Lack of Major Releases Spurs Interplay Loss

Video game maker Interplay Entertainment Corp., now controlled by a French company, said Monday that delays and failures to release any major titles this year has helped push its second-quarter loss to $12.4 million, or 34 cents a share.

In the second quarter of last year, the Irvine firm, 51.5% owned by Titus Interactive SA, lost $1.9 million, or 7 cents a share. It has lost money in 10 of the past 11 quarters.

Interplay said it released only four new titles during the three-month period this year, none a major video game, as revenue plummeted 41% to $14.8 million. It released 10 new titles in last year’s second quarter.

The company, which has been looking for a buyer, picked up a $5-million loan in May from Microsoft Corp. to add exclusive features to a game based on “The Matrix” movie for Microsoft’s new Xbox game console.

Also reporting earnings:

* FutureLink Corp. in Lake Forest said it lost $18.1 million, or $1.84 a share, for the second quarter, compared with a net loss of $28.6 million, or $3.28 a share, for the like period last year. Revenue declined 25% to $25.2 million. Last week, the company and its U.S. subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.