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Some may think that "Call of Duty" has led some battles too, but the legendary video game franchise seems to have a lot of life.
The 15th suite of Call of Duty will be officially launched next month. But the video game community has since last week emitted a keen interest in iteration, known as "Black Ops 4", when Activision Blizzard's publisher performed a closed beta test of the game mode called Blackout. play called Royal Battle, where a group of players play until there is only one left.
These tests are not unusual. But the Royal Battle is the same style of play that made Fortnite a global game phenomenon. It has also not been available before on established big shooters such as Call of Duty, so the interest of players and investors is strong.
Jefferies analyst Timothy O'Shea noted that the Black Ops 4 audience was leading the Twitch network – which broadcasts live gameplay – on September 10, when the trial began and more than doubled the number Fortnite hearing. And Ben Schachter of Macquarie said that the lawsuit shows that Activision "was able to nail" the royal battle mode for his new game.
Activision's share price has jumped more than 8% since the start of the beta.
The strong buzz bodes well for Activision, which had already faced strong expectations for its biggest release of the year. Analysts expect the Call of Duty franchise to grow from 27 percent this year to around $ 1.9 billion, according to consensus estimates from Visible Alpha. This would help offset the expected declines of other big games such as "Destiny", facing a tough comparison with a major sequel launched last year.
Activision has other great games, including popular Blizzard titles such as "World of Warcraft" and "Overwatch", as well as the lucrative "Candy Crush" mobile franchise. But Call of Duty is by far the most important property of Activision. Analysts estimate the franchise will account for nearly a quarter of the company's adjusted revenue this year, according to FactSet.
So, Activision needs this game to do very well. And as popular as Call of Duty is, it was not exactly a given, as this fall is filled with other great shooters and a new season for Fortnite. And while Activision's shares may seem a little stretched with a 25% gain this year, a strong call should help investors get some extra points.
Write to Dan Gallagher at [email protected]
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