Video game developer and publisher,
Electronic Arts Inc. (
EA
)
is leaving no stone unturned to make its upcoming action game
Army of Two The Devil's Cartel
a hit with the fans. EA recently announced a downloadable demo
pack prior to the game's release on Mar 26, 2013.
Army of Two The Devil's Cartel
, developed by Visceral Games, is a co-operative game set in
Mexico. Tactical Worldwide Operations ("TWO") is a private
military organization, whose two operatives Alpha and Bravo fight
the deadly drug cartel on the streets of Mexico. The game is
powered by the Frostbite 2 engine, which provides a more advanced
upgrade and customization system.
Moreover, renowned hip-hop stars Big Boi and B.o.B will
feature in the game as the two agents namely Charles "Chuy"
Rendall and Anthony "Baker" Barnes. Additionally, the singers are
collaborating for the game's theme song.
The co-operative demo pack is set to release on Mar 12 and
will be available on
Sony's (
SNE
)
PlayStation Network and
Microsoft's (
MSFT
)
Xbox LIVE Marketplace. In the pack, gamers will play the role of
Alpha and Bravo as they fight off a deadly drug cartel to rescue
a politician and solve a hostage crisis simultaneously.
EA continues to offer exclusive hit-makers kit, a bonus pack
available on pre-ordering
Army of Two The Devil's Cartel
from
GameStop (
GME
)
.
The pack allows players to play the characters of Big Boi and
B.o.B in an additional contract mission.
We believe that the inclusion of real-life stars Big Boi and
B.o.B in the video game reflects changing marketing strategies of
the traditional video game companies. Facing increasing
competition from the growing popularity of mobile and
free-to-play games, EA is looking for new avenues to boost its
consumer base and revenues.
The use of real-life public figures commanding a loyal fan
base makes it much easier for EA to reach a large audience
instantly. Moreover, the marketing strategy to attract gamers
with bonus packs prior to the game's release should definitely
work in favor of EA. The company will get a better idea about the
title's popularity and its future performance. Additionally, EA
will be generating revenues from the game even before it is
released.
We believe that EA's high-quality titles and a robust product
pipeline along with the increasing online exposure and traction
in the social and mobile gaming market will boost its top-line
growth over the long term.
However, we believe that EA faces a number of headwinds that
include a soft video game industry performance, particularly due
to weakness in retail sales amid an aging console system
lifecycle. Additionally, the huge popularity of free-to-play
games is also cannibalizing higher priced packaged goods video
games sales, which is a major concern in our view.
Currently, EA has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
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