On its second quarter earnings call, Activision has cautioned investors about the second half of its fiscal year (as it did during the first quarter). CEO Bobby Kotick identified new competition as one reason, but has pinned some of the concern on Sony and Microsoft.
On the call, Kotick cited uncertainty around next generation promotion, product allocations, and release dates as some reasons that the publisher will have a tougher second half of the year. He also identified consumer purchase hesitation related to new hardware, which could slow adoption of next-generation titles.
Our Take
The sooner that Microsoft and Sony announce their release dates, the happier publishers are going to be. Publishers are already concerned because of the Wii U's performance to-date, and we won't know if the issue is with Nintendo's promotion of its hardware or a more significant industry-wide shift in interest in standalone game consoles.