In a recent analyst note Michael Pachter, who watches the video game industry for Wedbush Morgan, has stated that the upcoming Battlefield 3 first person shooter might sell between 8 and 12 million copies.

The analyst says that the DICE made game will sell 4 million copies on the PC, which presumably includes both physical sales and those made on the Origin digital distribution service, and that on home consoles it will move anywhere from another 4 to 8 million units, with sales influenced by the initial review scores.

Electronic Arts has said that it does not believe that Battlefield 3 can topple Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from its perch at the top of the video game world but hopes to take away from its market share this year and then deliver a knock out punch in 2012 or 2013.


Pachter also mentioned The Sims Social, the Facebook based video game based on the well known life simulation franchise, which currently has more than 11 million daily users and is generating between 80 and 160 million dollars (about 110 million Euro) for the publisher.

The analyst says that Battlefield 3 and The Sims Social make EA a top stock pick in the near term and that the company has other well performing properties like Madden NFL and FIFA.

He also weighted in on GameStop, saying that, �Each publisher we cover has commented to us that DLC sales are up, and each has pointed to GameStop as a key driver of DLC sales gains.�

The analyst believes that in the short term Activision Blizzard might be affected by the fact that it is relying just on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to drive up revenue during the holiday season.

Take Two is said to be also set to grow in the coming years because of the release of BioShock Infinite, a potential GTA sequel and Borderlands 2.