Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) has a lot of great franchises. Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft ... these brands are very valuable to shareholders. But there's one franchise in particular that could use a little help in the buzz department. And according to a recent press release from the publisher, that's exactly what it will be getting via a fresh reboot.
The Tony Hawk skateboarding games have been very popular. Unfortunately, you don't hear about the franchise that much anymore (well, I don't, at least). All we hear about is the Guitar Hero series of games. As a shareholder in Activision Blizzard, I'm hoping that this situation will soon change for the better. When Tony Hawk: RIDE is released this fall, it will use a special skateboard controller that will supposedly make the gaming experience completely new and unquestionably exciting.
I have no idea if it will be unquestionably exciting or not, but I can tell you that I think the move holds promise. Innovative control systems have been the driving force behind recent game fads. Besides the aforementioned Guitar Hero, take a look at the Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) Wii and Wii Fit systems. The wireless interfaces on those products are proven success stories. Gamers love them, especially those of a more casual nature.
Not only does Tony Hawk need a reimagining just for the sake of changing things up, but shareholders must remember that Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) is trying to muscle in on this genre. That company's Skate franchise should be taken seriously. There's a lot of brand equity intrinsic to the Hawk name, but that doesn't mean that the gaming audience can't be fickle.
I'm hoping that Activision Blizzard will give Tony Hawk: RIDE a good push. The company should really get behind this launch so that it can leverage the holiday-selling season to maximum advantage. I don't want the publisher to just be about fake guitar playing. I want it to also be about fake skateboarding. I'm sure execs would hate seeing the word fake anywhere near their franchises.
Nevertheless, I think players will be interested in a new Tony Hawk title. Even the hardcore ones who own Sony's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox 360. Will it help the stock? My prediction is it likely will pull its weight in terms of being an earnings driver.
Disclosure: I own Activision Blizzard; positions can change without notice.
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5-23-2009 @ 11:50PM
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