After a stupendous opening day sales by
Electronic Arts Inc.
's (
EA
) FIFA Soccer 13, the company sold 4.5 million units of the game
globally in first five days. The game was launched in North America
on Tuesday, September 25, 2012. Globally, the game was available
starting Friday, September 28, 2012.
EA reported that a staggering 800K fans had played the game
simultaneously. The game also recorded in excess of 66 million
online playing sessions. The popularity of the game seems to be
never ending as FIFA Soccer 13 was recognized as the top seller in
40 countries. EA claims it to be "the biggest game launch of 2012"
and "the biggest sports videogame launch of all time".
The Entertainment Software Rating Board ("ESRB") has proffered
an "E" ("Everyone") rating to the game. Metacritic has provided a
Metascore of 90 and 87 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions,
respectively. Moreover, the game has garnered a Metascore of 92 for
the iPad and iPhone versions. Apart from these ratings, game
critics and enthusiasts worldwide have tendered rave reviews on
FIFA Soccer 13. The positive ratings further accentuate FIFA Soccer
13's popularity, thus boosting chances of robust sales going
forward.
EA SPORTS' FIFA franchise has attained an almost cult status
among soccer fans. Thus, the release of the latest version has
amplified the present craze, bringing in millions for the
company.
Recommendation
EA's pipeline comprises high-quality titles, which coupled with
its expansionary initiatives in the social gaming segment will
likely drive the long-term growth.
However, the gloomy macroeconomic environment and increasing
competition from
Activision Blizzard Inc.
(
ATVI
) and
Zynga Inc.
(
ZNGA
) may act as headwinds going forward. Moreover, video game retail
sales declined for the ninth consecutive month in August 2012.
According to market research firm NPD, U.S. video game store sales
slumped 20.3% year over year to $515.6 million in the month of
August.
We have a Neutral recommendation on Electronic Arts over the
long term (for the next 3-6 months). Currently, Electronic Arts has
a Zacks #3 Rank, which implies a Hold rating in the short term.
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