"Game On" is The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks.
NBA 2K21: Take-Two's (TTWO) 2K Games last week announced that its upcoming basketball sim "NBA 2K21" will be available on current-generation platforms on September 4, 2020 and will also be available on PlayStation 5 (SNE) and Xbox Series X (MSFT) as a launch title this holiday. Of note, the game maker said that the game will be available for $59.99 on current-generation platforms while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X version of "NBA 2K21" will be available for $69.99. In addition, instead of using the Xbox Series X's upcoming Smart Delivery system for users who want to want to purchase the game on PS4 or Xbox One and upgrade the game later with new consoles, 2K is offering the "NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition," which will be available for $99.99 for both current and next-generation platforms and will include dual-access where purchasing "Mamba Forever Edition" on either current or next-generation platforms provides a copy of the standard edition game on the other generation at no additional cost, within the same console family.
Commenting on the price difference, Polygon's Ryan Gilliam said that the change in price "could indicate a shift in video game prices for the next generation of consoles." Gilliam noted that third-party publishers are free to establish their own pricing for games, but added that full-priced video games have cost $59.99 since 2005, starting with the Xbox 360's release that year. In an effort to give an explanation for the next-generation price hike, a 2K Games spokesperson told Polygon: "We believe our suggested retail price for NBA 2K21 on next-generation platforms fairly represents the value of what’s being offered: power, speed and technology that is only possible on new hardware. While we are confident that NBA 2K21 will be a monumental leap forward for the franchise and a standout visual showcase on next-generation consoles, we recognize that it’s our responsibility to prove this value to our fans and NBA 2K players. We’re looking forward to doing so and can’t wait to show more in the upcoming months to launch."
TWITCH: According to a report from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet released last week, Amazon's (AMZN) Twitch streaming platform is "by far" the leader in the live streaming industry, ahead of Microsoft's defunct Mixer platform, YouTube Gaming Live (GOOG), and Facebook Gaming (FB). Last quarter, Twitch set all-time highs for both hours watched, hours streamed, and average CCV, and broke all those same highs this quarter, according to the report. After surpassing three billion hours watched for the first time in Q1, Twitch smashed its own record again, as the platform experienced a massive 62.7% increase in hours watched compared to the previous quarter and increased by 83.1% year over year. Twitch now represents 67.6% market share, up 2.6% from last quarter, compared to the other platforms. In addition, total hours streamed on the platform increased by 58.7% in Q2 from the previous quarter and rose 80.1% year-over-year. The average concurrent viewership on Twitch increased by 63.4% since last quarter, reaching a new all-time high, the report added.
MICROSOFT/WBIE: The Information's Jessica Toonkel reported yesterday that Microsoft has expressed interest in buying Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, AT&T's (T) video games business. Of note, CNBC reported last month that Take-Two, Electronic Arts (EA), and Activision Blizzard (ATVI) had all expressed interest in acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Several weeks before the report from The Information, Stephens analyst Jeff Cohen told The Fly in an exclusive interview he believed it was "certainly possible" that another player could emerge as a suitor for WBIE, though he wasn't sure that one of the major console makers, including Microsoft, would make the move. “It’s hard to see any of the console players making that kind of deal just because, with the nature of buying that kind of asset, then making the games exclusive to one console, it makes it very hard to make the math work," he told The Fly. "But we are entering the next console war, and these players do have deep pockets, so anything is possible. But that’s less likely.”
OTHER STORIES TO WATCH:
Take-Two
+3.24 (+2.22%)
Symbol now SONY
-0.7 (-0.99%)
Microsoft
+1.34 (+0.64%)
Amazon.com
-13.69 (-0.45%)
Alphabet
+13.06 (+0.87%)
Alphabet
+15.48 (+1.03%)
Ticker changed to META
+5.33 (+2.22%)
AT&T
-0.15 (-0.49%)
Tencent
+ (+0.00%)
Nintendo
+ (+0.00%)
Ubisoft
+ (+0.00%)
acquired by MSFT
+0.75 (+0.95%)
Electronic Arts
+2.08 (+1.55%)