Video Game Publisher to Cut Jobs

Even the booming video game industry is being hit by the economy.

(AP) Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc., whose titles include "Rock Band," posted a wider quarterly net loss Thursday and said it is laying off about 6 percent of its work force to cut costs as it heads into the most lucrative season for the games industry.

The Redwood City, Calif.-based company has a design center in Westchester.

Higher development and marketing costs led to the bigger loss for the July-September period. The quarter's revenue surpassed Wall Street's forecast thanks to the success of games like "Spore" and "Madden NFL 09," but the company did not exude the cheery optimism that has characterized the video game industry in the past few months even amid the economic turmoil.

The company lost $310 million, or 97 cents per share, in the quarter. That was worse than the loss of $195 million, or 62 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales jumped 40 percent to $894 million.