The hard-hearted realities of investor demands on quarterly results determine when videogame publisher Electronic Arts Inc. releases new titles such as its forthcoming “Anthem,” not when the product is actually completed by developers, executives said Tuesday.

After a report last week of a monthslong delay for the key EA title “Anthem,” originally set for release in fall 2018, executives admitted Tuesday the game will debut in early 2019 instead, but said it was not due to delays in the development of the game. The real reason: The company determines game launches by the numbers, a measured calculus of the top and bottom line, and the ability of EA to meet expectations that Wall Street and investors set for financial performance.