Star Wars Battlefront Sales Outlook 'Increasing' On YouTube Data

In a report issued Wednesday, Piper Jaffray analysts Michael J. Olson and Yung Kim reiterated an Overweight rating on shares of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), while boosting their price target from $72.00 to $79.00.

The target price surge was motivated by the firm’s increasing confidence in the upcoming release of "Star Wars Battlefront," based on their analysis of YouTube trailer views for the game -- compared to other major titles from the past few years. “Assuming first month YouTube trailer views are a proxy for gamer interest & demand,” Piper Jaffray's study suggests Battlefront has the potential to be one of the most successful games in recent years.

Related Link: UBS Upgrades EA, Hikes 'Star Wars' Estimates

The game’s YouTube trailer views in its first moth match those for the last four versions of "Call of Duty" and trail, from close behind, "Grand Theft Auto V." It should be noted that these games retrieved unit sales in the high teens or above.

For the upcoming Star Wars game, the analysts model unit sales of 10.5 million over fiscal 2016 (in the four-and-a-half months comprised between the 11/17 launch and the end of March 2016).

Related Link: Brean And Wedbush Both Think EA's Guidance Is Conservative: Here's Why

In addition to the YouTube analysis, Piper Jaffray surveyed more than 300 next gen console owners. Among them, 19 percent said “Star Wars is the game they are ‘most excited’ about buying in 2015, behind only Call of Duty.”

The experts believe Star Wars’ position, which increased considerably since the March poll, was driven by “a strong showing at E3, where actual game play was shown and the game was playable for those attending.”