Video game publisher
Activision Blizzard Inc
(
ATVI
) is set to release a new first person shooter ("FPS") game called
The Walking Dead
, according to IGN.com. Based on the AMC Network's popular
television show bearing the same title, the new game is a prologue
of the television series. Developed by Terminal Reality, the game
is expected to hit the market in 2013 on
Microsoft's
(
MSFT
) Xbox 360,
Sony's
(
SNE
) PlayStation 3 and personal computers.
Set in the zombie-infested Georgian countryside, the new game is
based on the adventures of two brothers on their way to Atlanta.
Apart from the protagonist, the new game features a host of new
characters who are either friend or foe and players have to
carefully select them as companions. Further, players are also
required to manage scarce resources in order to survive the zombie
attacks along their way to safety.
Over the years, Activision has adapted a number of successful
television series and movies for developing new titles --
Battleship
,
Transformers
and
Spiderman
are a few names that come to mind. Activision recently entered into
a partnership with Disney Interactive, a division of
Walt Disney Co.
(
DIS
) for the production and distribution of its
Wreck-It Ralph
video game, which is expected to release in November, along with
the namesake animation movie.
Activision recently released its new Spider-Man game,
The Amazing Spider-Man
. The company is also set to release
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
later in the year. Activision also has the
James Bond game - 007 Legends
in its pipeline. The game features five classic Bond adventures and
a sixth mission, which will be seen in the upcoming Bond movie-
Skyfall
.
However, all adaptations have not been equally successful. While
the
Transformers
game was well received by the gamers,
Battleship
failed to live up to its billing. On the other hand, first-person
shooters are the most popular genre of video games, which is
reflected by the phenomenal success of Activision's
Call of Duty
franchise. In such a scenario, we believe that it is very difficult
to predict the performance of
The Walking Dead
going forward.
We believe that Activision has a strong product pipeline for
2012. Most importantly, Activision's foray into the mobile gaming
market is expected to be a long-term positive. However, the
softness in the video game industry and increasing competition in
most of the markets (including mobile) remains a concern.
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.
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