5 Stocks to Watch This Week
With news coming from Disney, Tesla and more, there will be plenty of to move the market this week. Let's go over some of the items likely to get the attention of Wall Street.
Call of Duty
Wall Street Watch This Week: Let's Start Playing Games
The tired video game industry needs a spark -- and it may get it with this week's release of the next installment of the record-setting Call of Duty franchise.
Wall Street Watch: Activision Blizzard Earnings Get Bonus Points
Activision Blizzard,the company behind the "Call of Duty," "Skylanders," and "World of Warcraft" video game franchises posted better than expected results after Wednesday's market close. Adjusted earnings more than doubled to $0.15 a share as revenue rose nearly 20% to $751 million.
Sony's Outlook on Gaming Gets Cloudy (Finally!) with Gaikai Buy
Sony isn't about to give up on console and dedicated handheld gaming platforms, but it's willing to bet on a new horse. The Japanese giant is acquiring California-based Gaikai, a cloud based gaming firm, in a $380 million deal.
3 Ways the Video Game Business Could Bounce Back
Folks aren't buying video games the way they used to -- and that's a problem for the industry. But if the big players are willing to consider some outrageous strategies, they can buy themselves some bonus lives.
What to Watch This Week: The Games Are Afoot
Let's go over some items that will help shape the week ahead for Wall Street: The Hunger Games will give theaters a much needed boost; FuelBand may do the same for Nike; video game sellers hunger for hits; and Tiffany and Oracle will give us clues about the recovery.
The 11 Brands With the Most Loyal Customers
Brand loyalty: It's why we buy a lot of what we buy, and any company that sells anything is striving to induce that feeling in its potential customers. Last week, research consultancy Brand Keys revealed which American companies do it best.
5 Reasons You're Not Buying Video Games Anymore
The latest news on the video game front isn't pretty. Media tracker NPD Group's data reveals that industry sales plunged 21% last month. It's clear that the industry is undergoing a radical shift, but for investors, the more important issue is why.
What to Make of 'Modern Warfare 3's' Record Sales
At a time when the music industry is Auto-Tuning its own eulogy and Hollywood has all but given up on DVDs, 1.5 million people lined up at midnight events to score copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, proving that even in an era when more of us want our entertainment for free, some things are still considered worth their price.
Analysts: Santa's Bag Will Be Filled With Bargains
Consumers can expect a holiday shopping season heavy on promotional offers as stores offer sweet bargains on all manner of products amid a still-sluggish economy -- good news for buyers of tablet computers, smartphones and video games, all predicted to be big gift items this year.
Activision Discontinues 'Guitar Hero,' Narrows Earnings Loss
Activision Blizzard's shares fell after the video-game maker forecast that 2011 sales would fall short of analysts' estimates and announced that it would cease creating Guitar Hero games because of lackluster sales.
Activision Sues Video-Game Rival Electronic Arts Over Alleged Poaching
Activision Blizzard has added video-game competitor Electronic Arts to its $400 million countersuit against two former executives of "Call of Duty" creator Infinity Ward, claiming that EA tried to lure the executives away while they were still under contract with Activision.
More Downloads, Fewer Discs: U.S. Video Game Sales Remain Flat
U.S. gamers spent about the same amount of money on video games last year as they did in 2009, even as sales of consoles and other hardware took a plunge. Purchases of physical game discs slid 5%, in spite of the record-breaking success of "Call of Duty: Black Ops," but downloadable and social-network games made up the difference.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops' Video Game Sales Soar Past $1 Billion
Activision Blizzard's "Call of Duty: Black Ops" video game has raked in more than $1 billion in sales since its Nov. 9 release, making it the fastest-selling video game in history -- and one of the fastest-selling entertainment products of all time.
Top-Selling Video Games of All Time
November delivered some welcome news for the gaming industry, with sales of consoles and games surging 8%. And Activision had plenty of reasons to smile as strong sales of Black Ops, the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise -- earned it another spot on the list of best-selling video games.
Most Successful Video-Game Debut Ever: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops'
Videogame publisher Activision Blizzard said its "Call of Duty: Black Ops" has had the most successful entertainment debut ever, generating more than $650 million in global sales in five days.
Retail Video-Game Console Sales Plunge 26% in October
Stores sold 4% less video-game equipment -- including hardware, software and accessories -- in October compared to a year ago, according to research firm NPD Group. While players are spending more on the games themselves, they aren't shelling out for new consoles: Sales of those systems declined significantly.
New 'Call of Duty' Breaks First-Day Gaming Sales Record
Videogame publisher Activision Blizzard said its "Call of Duty: Black Ops" set a new first-day videogame sales record, generating about $360 million in U.S. and U.K. sales within the first 24 hours of its release Tuesday. The company already has sold 5.6 million copies.
