Addendum to Sector Reports Post
Found this news blurb, and thought I'd post it, as it gives some insight to what some analysts see for the year ahead in software.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The lean times for the video game software industry appear to be over.
Three of the largest game developers are reporting results for the crucial December quarter that were better than Wall Street expected.
Electronic Arts, Activision and Spectrum Holobyte said strong sales of games for personal computers and next-generation video game consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation, contributed to the strong results.
For the past year, the video game software industry had been in a funk while consumers waited for the release of advanced game machines from Sony, Sega and Nintendo. The industry also lacked blockbusters to draw customers to the video game isle at stores.
The release of the PlayStation last year and the Nintendo 64 this year has revitalized the industry, analysts said.
"People are underestimating how truly red hot sales of the video game systems are," said David Farina, an analyst at brokerage William Blair & Co. in Chicago. "If history is any guide, we're in for a strong two-year cycle for my investors, cross my finger."
The strong earnings likely will continue into the March quarter, analysts said, as consumers buy a new generation of PCs based on Intel's MMX technology, which soups up the graphics capabilities of the machines.
Cheers
Bill |
