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ATVI

Activision Blizzard, Inc

6/20/2013, 4:26 AM ET

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Friday, June 14, 5:21 PM iOS 7 (AAPL) comes with specs enabling game controllers to interact with iDevices, per a developer doc seen by the WSJ. Though the doc says controllers "must not be required" for a game to work, it's still likely music to the ears of developers (EA, ATVI, TTWO, GLUU), who have both been trying to profit from huge mobile gameplay growth, and struggling to get users to pay up-front (as opposed to downloading free-to-play titles). The report comes a month after Tim Cook said Apple will give developers more options, and days after IDC and App Annie predicted mobile game revenue will top $12B this year. Logitech (LOGI) says it will launch an iOS controller this fall; Nvidia (NVDA) is trying to kick-start controller-based Android gaming via its Shield console. 9 Comments [Tech]
Monday, June 10, 11:27 PM The PlayStation 4 will cost $399, $100 less than the Xbox One, and go on sale "this holiday season," Sony (SNE) discloses at E3. Between the lower price and the PS4's lack of used game restrictions and online requirements, Sony is trying hard to woo gamers on edge over the One (MSFT). However, Sony is joining Microsoft in requiring a subscription to a premium service (PlayStation Plus) to access multiplayer gaming. 140+ PS4 games are said to be in development. The Gaikai cloud gaming service, which enables access to PS3 titles, will arrive on the PS3/PS4 in 2014. Anticipated first-person shooter Destiny, to be published by Activision (ATVI), has been previewed. (PS4 hardware/titles) (live blog) 13 Comments [Tech]
Tuesday, June 4, 4:18 PM Zynga's (ZNGA +2%) job cuts don't go far enough, thinks Sterne Agee's Arvind Bhatia. Whereas Zynga generated $893M in 2010 billings with a headcount of 1,483, Bhatia estimates the social gaming leader will have 2,400 employees and a $750M-$800M/year billings run rate once its layoffs are finished. Meanwhile, Pando Daily's Kevin Kelleher argues Zynga is the victim of an "attention-deficit economy" in which consumers "constantly crave the new." Moreover, "casual and mobile games remain a gamble that is better suited to small, nimble startups rather than a publicly traded giant." Will console gaming giants (EA, ATVI, TTWO) have better luck navigating this landscape? 3 Comments [Tech]
Wednesday, May 29, 11:21 AM Activision's (ATVI -3%) Blizzard unit has "decided to push the reset button" on its next big multiplayer online game, VentureBeat reports. The still-unnamed title (its codename is Titan), in development for years, now isn't expected to launch until 2016 "at the earliest," and its developer team has been cut from 100 to 30. News of the delay comes shortly after Activision reported its World of Warcraft sub base fell by 1.3M in the March quarter to 8.3M. VentureBeat notes Blizzard "often cancels projects that have been in the works for years, if it believes that those games don’t meet its quality bar." 1 Comment [Tech, On the Move]
Tuesday, May 21, 2:20 PM A little more on the Xbox One: The console will launch "later this year;" Microsoft won't get more specific. No price details yet. A deal has been struck with the NFL to provide "exclusive content" via SmartGlass/Kinect, as well as interactive broadcasts. Gameplay recording/sharing are now supported, as are Skype and group video chat . There isn't any game streaming feature similar to what's promised for the PS4 (SNE). Activision (ATVI) says Call of Duty: Ghosts will arrive on the One. With the One, Microsoft is trying to both address a secular opportunity - soaring demand for Web-based living room entertainment, and a secular threat - a shift in gaming spend/activity to mobile and social titles. (live blog) 2 Comments [Tech]
Friday, May 17, 5:04 PM GameStop (GME +4.5%) closed with a big gain after NPD reported U.S. physical retail video game sales fell 17% Y/Y in April, better than some feared; they fell 1% in March, and 27% in Feb. Hardware sales fell 42%, as gamers wait for this fall's launches. Total industry physical retail sales fell 25%; as Electronic Arts (EA +0.9%) and Activision's (ATVI +0.5%) latest results show, such sales make up a declining portion of industry revenue. Take-Two's (TTWO +1.9%) Bioshock: Infinite and NBA 2K13 were the month's 3rd and 7th-most popular titles, and Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Skylanders Giants were #4 and #8. Comment! [Tech, Consumer, On the Move]
Wednesday, May 15, 11:54 AM Activision (ATVI -1.7%) spikes lower as Bloomberg reports talks to buy back part of Vivendi's (VIVHY.PK) ~60% stake have once more faltered. Shares were previously up 4%. (yesterday) Comment! [Tech, On the Move]
Tuesday, May 14, 5:33 PM Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) is still weighing potential deals to sell part of its ~60% stake in Activision (ATVI +3.1%), says CFO Philippe Capron. "The board continues to review a variety of different options, looking at ways to optimize the balance sheet." Vivendi hired bankers last year to find a buyer for its entire stake, but shelved the plan after failing to receive a decent offer. Wedbush speculated Vivendi might go for a leveraged recap deal featuring a giant debt offering and even bigger special dividend. Comment! [Tech, M&A]
Wednesday, May 8, 5:42 PM Activision (ATVI) -6.3% AH after providing light guidance to go with a Q1 beat. A 1.3M Q/Q drop in World of Warcraft subs to 8.3M is likely troubling investors. Online subscription sales (WoW and Call of Duty Elite) fell 9% Y/Y made up 28% of revenue, down from Q1 2012's 43%. But console game sales +85% and 31% of revenue (23% prior). PC game sales (led by StarCraft II and Diablo III) +384% and 15% of revenue (4% prior), and Other sales (inc. handheld/mobile and Skylanders toys) +39% and still 19% of revenue. Digital channels made up 53% of sales vs. 44% a year ago. Electronic Arts (EA) -1.4% after rising 17.1% thanks to its FQ4 report. (PR) Comment! [Tech, Earnings]
Wednesday, May 8, 4:15 PM Activision Blizzard (ATVI): Q1 EPS of $0.17 beats by $0.06. Revenue of $804M (+37% Y/Y) beats by $99.8M. Expects Q2 revenue of $590M and EPS of $0.05 vs. consensus of $605.3M and $0.05. Expects 2013 revenue of $4.25B and EPS of $0.80, below consensus of $4.26B and $0.85. Shares -6.2% AH. (PR) Comment! [Tech, Earnings, On the Move, Breaking News]
Wednesday, May 8, 12:10 AM Notable earnings after Wednesday’s close: AHT, ALJ, ATLS, ATVI, AVNR, CF, CLNE, CLR, CTL, CTRP, CUZ, CXW, DEPO, DK, ERII, ETE, ETP, GMCR, GRPN, GSS, HALO, HEK, HNSN, JOE, LPSN, MBLX, MDR, MED, MIDD, MM, MNST, MNTX, MWE, NWSA, OSUR, PPO, PVA, QTM, RAX, RGP, RIG, RST, SGMO, SPRD, SSRI, STEC, SXL, SZYM, TCAP, TSLA, WR, XTEX Comment! [Earnings]
Tuesday, May 7, 5:52 PM Electronic Arts (EA) now +7.7% AH as better-than-feared FY14 guidance overshadows an FQ4 EPS miss. Activision (ATVI) +1.1%. EA's "Digital' revenue (inc. downloads, subscriptions, ad sales, etc.) rose 45% Y/Y to $618M, while packaged goods/other revenue fell 25% to $396M. Consoles 65% of net revenue (66% a year ago), PCs 21% (25% prior), mobile 9% (6% prior), handhelds 3% (1% prior). Free cash flow was $208M vs. net income of $169M. Battlefield 3 Premium subs rose by 600K to 3.5M. The Simpsons: Tapped Out produced almost $10M in net revenue in March; Real Racing 3 is also doing well on iOS. (PR) Comment! [Tech, Earnings, On the Move]
Tuesday, May 7, 5:35 PM Notable earnings after Wednesday’s close: AHT, ALJ, ATLS, ATVI, AVNR, CF, CLNE, CLR, CTL, CTRP, CUZ, CXW, DEPO, DK, ERII, ETE, ETP, GMCR, GRPN, GSS, HALO, HEK, HNSN, JOE, LPSN, MBLX, MDR, MED, MIDD, MM, MNST, MNTX, MWE, NWSA, OSUR, PPO, PVA, QTM, RAX, RGP, RIG, RST, SGMO, SPRD, SSRI, STEC, SXL, SZYM, TCAP, TSLA, WR, XTEX Comment! [Earnings]
Friday, April 19, 4:31 PM Take-Two (TTWO +3.8%) closes with a strong gain after NPD reports BioShock Infinite was the best-selling traditional video game in the U.S. in March. NBA 2K13, another Take-Two title, came 8th. NPD's industry-wide data was mixed. Retail console sales fell 32% Y/Y, nearly as bad as February's 36% drop, but game sales only fell 1% after declining 27% in the prior month. Accessories sales rose 15%, thanks in part to strong demand for Skylanders (ATVI +1%) merchandise. 1 Comment [Tech, On the Move]
Monday, April 8, 4:47 PM Activision's (ATVI) Blizzard unit acquires the assets of IGN Pro League, a business dedicated to promoting covering competitive gaming (eSports), from IGN (JCOM). Blizzard says part of the IGN Pro League team will form a new Blizzard group focused on producing "high-quality web and mobile content in support of Blizzard games." The purchase could help Blizzard further promote its Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo franchises via competitive events. Comment! [Tech, M&A]
Tuesday, April 2, 10:03 AM Activision (ATVI +2.2%) nears its 52-week high again after UBS starts coverage with a Buy and $17 PT. Archrival Electronic Arts (EA -0.1%) has been started at Neutral. Comment! [Tech, On the Move]

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