Analysts Question Fortunes For Post-San Andreas Take-Two

Shares in Grand Theft Auto publisher and Rockstar parent company Take-Two have fallen, following negative analyst commentary on the company’s post Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas line-up. The lack of confidence seems to relate to the fact that up to 50 percent of Take-Two’s revenue in the last quarter of this fiscal year and the first quarter of the next year is being attributed entirely to San Andreas. Quoted in influential CNN column 'Game Over', Bank of America Securities analyst Gary Cooper has said: "Now that San Andreas has launched, we have decided to take an early exit off the highway largely due to a lack of product momentum for [Take Two] after GTA: San Andreas. While it may be the largest video game of all time right now, there will be a day when GTA is supplanted by another game." He added, in a note to clients reported by Reuters: "We have only moderate expectations for Rockstar's releases after San Andreas (such as Midnight Club 3 and The Warriors)." We recently reported that, according to separate analyst reports, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas may sell as many as 4.5 million copies in its first week, on its way to perhaps 13-15 million copies over the life of the game. Despite this, both the Bank of America Securities and Southwest Securities have downgraded the company’s stock ratings in the last week. Stock prices themselves are currently at $31.49, close to a year low of $27.84.