Activision Blizzard Inc.
(
ATVI
) will display some of its upcoming titles at the ongoing
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). This includes not only the much
anticipated
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
, but also other well-known titles such as
Skylanders Giants, TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON, new Bond
game, Spider-Man and Family Guy.
The highly anticipated sequel of
Call of Duty: Black Ops
is scheduled for release on November 13
th
for
Microsoft Corp.
's
(
MSFT
) XBOX 360 gaming console,
Sony Corp.
's (
SNE
) PlayStation 3 system and the PC. However, this game is expected
to face significant competition from
Electronic Arts Inc.
's (
EA
)
Medal of Honor Warfighter
, which is slated to release in late October.
Then there is
Skylanders Giants
, the sequel to
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
. Incidentally,
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
was the best-selling console and handheld game between
January-April 30, 2012 worldwide, according to The NPD Group, GfK,
Charttrack and as per company estimates. The game comprises new
adventures and 16 new characters and multiple mode gameplay. The
uniqueness of the game lies in its gameplay where physical toys
with the help of the magical Portal of Power take life forms in the
digital space and face a number of challenges to save their
world.
In
TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON
, gamers can create their own characters and fight as
AUTOBOT
or
DECEPTICON
and take control of
CYBERTRON
, the war-torn home of the transformers. Next comes the super hero
game,
The Amazing Spider-Man
, where gamers don the role of Peter Parker and fight some of most
notorious super villains such as Rhino, Iguana, and Felicia Hardy
to name a few.
In
Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse
, gamers can take up either the character of Stewie or Brian and
embark on a journey to destroy Bertram, Stewie's evil twin, to save
Quahog..Activision has also got in its pipeline the James Bond game
-
007 Legends
. The game features five classic Bond adventures and a sixth
mission, which will be seen in the upcoming Bond movie-SKYFALL.
Looking at Activisions' portfolio of games, it is evident that
the company is set for a strong 2012. The company's initiatives to
strengthen its Call of Duty and Skylanders portfolio through the
launch of new versions and content packs would be beneficial in the
long run. Moreover, the company's initiatives in reviving some of
its old franchises, like
Diablo
, are expected to act as tailwinds. Additionally, Activision's
foray into the mobile gaming market, through the launch of
World of Warcraft
and
Skylanders Cloud Patrol
, is expected to be a long-term positive.
However, the softness in the video game industry and
Activision's limited presence in the social gaming market coupled
with significant competition from EA and
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.
(
TTWO
) the near term head winds. Moreover, lack of new titles (not
sequels or downloadable contents) and over dependence on the old
franchises, particularly on Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, are
the other headwinds going forward.
We have a Neutral recommendation on Activision in the long term.
Currently, Activision Blizzard has a Zacks #3 Rank, which implies a
'Hold' rating in the short term.
ACTIVISION BLZD (ATVI): Free Stock Analysis
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