Commitments And Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments And Contingencies
(13)  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Lease Commitments
As of March 31, 2015, we leased certain facilities, furniture and equipment under non-cancelable operating lease agreements. We were required to pay property taxes, insurance and normal maintenance costs for certain of these facilities and any increases over the base year of these expenses on the remainder of our facilities.
Development, Celebrity, League and Content Licenses: Payments and Commitments
The products we produce in our studios are designed and created by our employee designers, artists, software programmers and by non-employee software developers (“independent artists” or “third-party developers”). We typically advance development funds to the independent artists and third-party developers during development of our games, usually in installment payments made upon the completion of specified development milestones. Contractually, these payments are generally considered advances against subsequent royalties on the sales of the products. These terms are set forth in written agreements entered into with the independent artists and third-party developers.
In addition, we have certain celebrity, league and content license contracts that contain minimum guarantee payments and marketing commitments that may not be dependent on any deliverables. Celebrities and organizations with whom we have contracts include, but are not limited to: FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), FIFPRO Foundation, FAPL (Football Association Premier League Limited), and DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH (German Soccer League) (professional soccer); Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Ferrari S.p.A. (Need For Speed and Real Racing games); National Basketball Association (professional basketball); PGA TOUR (professional golf); National Hockey League and NHL Players’ Association (professional hockey); National Football League Properties, PLAYERS Inc., and Red Bear Inc. (professional football); Zuffa, LLC (Ultimate Fighting Championship); ESPN (content in EA SPORTS games); Hasbro, Inc. (certain of Hasbro’s board game intellectual properties); Disney Interactive (Star Wars); Fox Digital Entertainment, Inc. (The Simpsons); and Universal Studios Inc. (Minions). These developer and content license commitments represent the sum of (1) the cash payments due under non-royalty-bearing licenses and services agreements and (2) the minimum guaranteed payments and advances against royalties due under royalty-bearing licenses and services agreements, the majority of which are conditional upon performance by the counterparty. These minimum guarantee payments and any related marketing commitments are included in the table below.
The following table summarizes our minimum contractual obligations as of March 31, 2015 (in millions): 
 
 
 
Fiscal Year Ending March 31,
 
Total
 
2016
 
2017
 
2018
 
2019
 
2020
 
Thereafter
Unrecognized commitments
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Developer/licensor commitments
$
1,584

 
$
192

 
$
256

 
$
271

 
$
231

 
$
209

 
$
425

Marketing commitments
347

 
41

 
64

 
49

 
48

 
48

 
97

Operating leases
181

 
41

 
32

 
23

 
19

 
17

 
49

0.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2016 interest (a)
7

 
5

 
2

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Other purchase obligations
46

 
27

 
12

 
3

 
2

 
2

 
—

Total unrecognized commitments
2,165

 
306

 
366

 
346

 
300

 
276

 
571

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recognized commitments
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2016 principal (a)
633

 
633

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Licensing and lease obligations (b)
162

 
15

 
22

 
23

 
24

 
25

 
53

Total recognized commitments
795

 
648

 
22

 
23

 
24

 
25

 
53

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total Commitments
$
2,960

 
$
954

 
$
388

 
$
369

 
$
324

 
$
301

 
$
624


 
(a)
Included in the $7 million coupon interest on the Notes is $1 million of accrued interest recognized as of March 31, 2015. We will be obligated to pay the $632.5 million principal amount of the Notes in cash and any excess conversion value in shares of our common stock upon redemption of the Notes at maturity on July 15, 2016, or upon earlier conversion. During the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2015, the Sales Price Condition was met and as a result, the Notes are currently convertible at the option of the holder though July 4, 2015. See Note 12 for additional information regarding our Notes.
(b)
See Note 8 for additional information regarding recognized commitments resulting from our restructuring plans. Lease commitments have not been reduced for approximately $3 million due in the future from third parties under non-cancelable sub-leases. See Note 9 for additional information regarding recognized obligations from our licensing-related commitments.
The unrecognized amounts represented in the table above reflect our minimum cash obligations for the respective fiscal years, but do not necessarily represent the periods in which they will be recognized and expensed in our Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, the amounts in the table above are presented based on the dates the amounts are contractually due as of March 31, 2015; however, certain payment obligations may be accelerated depending on the performance of our operating results. Up to $32 million of the unrecognized amounts in the table above may be payable, at the licensor’s election, in shares of our common stock, subject to a $10 million maximum during any fiscal year. The number of shares to be issued will be based on fair market value at the time of issuance.
In addition to what is included in the table above, as of March 31, 2015, we had a liability for unrecognized tax benefits and an accrual for the payment of related interest totaling $68 million, of which we are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of when cash settlement with a taxing authority will occur.
Total rent expense for our operating leases was $97 million, $97 million and $94 million for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Legal Proceedings
We are a defendant in several actions that allege we misappropriated the likenesses of various college athletes in certain of our college-themed sports games. In September 2013, we reached an agreement to settle all actions brought by college athletes against us. We recognized a $30 million accrual during the three months ended September 30, 2013 associated with the anticipated settlement. On September 3, 2014, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted preliminary approval of the settlement and set a hearing in July 2015, to determine whether to grant its final approval of the settlement.
On July 29, 2010, Michael Davis, a former NFL running back, filed a putative class action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against the Company, alleging that certain past versions of Madden NFL included the images of certain retired NFL players without their permission. In March 2012, the trial court denied the Company’s request to dismiss the complaint on First Amendment grounds. In January 2015, that trial court decision was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the case was remanded back to the district court. The Company intends to seek further court review.
On December 17, 2013, a purported shareholder class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against the Company and certain of its officers by an individual purporting to represent a class of purchasers of EA common stock. A second purported shareholder class action lawsuit alleging substantially similar claims was subsequently filed in the same court. These lawsuits have been consolidated into one action. The lawsuits, which assert claims under Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, allege, among other things, that the Company and certain of its officers issued materially false and misleading statements regarding the rollout of the Company’s Battlefield 4 game. We filed a motion seeking dismissal of all claims on January 15, 2015 and on April 30, 2015, the court granted our motion to dismiss with prejudice.
We are also subject to claims and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. We do not believe that any liability from any reasonably foreseeable disposition of such claims and litigation, individually or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.