I love Activision
This is why I'm in love with Activision and want to send the company a Foolish Valentine: The long-term prospects of the video-game sector are going to offer great cash-flow opportunities for publishers with valuable software franchises. Ever hear of Tony Hawk? Activision has produced multiple titles based on the skateboarding star. How about the Call of Duty series of games? They offer a beautifully rendered wartime experience, placing the user in the thick of historical battle settings. The Guitar Hero brand, an incredibly popular rock 'n' roll simulator, was a smart acquisition on the publisher's part. You can bet that masses of teenage wannabes are indulging their arena fantasies with the game as you read this.
The franchises don't stop there. Now, I know everyone has heard of Marvel Entertainment's
In 2004, total revenues for the publisher were $948 million. In 2006, the top line was $1.5 billion. Earnings may have gone down the past few years as the industry transitioned to next-generation consoles such as Microsoft's
Fools love video games and the companies behind them:
What's sending Fools' hearts aflutter? Go back to our intro page to see what else we have a crush on.
Activision, DreamWorks Animation, and Marvel Entertainment are Stock Advisor picks. Microsoft is an Inside Value recommendation. Talk stocks with other investors and our analysts when you give our newsletters a try.
Fool contributor Steven Mallas owns shares of Activision and Marvel Entertainment. As of this writing, he was ranked 13,160 out of 21,781 investors in Motley Fool CAPS. Don't know what CAPS is? Check it out. The Fool's disclosure policy likes chocolates and champagne.