In this video I share my thoughts on why I bought Activision (ATVI +0.00%) and why I believe mobile gaming will play a big role in the company's future as well as that of its competitors (Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, and Nintendo). The gaming market will surpass $200 billion by 2023, according to Newzoo.
The games
For those who are unfamiliar, Activision is the gaming company known for games such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, and in 2016 it acquired King (the makers of Candy Crush). Call of Duty is the third-highest-grossing video game franchise ever.
The hype around these games is bigger than ever. Last week Twitch streamer Nickmercs had 400,000 viewers two days in a row watching his Warzone stream.
Mobile games
The mobile version of Call of Duty was released in 2019, and the game saw one of the largest mobile game launches in history, generating over $480 million from 270 million downloads within a year. Candy Crush is one of the three top-grossing gaming apps in the United States and the U.K., according to App Annie. The newly launched Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! has reached 20 million downloads in record time and has again shown that taking an IP mobile can be a winning strategy.
I explain my thoughts in more depth in the video.
Activision Blizzard is set to report Q1 earnings on May 4.
*Stock prices used were the closing prices of April 23, 2021. The video was published on April 25, 2021.
