Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and

Fiscal Year End 2001 Financial Results and Fiscal 2002 Guidance

 

Feb. 13, 2002--

 

    Company Restates Fiscal 2000 and First Three Quarters of

    Fiscal 2001

 

 

 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today announced

the following:

 

    Restatement of Historical Financial Statements

 

   Based on the Company's completion of a detailed review of certain

transactions and accounting policies, as well as an investigation by

counsel and a forensic accounting team, the Company has restated its

financial results for the four quarters and fiscal year ended October

31, 2000 and each of the first three quarters of fiscal 2001.

   The restatement relates to adjustments arising from: (i) revenue

recognition issues; (ii) acquisition accounting; and (iii) the

prepayment of debt. A summary of the effect of the restatement is set

forth in the tables below:

 

 

(In thousands, except per share data)    

 

 

 

                          Year Ended             Nine Months Ended

                        Oct. 31, 2000               July 31, 2001

                    --------------------------------------------------

                     Reported     Restated     Reported       Restated

 

Statement of

 Operations Data:

  Net sales         $387,006      $364,001     $309,048       $327,797

 

Income from

 operations          $45,061       $33,309      $23,610        $35,555

 

Net income (loss)    $24,963        $6,417      $(3,765)      $(3,275)

 

Diluted net income

 (loss) per share      $0.88         $0.23       $(0.11)       $(0.10)

 

Pro Forma Net Income:

Net income excluding:

 operating Internet

 impairment charges,

 non-operating and

 extraordinary items

 and cumulative

 effect(1)           $25,436       $17,750      $12,557        $18,822

Diluted net income per

 share excluding:

 operating Internet

 impairment charges,

 non-operating and

 extraordinary items

 and cumulative

 effect(1)(2)          $0.90         $0.63        $0.37          $0.55

 

 

(In thousands, except

 per share data)               Net Sales           Net Income (Loss)

                          Reported    Restated   Reported     Restated

                        ---------------------------------------------- 

Year Ended October

31, 2000

 First Quarter            $122,890    $120,247     $4,787      $3,966

 Second Quarter             70,036      69,519      3,354      (8,460)

 Third Quarter              71,473      66,093      3,449        2,221

 Fourth Quarter            122,607     108,142     13,373        8,690

 

 

Nine Months Ended

July 31, 2001

 First Quarter            $131,226    $157,853     $7,750       $8,232

 Second Quarter             93,320      88,617    (11,924)    (11,636)

 Third Quarter              84,502      81,327        409         129

 

 

                           Diluted Net Income     Pro Forma Net Income

                            (Loss) Per Share        (Loss) Per Share

                                                        (1)(2)

                         Reported      Restated  Reported     Restated

                      ------------------------------------------------ 

Year Ended

October 31, 2000

 First Quarter            $0.20          $0.16      $0.20        $0.17

 Second Quarter            0.13          (0.33)      0.14         0.14

 Third Quarter             0.12           0.07       0.12         0.07

 Fourth Quarter            0.42           0.27       0.42         0.25

 

Nine Months Ended

July 31, 2001

 First Quarter             $0.24         $0.25      $0.24        $0.41

 Second Quarter            (0.37)        (0.36)      0.12         0.12

 Third Quarter              0.01          0.00       0.04         0.04

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

   (1) Pro Forma Net Income is calculated as follows: Net Income less

the following line items, tax effected: Cumulative Effect of Change in

Accounting Principle, Extraordinary Item, Gain on Sale of Subsidiary,

Loss on Available-for-Sale Internet Securities, Equity in Loss of

Affiliate, and $4.2 million of operating expenses for the Impairment

of Certain Internet Assets in fiscal 2001. See attached table of

Reconciliation of Net Income to Pro Forma Net Income.

 

   (2) In addition, fiscal 2001 restated first quarter results

include net sales of $27.2 million and income from operations of $8.9

million attributable to the adoption of SAB 101. Such net sales and

income from operations were also recorded in the fourth quarter of

fiscal 2000. Restated Pro Forma Net Income for the first quarter and

first nine months of fiscal 2001 would have been $0.25 and $0.39 per

diluted share, respectively, inclusive of Cumulative Effect of Change

in Accounting Principle.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

   Based on the completion of an investigation by counsel and a

forensic accounting team, the Company has eliminated sales of products

made to certain independent third-party distributors that were

improperly recognized as revenue and returned to, or repurchased by,

the Company in subsequent periods, resulting in an aggregate decrease

in net sales of $15.4 million and diluted net income per share of

$0.15 for fiscal 2000. For the first nine months of fiscal 2001, net

sales decreased by $6.7 million; however, net income increased by $2.4

million and diluted net income per share increased by $0.07 as a

result of adjusting previously reported cost of sales.

 

   Additionally, the Company has restated the following items as a

result of its expanded year-end review of its accounting policies and

other transactions:

 

   --  The reversal of revenue that was previously recognized for

        items that had not shipped within the fourth quarter of fiscal

        2000, resulting in a shifting in net sales of $3.8 million and

        diluted net income per share of $0.03 from the fourth quarter

        of fiscal 2000 to the first quarter of fiscal 2001.

 

   --  The effect of the adoption of SAB 101 for revenue recognition

        in the first quarter of 2001 to recognize revenue when both

        title and all risks of loss transfer to customers, resulting

        in an increase in net sales of $27.2 million for the first

        quarter of fiscal 2001, an increase in income from operations

        of $8.9 million ($5.3 million net of tax) and no change in net

        income.

 

   --  A non-cash adjustment to record the Company's proportionate

        share of the GAAP losses incurred by Gathering of Developers

        prior to their acquisition by the Company. In accordance with

        EITF 99-10, the Company was required to record its share of

        Gathering's GAAP losses based on the Company's distribution

        and royalty advances to Gathering, in addition to its equity

        ownership share of the losses. This resulted in a charge of

        $19.2 million ($12.1 million net of tax), representing a net

        loss of $0.43 per diluted share, for the year ended October

        31, 2000.

 

   --  A $4.3 million decrease in net sales and a $0.06 decrease in

        diluted earnings per share due to certain other reallocations

        of purchase price related to acquisitions made by the Company

        in fiscal 2000 and 2001, net of benefits realized through the

        reduction of amortization expense for these entities in both

        fiscal 2000 ($2.6 million) and 2001 ($1.7 million).

 

   --  An additional charge of $438,000, net of tax, or $0.01 per

        diluted share, to the extraordinary charge previously recorded

        related to the repayment of the Company's subordinated

        indebtedness in July 2001.

 

   Set forth below are the results of operations for the fourth

quarter and fiscal year ended October 31, 2001 and the Company's

guidance for fiscal 2002. In addition, all financial data in this

release reflects the effects of this restatement.

 

    Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2001

 

   Net sales for the fourth quarter ended October 31, 2001 were

$123.3 million, with a net loss of $5.3 million, or $0.15 per share.

Excluding the loss on available-for-sale Internet securities, net loss

for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001 was $4.9 million, net of tax, or

$0.13 per share. The fourth quarter results reflect the shift of $17

million in net sales and $0.11 in diluted earnings per share from the

fourth quarter of fiscal 2001 to the first quarter of fiscal 2002 for

products shipped in October 2001 but not received by customers until

November 2001.

   Net sales for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2001 were $451.1

million, with a net loss of $8.6 million, or $0.25 per share. Fiscal

2001 results include the effect of the Company's adoption of SAB 101,

whereby revenue is recognized when both title and all risks of loss

transfer to customers, resulting in an increase in net sales of $27.2

million for the first quarter of fiscal 2001, an increase in income

from operations of $8.9 million (cumulative effect, net of taxes, of

$5.3 million) and no change in net income. Excluding operating

Internet impairment charges, non-operating and extraordinary items and

cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, pro forma tax

effected net income was $14.0 million, or $0.40 per diluted share for

fiscal 2001.

 

    Guidance

 

   The Company expects that during fiscal 2002 it will benefit from

strong industry fundamentals, including continued demand for Sony's

PlayStation(R)2, Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube.

   The Company's fiscal 2002 financial guidance is $660 million in

net sales and $1.63 of diluted earnings per share, including the

effect of adopting SFAS 142 "Amortization of Goodwill and Other

Intangibles," which no longer requires amortization of goodwill

(approximately $0.14 per share for fiscal 2002).

   The Company expects to report $280 million in net sales and $0.90

of diluted earnings per share in the first quarter ended January 31,

2002, including the effect of adopting SFAS 142. Profitability in the

first quarter was significantly enhanced by the success of Grand Theft

Auto 3, which is an internally developed and owned title. The first

quarter estimated results include the shift of $17 million in net

sales and $0.11 in diluted earnings per share from the fourth quarter

of fiscal 2001 to the first quarter of fiscal 2002 for products

shipped in October 2001 but not received by customers until November

2001.

   The Company's guidance for the second quarter ending April 30,

2002 is $125 million in net sales and $0.23 of diluted earnings per

share, including the effect of adopting SFAS 142.

 

    Liquidity

 

   The Company operated on a cash flow positive basis for the year

ended October 31, 2001, generating approximately $27 million in

positive cash flow from operations, as compared to a deficit of $54

million for fiscal 2000, with approximately $3 million in operating

cash flow generated during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001. The

Company expects to generate positive cash flow for fiscal 2002. DSO's

at October 31, 2001 were 69 days, compared with 92 days at October 31,

2000.

   The Company's total debt level at October 31, 2001 was

approximately $54 million, a significant decrease from historical

levels. The Company had no borrowings under its lines of credit as of

January 31, 2002 as compared to outstanding borrowings of

approximately $95 million at January 31, 2001.

   Subsequent to January 31, 2002, the Company renegotiated its line

of credit with its principal lender in North America to provide for

borrowings scaling up to $50 million. The Company is also in the

process of extending its European line of credit, which expires in

March 2002. On a going forward basis, the Company expects to operate

with substantially reduced borrowings as it continues to focus on

improved capital efficiency.

   Paul Eibeler, President, commented, "Take-Two is currently

experiencing much improved liquidity. The retail success of our

products in both North America and Europe, along with our focus on

improved cash management and limited use of debt based financing has

resulted in the Company achieving its strongest working capital levels

in history."

 

    Published Products

 

   During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001, the Company launched

Grand Theft Auto 3 for Sony's PlayStation(R)2. According to

NPDFunworld, Grand Theft Auto 3 was ranked the number one selling

video game across all platforms in North America for the year ended

December 31, 2001. Grand Theft Auto 3 was also ranked as the best

selling video game across all platforms in the United Kingdom for the

same period, according to ChartTrack. During the quarter, the Company

also shipped Smuggler's Run 2 for PlayStation(R)2, 4x4 Evo 2 for the

Xbox, Stronghold for the PC, and Spec Ops: Covert Assault for its

value line of PlayStation products.

   In December, the Company shipped Max Payne for the PlayStation(R)2

and Xbox in North America. Max Payne has been a top-selling title on

these next-generation platforms and on the PC.

   The Company's product release schedule for Spring/Summer is

extremely promising, including the highly anticipated State of

Emergency scheduled to launch for PlayStation(R)2 in mid February,

Grand Theft Auto 3, Hidden & Dangerous 2 and Mafia for the PC, Spec

Ops: Airborne Assault for the PlayStation, and Smuggler's Run 2 for

the GameCube.

   Fall/Winter product releases are expected to include new titles

for the Company's Grand Theft Auto and Midnight Club brands, as well

as the launch of MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch.

   The Company also continues to look forward to the release of Duke

Nukem' Forever for PC, but this title is not factored into the

Company's fiscal 2002 guidance.

   Going forward, the Company plans to launch new brands, and

continue to aggressively develop brand extensions for Max Payne,

Smuggler's Run, Serious Sam, Austin Powers and Oni, as well as

additional extensions for Grand Theft Auto and Midnight Club.

 

    Distribution

 

   During fiscal 2001, the Company's Jack of All Games distribution

subsidiary benefited from the sustained overall strength of the

interactive entertainment sector, and in particular, from the

continuing strong demand for PlayStation and PlayStation(R)2 hardware

and software.

 

    Additional Information

 

   The Company announced that it has hired Karl Winters as its Chief

Financial Officer to replace Albert Pastino, who resigned due to

personal reasons. Mr. Pastino has agreed to serve as a special

consultant to the Audit Committee for a limited time.

   Mr. Winters, who is a CPA and holds an MBA, has served in a

variety of senior financial positions over the last 18 years,

including Chief Financial Officer of United Auto Group. His experience

also includes 10 years in Coopers & Lybrand's auditing area, with a

focus on consumer product companies. During his tenure at Coopers &

Lybrand, Mr. Winters served in a two-year management assignment at the

firm's National Accounting and SEC Directorate office.

   The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a formal order

of investigation into, among other things, certain accounting matters

relating to the Company's financial statements, periodic reporting and

internal accounting control provisions.

 

    Management Comments

 

   Paul Eibeler, President, commented, "While our fiscal 2001

operating results did not meet our expectations, we are encouraged by

the Company's momentum, evidenced by our number three ranking among

third-party video game publishers in North America in 2001, according

to NPDFunworld. The success of our publishing operations has enabled

us to make significant balance sheet and cash flow improvements."

   Kelly Sumner, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We would like to

extend our sincerest apologies for the halt in trading of our stock,

and any inconvenience caused by the postponement of our conference

call originally scheduled for January 22, 2002. We deeply regret the

events that caused the Company to restate its financial statements,

and we are highly committed to taking every appropriate action to

ensure that such events will not happen in the future."

   Mr. Sumner added, "The increasing installed base of

next-generation console platforms, broadening gamer demographics,

continued strength of our catalog products and anticipated demand for

our new products, such as State of Emergency for PlayStation(R)2 and

Grand Theft Auto 3 for the PC, have given the Company an exceptional

start for 2002. These factors should result in additional improvements

in our operating results and overall financial condition. Furthermore,

we believe that Karl Winters, our new Chief Financial Officer, will

provide the financial expertise and discipline that is required to

manage our rapidly growing company."

 

    About Take-Two Interactive Software

 

   Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software,

Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor, and

publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories

for the PC, PlayStation(R), Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo

GameCube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, PlayStation(R)2 and the Xbox(TM).

The Company publishes and develops products through various wholly

owned subsidiaries including: Rockstar Games, Gathering of Developers,

TalonSoft, Joytech, DMA Design, PopTop, Global Star and under the

Take-Two brand name. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices

in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Vienna,

Copenhagen, Milan, Sydney and Auckland. 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.

 

   Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Reform Act of

1995: The statements contained herein which are not historical facts

are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities

laws. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our

management as well as assumptions made by and information currently

available to them. The words "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "may,"

"estimate," "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify

such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve

risks, uncertainties and assumptions including, but not limited to:

risks associated with our future growth and operating results; our

ability to continue to successfully manage growth and integrate the

operations of acquired businesses; the availability of adequate

financing to fund periodic cash flow shortages; credit risks; seasonal

factors; inventory obsolescence; technological change; competitive

factors; product returns; failure of retailers to sell-through our

products; the timing of the introduction and availability of the

company's new software products and third-party hardware platforms;

market and industry factors adversely affecting the carrying value of

our assets; unfavorable general economic conditions (including the

current economic downturn); and acts of war and terrorism, any or all

of which could have a material adverse effect on our business,

operating results and financial condition. Actual operating results

may vary significantly from such forward-looking statements. The

Company has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

 

 

TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE, INC. and SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations

For the three months ended October 31, 2001 and 2000

and the year ended October 31, 2001 and 2000