WAR Will Get 250-350k Subs

EA said it shipped 1.5 million copies of WAR to retail last week.

Arvind Bhatia at Stern Agee told Edge on Tuesday he came to the 250,000 subscriptions figure based on EA's goal to break even on the game.

"Over time, subscribers will drop off and level off at 250,000- 300,000," he said in a phone interview.

But he admitted that the number could jump as updates and expansion packs are released, adding that it would take about "six months or so" to get an idea of the MMORPG's sustainable user base.

He added that retail checks indicate initial sell-through is tracking "about in line with (but not above) expectations." He forecasts a higher mix of revenue from Europe compared to the U.S.

Bhatia estimates EA to generate 55-60 million USD in revenue from WAR, or 5 percent of sales for the September quarter.