Don't You Wish You Were an Activision Shareholder Now?
Set to be the most successful video game of all time (according to press releases anyway), Activision paired up with retailers like Game Stop and Best Buy to ensure that shelves were fully stocked for stores open late to receive the throngs of gamers vying to be among the first to claim the latest version of its earlier hit Call of Duty, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2".
If what analysts have been saying has any truth to it, this game should pull in upwards of $700 million U.S. dollars by the end of 2009. Other analysts (are these "analysts" like Call of Duty is likely to account for a sizable chunk of Activision's profits in the fourth quarter, analysts say, so there is plenty at stake in the launch."
Well, clearly the analysts were on to something. Kids across Canada lined up to try and secure a copy of the much anticipated game, including the son of a friend of mine who lives in British Columbia, who saved up his money and insisted on camping out early to wait for the store to open. I'm very happy to report that he got a copy which I'm sure he has already tormented his parents by playing constantly and not sharing with his siblings (well, that's what I would do anyway).
As for Activision, in its first week, well, first 5 days actually, Call of Duty 2 managed to post record sales of $550 million coming very close to what analysts had predicted late last week. Activision has also managed to come out ahead of its rival Electronic Arts, as its shares rose by another 5 cents.