first paragraph and headline that profit excludes special items)
(Corrects paragraphs 1 and 3 to show EAs outlook missed expectations instead of in line with expectations. Clarifies in
first paragraph and headline that profit excludes special items)
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc <ERTS.O> posted a 44 percent rise in quarterly profit excluding special items and gave forecasts below Wall Street estimates, sending shares in the world's top video-game publisher down 6 percents on Thursday.
EA said it expected fourth-quarter results to range from a loss of 3 cents per share to a profit of 2 cents per share on net revenue of between $925 million and $1.05 billion in its fourth quarter.
!ADVERTISEMENT!Excluding special items, the forecast was below the average forecast for a profit of 17 cents per share on Reuters Estimates.
For its fiscal third quarter, Electronic Arts said profit excluding special items was $290 million, or 90 cents per share, compared with $201 million, or 63 cents per share, a year earlier and one penny higher than the average Wall Street estimate.
Third-quarter net revenue was $1.5 billion, up 17 percent from a year ago, boosted by sales of titles such as "Need for Speed: Pro Street" and "FIFA 08."
EA shares fell 6 percent to $44.50 in extended Nasdaq trading. Over the past year, the stock has fallen more than 6 percent, compared with a rise of more than 50 percent for chief rival Activision Inc <ATVI.O>.
(Reporting by Scott Hillis; Editing by Andre Grenon)
