Mercenaries 3 unmasked

Four days after it teased sequels to Dead Space, Army of Two, and Battlefield: Bad Company, EA has confirmed that another follow-up is being planned. During a post-earnings conference call this afternoon, EA CEO John Riccitiello revealed that his company is planning a third installment in the Mercenaries series, developed by its Pandemic Studio.

"There will be a Mercenaries 3 and, if I have anything to do with it, there will be a Mercenaries 10," declared the outspoken executive. The proclamation was a brief bright spot in an otherwise dour afternoon in which EA revealed it was laying off 6 percent of its workforce and reported a loss of $310 million for the July-September quarter.

Riccitiello's ardent support may surprise some, given the occasional thumping Mercenaries 2: World in Flames received from critics. However, despite mixed reviews, the game has been a commercial hit. As of September 30, the oft-delayed title had sold 1.9 million copies internationally--as many units as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 and nearly as many as Spore.