Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : THQ,Inc. (THQI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sigmund who wrote (2861)	1/3/1998 4:39:00 PM
From: Todd D. Wiener	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14266

Yesterday, I was in D.C. I visited EB and some other small retailers of THQ games. Pax was sold out in EB. There were several units on the shelf in other stores. It was selling for $50. Pax for Macs should be available in 2 weeks. Ghost was selling for $45 in EB, and it had a "HOT!" label on the price tag. Assuming this isn't some slick marketing maneuver by EB, Ghost is selling well at this store. The other stores were selling Ghost for $45-50, and the salesfolks said its sales seem to be picking up steam. Vs. ($40-45) was selling well at EB. The other stores were also selling Vs. fairly well, with 5 units a week being the average amount at each store. I saw the Prima Publishing guide for Vs. ($8) at EB. K-1 ($35) was still on the shelf. I asked several kids which fighting games they liked. Although Mortal Kombat and other non-THQ games were mentioned, so was K-1 and Vs. Unfortunately for K-1, the consensus seemed to be that Vs. was better than K-1 (even though the games are rather different). Gameboy titles, such as Hercules, Toy Story and Lost World ($30 each) were very popular, according to the EB people. WCW vs. World is still a sellout at EB ($35---price cut), and it is moving rather well at other smaller stores, too. NWO is sold out at several smaller stores, and EB had only a few left. The salespeople at EB said that it gets 10-15 per week and has been selling most units each week (This EB had sold 11 NWO in the previous week). I asked the managers of the smaller stores how their reorder process takes place. The answer was consistent: They get more games each week from their distributor, which in turn orders games from the manufacturer (THQ). At several stores, there was a waiting/reserve list for Nitro, which comes out for PSX on Jan. 15. The price is likely to be $50. There were 5 people on the only list that I saw. I asked the salespeople if Nitro was supposed to be any good, and if it was similar to World. One guy told me that, according to a game magazine, only die-hard wrestling fans should buy Nitro, because it's basically the same as World. I mentioned that the graphics are significantly better on Nitro. All stores plan to keep ordering World as long as THQ makes it and it sells. They do expect another price cut for World, perhaps to $30, when Nitro comes out. I put my name on the Nitro waiting list. It seems to me that THQ may have a slight problem if World owners don't feel the "need" to buy Nitro. The same could be true for NWO owners later in 1998. Perhaps THQ should offer a manufacturer's rebate for existing WCW customers. It would be just like a rebate on PC software upgrades. I have no doubts that WCW Nitro will be a huge hit among new WCW customers, but it may be necessary to give special incentive deals to those who have already purchased a WCW game. The fellow at EB told me that Bravo Air Race has been discontinued. I'm very shocked, assuming this is true. All of my information suggests that it has been selling fairly well. It's rare that a game would be discontinued without being sold at a discount for a while (as in the case of Robopit, In the Hunt, etc.). I'll check with the company, but I assume that the salesperson was incorrect. Things look pretty good from the field. I don't know how K-1 and World are selling in Europe, but I'm not expecting much from Europe in my estimates for Q4. Todd