Do CMA Findings Jeopardize Microsoft Activision Blizzard Deal?

Do CMA Findings Jeopardize Microsoft Activision Blizzard Deal?

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its latest findings in its ongoing inquiry into the Activision Blizzard merger.  These provisional findings are part of the ongoing Phase 2 investigation that started last September and is scheduled to be completed by April 26, 2023. The 275-page document concludes with two major issues: The full report is available .....
Nintendo Direct Highlights Solid 2023 Lineup

Nintendo Direct Highlights Solid 2023 Lineup

The Nintendo Direct event on February 8 highlighted the upcoming Nintendo Switch products.  A major focus was on the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which launches May 12, 2023, at $70 for the basic version and $130 for the collector’s edition. Nintendo also did a surprise launch of the long-rumored Metroid Prime Remaster, an update of the 2002 GameCube title.  Advance Wars 1+2: Boot Camp is r.....
Take-Two Sees Soaring Revenue and Bookings

Take-Two Sees Soaring Revenue and Bookings

Compared to the previous year period, Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) saw revenue grow 56% in its third fiscal quarter ending 12/31/22.  Bookings for the quarter grew 60% over the previous year to $1.38 billion.  However, the company also reported a net loss for the quarter of $153 million versus net income of $145 million in the third quarter ending 12/31/21. Analysis Making a year-over-year comparison for Take-Two results is difficult a.....
Nintendo Lowers Switch Forecast Again

Nintendo Lowers Switch Forecast Again

For the third fiscal quarter ending 12/31/22, Nintendo announced revenue declined 8% to ¥638,204.  Switch unit sales declined 23% in Q3 to 8.2 million.  For the full fiscal year ending 3/31/23, Nintendo lowered its forecast for Switch hardware units to 18 million. Software sales for Nintendo were only down 3% in the third quarter.  However digital software sales were up 10% and downloads of packaged software was up 28% compared with the previous year quarter.  Pokemon Scar.....
Activision Blizzard Sees Bookings Soar

Activision Blizzard Sees Bookings Soar

For the third fiscal quarter ending 12/31/22, Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) saw bookings soar to $3.56 billion, up 45% from the previous year’s quarter.  Net revenue was $2.3 billion with $1.2 billion in deferred revenue.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II saw the highest opening quarter sell-through in franchise history.  Blizzard reported its highest quarterly net bookings. Analysis The results for Activision Blizzard were quite strong.  Cal.....
Video Game Stock Index Up 12% in January

Video Game Stock Index Up 12% in January

The DFC Intelligence Video Game Stock Index and Video Game Stock Portfolio were launched on January 3, 2023.  In its first month companies in the index reported an average 12% gain.  The largest gain was among the larger conglomerate companies that ironically announced some significant recent layoffs. Meta was the best performer, showing a 51% increase for the month, much of it in the past few days, after reporting four.....
Sony Game and Network Services Revenue Soars

Sony Game and Network Services Revenue Soars

Sony Group (NYSE: SONY) reported a 13% year-to-year revenue increase for the third quarter ending 12/31/22.  The biggest increase in revenue was the Games and Network Services division which saw revenue increase 53% to ¥1,246,549 million (about $10 billion). Hardware sales of the PlayStation 5 were the biggest driver of growth for the increasing 119% as unit sales for the PS5 were 7.1 million in the quarter versus 3.9 million in the third quarter ending 12/31/21.  However full game .....
AMD Beats Expectations in Q4

AMD Beats Expectations in Q4

For the 4th quarter ending 12/31/22, AMD revenue was up 16% over the previous year to $5.6 billion.  For the full year 2022 AMD revenue was up 44% to $23.6 billion.  Net income for the year was down 58% to $1.32 billion. Gaming revenue was up 21% for the year to $6.8 billion.  However, in the fourth quarter of 2022, AMD reported gaming revenue was down 7% from the previous fourth quarter. Analysis In recent years, AMD has c.....