League of Legends" and the
"Defense of the Ancients" games have long-dominated the Multiplayer
Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre of electronic sports. These games combined for
just over $1 billion from January to September 2014, according to SuperData
Research via Venture Beat.
These games have been key players in the
history of eSports, but there have been issues with learning curves and toxic
communities preventing widespread popularity among casual gamers.
Enter Activision Blizzard, Inc.
(NASDAQ: ATVI), which came up with
its self-proclaimed "Brawler" to separate itself from other MOBAs.
While criticized for some of its dynamic changes compared to traditional MOBAs,
Activision Blizzard looks to simplify the game for the more casual gamers.
Blizzard, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, will release "Heroes of the
Storm" on June 2.
Mixed Success?
Speaking to Benzinga, Sterne Agee CRT
analyst Arvind Bhatia said he believes "Heroes of the Storm" success
will fall somewhere between "League of Legends" and the failed
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA)
MOBA "Dawnsgate." Bhatia said the title, "will gain slow, small
market to start through six months and attracting a bigger audience over a year
from launch."
With recent social media
attention from "Heroes of the
Dorm" championship on ESPN2, Bhatia believes this could be an
"interesting partnership [and] trend for ESPN."
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