven by sales of

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extra content for Apex Legends, extra content and licensing for our FIFA franchise, and the addition of Golf Clash, partially offset by the Star Wars franchise.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue consists of (1) certain royalty expenses for celebrities, professional sports leagues, movie studios and other organizations, and independent software developers, (2) mobile platform fees associated with our mobile revenue (for transactions in which we are acting as the principal in the sale to the end customer), (3) data center, bandwidth and server costs associated with hosting our online games and websites, (4) inventory costs, including manufacturing royalties, (5) payment processing fees, (6) amortization and impairment of certain intangible assets, (7) personnel-related costs, and (8) warehousing and distribution costs.

Cost of revenue for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):

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Cost of revenue decreased by $67 million during fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in inventory costs driven by the prior year releases of Battlefield 2042 and Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster and the FIFA franchise, and lower royalty costs due to the mix in sales from royalty bearing titles, partially offset by an increase in platform and hosting fees.

Cost of revenue as a percentage of total net revenue decreased by 3 percent during fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in inventory costs driven by the prior year releases of Battlefield 2042 and Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster, lower royalty costs due to the mix in sales form royalty bearing titles, and a decrease in the proportion of sales derived from packaged goods, partially offset by an increase in platform and hosting fees.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses consist of expenses incurred by our production studios for personnel-related costs, related overhead costs, external third-party development costs, contracted services, and depreciation. Research and development expenses for our online products include expenses incurred by our studios consisting of direct development and related overhead costs in connection with the development and production of our online games. Research and development expenses also include expenses associated with our digital platform, software licenses and maintenance, and management overhead.

Research and development expenses for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

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[["March 31, 2023","","% of Net Revenue","","March 31, 2022","","% of Net Revenue","","$ Change","","% Change"],["$","2,328","","","31","%","","$","2,186","","","31","%","","$","142","","","6","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Research and development expenses increased by $142 million, or 6 percent, in fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This increase was primarily due to a net $56 million increase in personnel-related costs primarily resulting from continued investment in our studios, offset by decreased variable compensation and related costs, a $30 million increase due to hedging activities, and a $14 million increase in studio related contracted services.

Marketing and Sales

Marketing and sales expenses consist of advertising, marketing and promotional expenses, personnel-related costs, and related overhead costs, net of qualified advertising cost reimbursements from third parties.

Marketing and sales expenses for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["March 31, 2023","","% of Net Revenue","","March 31, 2022","","% of Net Revenue","","$ Change","","% Change"],["$","978","","","13","%","","$","961","","","14","%","","$","17","","","2","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

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Marketing and sales expenses increased by $17 million, or 2 percent, in fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This increase was primarily due to an increase in advertising and promotional spending related to the release of our Apex Legends Mobile title in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 and our FIFA franchise, partially offset by a decrease in advertising and promotional spending primarily related to our mobile portfolio, and Battlefield 2042, Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster and It Takes Two, which were released in prior fiscal years.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist of personnel and related expenses of executive and administrative staff, corporate functions such as finance, legal, human resources, and information technology (“IT”), related overhead costs, fees for professional services such as legal and accounting, and allowances for doubtful accounts.

General and administrative expenses for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["March 31, 2023","","% of Net Revenue","","March 31, 2022","","% of Net Revenue","","$ Change","","% Change"],["$","727","","","10","%","","$","673","","","10","%","","$","54","","","8","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

General and administrative expenses increased by $54 million, or 8 percent, in fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022. This increase was primarily due to $44 million of accelerated amortization and depreciation associated with office space reductions related to our fiscal 2023 Restructuring Plan, a $14 million increase in personnel-related costs primarily resulting from an increase in headcount, offset by a $36 million decrease in contracted services driven by prior year acquisition-related transaction and integration costs.

Restructuring

Restructuring expenses for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["March 31, 2023","","% of Net Revenue","","March 31, 2022","","% of Net Revenue","","$ Change","","% Change"],["$","111","","","1","%","","$","\u2014","","","\u2014","%","","$","111","","","\u2014","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Restructuring expenses of $111 million were incurred in fiscal year 2023 related to our fiscal 2023 Restructuring Plan, of which, $68 million related to impairment charges associated with acquisition-related intangible assets and other charges, and $43 million related to employee severance and employee-related costs.

Income Taxes

Provision for income taxes for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["March 31, 2023","","Effective Tax Rate","","March 31, 2022","","Effective Tax Rate"],["$","524","","","39.5","%","","$","292","","","27.0","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Our effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 was 39.5 percent as compared to 27.0 percent for the same period in fiscal year 2022.

During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, we recognized a $118 million tax charge to increase the valuation allowance on Swiss deferred tax assets, primarily as a result of an increase in Swiss interest rates. The change in valuation allowance had the effect of increasing our effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 by 8.9 percentage points.

During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, we completed intra-entity sales of intellectual property rights related to recent acquisitions to our U.S. and Swiss intellectual property owners (the “Acquired IP intra-entity sales”). The transactions resulted in overall taxable gains. Under U.S. GAAP, any profit resulting from the Acquired IP intra-entity sales was eliminated upon consolidation. However, the transactions resulted in a step-up of the U.S. and Swiss tax-deductible basis in the transferred intellectual property rights and, accordingly, created a temporary difference between the book basis and the tax basis of such intellectual property rights. As a result, we recognized a $64 million net tax benefit for the current and deferred tax impacts of the sales.

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In addition, during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, we recognized a $29 million tax charge to increase the valuation allowance on Swiss deferred tax assets that are not more likely than not to be realized. The Acquired IP intra-entity sales and the change in valuation allowance had the effect of reducing our effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 by 3.2 percentage points.

Our effective tax rates for future periods will continue to depend on a variety of factors, including changes in our business, such as acquisitions and intercompany transactions, our corporate structure, the geographic location of business functions or assets, the geographic mix of income, our agreements with tax authorities, applicable accounting rules, applicable tax laws and regulations, rulings and interpretations thereof, developments in tax audit and other matters, and variations in our annual pre-tax income or loss. We anticipate that the impact of excess tax benefits, tax deficiencies, and changes in valuation allowances may result in significant fluctuations to our effective tax rate in the future.

Comparison of Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2021

For the comparison of fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2021, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 25, 2022 under the subheading “Comparison of Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2021.”

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","As of March 31,"],["(In millions)","2023","","2022","","Increase/(Decrease)"],["Cash and cash equivalents","$","2,424","","","$","2,732","","","$","(308)"],["Short-term investments","343","","","330","","","13"],["Total","$","2,767","","","$","3,062","","","$","(295)"],["Percentage of total assets","21","%","","22","%"],["","Year Ended March 31,"],["(In millions)","2023","","2022","","Change"],["Net cash provided by operating activities","$","1,550","","","$","1,899","","","$","(349)"],["Net cash used in investing activities","(217)","","","(2,804)","","","2,587"],["Net cash used in financing activities","(1,600)","","","(1,620)","","","20"],["Effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents","(41)","","","(3)","","","(38)"],["Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents","$","(308)","","","$","(2,528)","","","$","2,220"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

For the comparison of fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2021, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 25, 2022 under the subheading “Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

Changes in Cash Flow

Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $349 million during fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022, primarily driven by lower cash receipts and higher personnel-related payments primarily from continued investment in our studios, partially offset by cash inflows from hedging activities and a decrease in prepayments for contracted services.

Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities decreased by $2,587 million during fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022, primarily driven by payments of $3,391 million in connection with acquisitions completed in prior year, and a $149 million decrease in the purchase of short-term investments, partially offset by a $934 million increase in proceeds from maturities and sales of short-term investments.

Financing Activities. Net cash used in financing activities decreased by $20 million during fiscal year 2023, as compared to fiscal year 2022, primarily due to a $29 million reduction in cash paid to taxing authorities in connection with withholding taxes for stock-based compensation, partially offset by a $17 million increase in cash dividend payments.

Short-term Investments

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Due to our mix of fixed and variable rate securities, our short-term investment portfolio is susceptible to changes in short-term interest rates. As of March 31, 2023, our short-term investments had gross unrealized losses of $1 million or less than 1 percent of total short-term investments. From time to time, we may liquidate some or all of our short-term investments to fund operational needs or other activities, such as capital expenditures, business acquisitions or stock repurchase programs.

Senior Notes

In February 2021, we issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of the 2031 Notes and $750 million aggregate principal amount of the 2051 Notes. The effective interest rate is 1.98% for the 2031 Notes and 3.04% for the 2051 Notes. Interest is payable semiannually in arrears, on February 15 and August 15 of each year.

In February 2016, we issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes. The effective interest rate is 4.97% for the 2026 Notes. Interest is payable semiannually in arrears, on March 1 and September 1 of each year.

See Note 12 — Financing Arrangements to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K as it relates to our Senior Notes, which is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.

Credit Facility

On March 22, 2023, we entered into a $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with a syndicate of banks. The Credit Facility terminates on March 22, 2028 unless the maturity is extended in accordance with its terms. As of March 31, 2023, no amounts were outstanding. The Credit Facility contains an option to arrange with existing lenders and/or new lenders to provide up to an aggregate of $500 million in additional commitments for revolving loans. Proceeds of loans made under the Credit Facility may be used for general corporate purposes. See Note 12 — Financing Arrangements to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K as it relates to our Credit Facility, which is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.

Financial Condition

Our material cash requirements, including commitments for capital expenditure, as of March 31, 2023 are set forth in our Note 14 — Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K, which is incorporated by reference into this Item 7. We expect capital expenditures to be approximately $275 million in fiscal year 2024 primarily due to facility buildouts. We believe that our cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, cash generated from operations and available financing facilities will be sufficient to meet these material cash requirements, which include licensing intellectual property from professional sports organizations and players associations used in our EA SPORTS titles (e.g., the 300+ licenses within our global football ecosystem, NFL Properties LLC, NFL Players Association and NFL Players Inc.) and third-party content and celebrities (e.g., Disney Interactive), debt repayment obligations of $1.9 billion, and to fund our operating requirements for the next 12 months and beyond. Our operating requirements include working capital requirements, capital expenditures, the remaining portion of our $2.6 billion share repurchase program, quarterly cash dividend, which is currently $0.19 per share, subject to declaration by our Board of Directors or a designated Committee of the Board of Directors, and potentially, future acquisitions or strategic investments. We may choose at any time to raise additional capital to repay debt, strengthen our financial position, facilitate expansion, repurchase our stock, pursue strategic acquisitions and investments, and/or to take advantage of business opportunities as they arise. There can be no assurance, however, that such additional capital will be available to us on favorable terms, if at all, or that it will not result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders.

During fiscal year 2023, we returned $1,505 million to stockholders through our capital return programs, repurchasing 10.4 million shares for approximately $1,295 million and returning $210 million through our quarterly cash dividend program which was initiated in November 2020.

Our foreign subsidiaries are generally subject to U.S. tax, and to the extent earnings from these subsidiaries can be repatriated without a material tax cost, such earnings will not be indefinitely reinvested. As of March 31, 2023, approximately $925 million of our cash and cash equivalents were domiciled in foreign tax jurisdictions. All of our foreign cash is available for repatriation without a material tax cost.

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We have a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 on file with the SEC. This shelf registration statement, which includes a base prospectus, allows us at any time to offer any combination of securities described in the prospectus in one or more offerings. Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement accompanying the base prospectus, we would use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered pursuant to the shelf registration statement for general corporate purposes, which may include funding for working capital, financing capital expenditures, research and development, marketing and distribution efforts, and if opportunities arise, for acquisitions or strategic alliances. Pending such uses, we may invest the net proceeds in interest-bearing securities. In addition, we may conduct concurrent or other financings at any time.

Our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity could be affected by various risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, customer demand and acceptance of our products, our ability to collect our accounts receivable as they become due, successfully achieving our product release schedules and attaining our forecasted sales objectives, economic conditions in the United States and abroad, the impact of acquisitions and other strategic transactions in which we may engage, the impact of competition, the seasonal and cyclical nature of our business and operating results, and the other risks described in the “Risk Factors” section, included in Part I, Item 1A of this report.

As of March 31, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

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