Financial Performance
The tables below contain selected financial data extracted from MicroProse's Annual Report of 1998 and 1997 (fiscal years).
| Year | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
| Revenue | $13.6 | $40.9 | $84.3 | $59.6 | $100.3 | $60.0 |
| Variation | 200% | 106% | 29% | 68% | 40% |
As it can be seen from the table above, MicroProse's revenue performance varied according to game releases. The release in February 1996 of Civilization II is one of the factor that weighed positively on 1997's financial result, that year revenues rose 68% to $100 million. MicroProse recognized that deficiency, the Annual Report of 1998 informed:
- "The Company depends on both the timely introduction of successful new products or sequels to existing products to replace declining revenue from older products."
And continued:
- "If for any reason revenue from new products or other activities fails to replace declining revenue from existing products, or if revenue from back-catalog titles declines significantly, the Company's operating results may be adversely affected."
That's why MicroProse's revenue varied so wildly, and in order to grow stably an ever increasing number of major game titles would have to be released in a timely basis and just maintaining revenues on the level of the previous year was a challenge.
| Year | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
| Net income (loss) | $−4.0 | $−58.4 | $−18.0 | $−39.8 | $7.9 | $−33.1 |
MicroProse lost $145 million between the years 1993 and 1998. The incapacity of MicroProse to operate profitably explains why the company could not stay as an independent one for much longer and sought acquisition from GT Interactive and Hasbro Interactive. In addition, MicroProse's over dependence on new releases for both profits and revenues helps explain why MicroProse's market value went from $250 million in October 1997 to just $70 million 10 months later.
In the first quarter of 1999, MicroProse posted revenues of $12.1 million and net losses of $7.8 million.
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