Activision Blizzard - Competitors

Activision Blizzard Competition

Now Viewing Activision Blizzard's competition in: Entertainment and Games Software (primary)

Recent Developments

Video Games Change as Players Age - The entertainment and game software industry is changing as consumers who began playing in their teens or early 20s continue to play as they approach middle age. Industry experts say that game designers will develop more sophisticated games to appeal to older players. The average video game player is 33 and has been playing for 12 years, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).

Game Sales Rose in 2007 - Computer and video game sales rose 28 percent in 2007 compared to 2006, according to NPD Group. "Halo 3," the best-selling game title of 2007, took in more revenue its first day of sales than the biggest opening weekend ever for a movie. Video game console software sales totaled $6.6 billion; computer games sales totaled $910.7 million; and portable software sales reached a record $2 billion.

Piracy Still Problematic - An ESA report cites computer and video game piracy in Canada, China, Malaysia, Russia, and parts of Europe as key in slowing game industry growth and development. Online piracy and factory production of game cartridges and disks contribute to piracy levels above 90 percent in some markets. ESA wants countries identified in the report to bring their copyright laws and enforcement practices up to international standards and open their markets to legitimate products.

Competitive Landscape

Demand is driven primarily by personal income. The profitability of individual companies depends on an understanding of consumer needs, timely product development, and effective marketing. Large companies publish a portfolio of titles and have advantages of scale in manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and selling. Small development studios compete through creative designs and by partnering with large publishers.

Full Industry Overview For Entertainment and Games Software

Entertainment and Games Software Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

US personal consumption expenditures on electronic entertainment and musical instruments are forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 5.6 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Electronic Entertainment Spending Growth Stabilizes

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.