Transitions To New Consoles Not All Fun For Game Makers.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)

Byline: David Isaac

If you're familiar with "Madden NFL Football" or "The Sims," then you know Electronic Arts Inc.

It's the king of third-party game publishers -- the independent developers that make video games for the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

The game industry is buzzing with activity as several new game consoles hit the market. Sony Corp.'s already out with its PlayStation 2. Microsoft Corp.'s readying a console called the Xbox, and Nintendo is coming out with its GameCube.

But not everything's rosy. The transition from old to new consoles is putting a crimp in EA's sales. Sony initially shipped fewer consoles than it promised, and some game players are holding out for future devices.

Investor's Business Daily spoke with Stan McKee, EA's chief financial and administrative officer, at last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

IBD: What's the reason for EA's drop in revenue this past fiscal year?