If you’re still trying to wrap your head around Activision Blizzard’s stunning purchase of Candy Crush developer King for $5.9 billion, trust us, you’re far from alone.
Over the past day, several industry analysts have weighed in on the business move, with many (but not all) of them saying that it was a bold but smart move for the company. SuperData analyst Joost van Dreunen noted that King was a “key acquisition target” for Asian publishers looking to expand in the west and that Activision’s purchase would gain a mobile division for the company while denying King to its competitors.
Other analysts gave positive outlooks based on the facts that that Candy Crush has raised $4 billion to date and that King has access to an enormous pool of casual gamers.
Of course, what’s worked for King in the past might not in the future. One analyst said that Activision Blizzard might have just purchased a company that’s already peaked and headed downhill.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick denied that King is a “one-trick pony,” saying, “With the introduction of high-quality mobile devices, we’re looking at everybody being a consumer. And one of the things I love about King is 60 percent of their consumer base is female. There are more opportunities now than we’ve ever had before.”
