Shareholders of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Marvel Enterprises (NYSE:MVL) (both Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendations) will be happy to read the following press release. Looks like Marvel's video game parade has yet to show any signs of abating.
The two companies will be working together on a game titled Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. Now, I have to admit, that isn't exactly the most marketable name for a video game, but then again, it won't matter much to devoted fans of Marvel characters (non-core fans might present a bit of a problem for Electronic Arts and its promotional machine). The deal will put the game on all the major consoles -- Nintendo's GameCube, Sony (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox -- as well as the upcoming Sony PSP. The debut will be sometime in the fall -- just in time for the Christmas season. And if the summer flick Fantastic Four turns out to be a major hit, which all of us should be praying is the case (can you tell I own shares in Marvel?), then momentum for any Marvel-based property should be affected in a decidedly positive way.
I'm a relatively new shareholder to Marvel, and I must admit, I didn't time my purchase too well. My cost basis is north of $20 per share, and the stock is trading below that number. I'll fess up and state that whenever I see my investments fluctuate to the downside, I do feel a bit of an emotional sting. It's normal, of course, and even though I purchased Marvel with the intent of holding for the long term, a downward trend can be trying.
But I really believe in this stock, so much so that it occupies a place in a retirement account. The story could change at some point, but right now I can see only a long string of positive catalysts for the company. Major movie-licensing deals, merchandising agreements, comic books -- all backed by intellectual property that has proven timelessly popular. The bears are out there, of course, and will point to the risk of inevitable missteps that will ultimately cause a contraction in the stock price -- for instance, what if Fantastic Four fails miserably at the box office? There go all the cushy ancillary revenues.
Hey, I agree -- after all, this is Hollywood entertainment we're talking about, and just because people took to Spider-Man doesn't mean they'll take to anything else. Nevertheless, I'm a bull on the company and the stock; I think that Marvel's character portfolio has the ability to expand shareholder value. For now, I'll do as W.D. Crotty suggests -- I'll happily await the impending furor of the next Spider-Man sequel (due in 2007), and I'll do so by keeping tabs on all of Marvel's press releases. Every new deal makes me feel better and better about my purchase.
For related Fool Takes, see:
- Stock Madness 2005: Marvel vs. Rofin-Sinar
- Marvel's Heroic Pipeline
- EA's Ubisoft Threat
- EA's Last MVP
- Nothing Marvelous in This Setback
Post any and all opinions at the Marvel and Electronic Arts discussion boards.
Fool contributor Steven Mallas owns shares of Marvel Enterprises.
