Having followed this stock for some time it appears from searching out news and stocks to grow that this share could explode over the next few months. Seasonally, WHOG share price seems to benefit each autumn with the frenzy of buying Xmas presents for new generation Sony Playstation, Microsoft XBox & Nintendo Gamecube platforms. This autumn Electronic Arts is scheduled to launch the new Harry Potter & Philosopher's StoneTM game developed by WHOG - no doubt a big selling product - but will EA and WHOG actually launch the game in time as EA has not given out any press releases yet.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject?

Protected seller should be clear now - should see some upside this week.

Late November for the HPPS game - just in time for the Christmas rush!

I think we'll see 30p quite soon.

Warthog starting to see the seasonal upside cycle? Has opened up 4.4% but volume is very light and a hefty spread of about 16% so would need to increase bid price by at least a further 4p before making profit. Will not buy in yet but seems to be one on my list to watch closely for some further upside before I get in.

Hi overgrowth, I decided to BUY in first thing today. So far WHOG is up by 1.75p (9.7%) and with a spread of just 2.5% today. Buyers are out weighing sellers. Seems your prediction of the upside this week was spot on.

any news on whog since buying in its gone down in thelast 5 weeks will the new games be out for crimbo ? ?

No recent news, but Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone game is forecast to be due out in the shops next month.

There are also rumours that warthog has landed the development of the lord of the rings return of the ring for ps2 & pc soon too be announced. If you look at the rns statement recently it says that it has won the contract from a major licenser. Keep a very close eye on this one!!!!

can anyone say what is going to happen to warthog ?

can it pull back again a directors responce please !!!

Has anyone at Warthog noticed this?



WHOG have given out past news regarding high profile licences to develop games, one of which everyone has been waiting for which is the launch of the videogame 'HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE'.

SEE http://www.warthog.co.uk/flash/mainb.htm

The high profile game development licence for this videogame was due to be launched this autumn in time for the Christmas market. The launch of the game should have helped WHOGS profits and share price. But there has been no news yet that this game is in the stores.

HOWEVER NOTE THE FOLLOWING EXTRACT FROM ANOTHER PAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE

The Company is working with numerous high profile licensees to develop video games including:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Electronic Arts, (PS2, Xbox, GC)
• Rally Championship, SCi, (PS2, Xbox, GC)
• Battlestar Galactica, Universal Interactive, (PS2, Xbox, GC)
• Looney Tunes, Back in Action, Warner Bros./EA, (PS2, GC)

SEE http://www.hemscott.com/internet/custom/whog/

The Harry Potter game title is similar but with a significant difference. Have the marketing/management team at WHOG cocked things up?

NOW CHECK OUT NEWS RELEASED BY ELECTRONICS ARTS http://www.eagames.com/news/hpss_121203.jsp

The videogame AE have announced on 12th Dec is HARRY POTTER AND THE SCORCERER'S STONE!

Warthog have stated in their reply emails when I queried this point:-

"Harry Potter and the Philospohers's stone is the same as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. This follows the books which were given these two names for the UK and USA respectively."

AND

"The press releases have come from the USA and they call it 'Sorcerer's Stone' whereas we in the UK call it 'Philosopher's Stone', this was also true of the film. The game in the stores is the one we developed."

ALSO

" The difference between what the US and UK call the same piece of work is beyond our, or EA's control. It goes further back to the origins and marketing of Harry Potter. The game therefore has two titles.

UK & Europe = Philosopher's
USA = Sorcerer's

It is the same game. As a developer, Warthog does not market any of the titles it produces itself, that is the role of the publisher. EA have released the following to the press in the US whilst there are online reviews in the UK.

EA’S HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE NOW AVAILABLE FOR NEXT-GEN CONSOLES


Players Can Experience Harry’s First Year at Hogwarts with Updated Graphics and New Features


REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - December 12, 2003 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ videogame for next-generation consoles has shipped to stores. Harry Potter™ fans can now experience the magic of Harry’s first year at Hogwarts™ with next-gen graphics and updated gameplay, including features, spells, and creatures new to this adventure.

Continuing the successful game design style first used in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™, the graphics and gameplay for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone-previously available for the PlayStation game console, PC, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Color-are updated for next-generation consoles for an even richer experience. Making the most of new technology, the locations throughout Hogwarts and Diagon Alley™ are displayed in spectacular 3D graphics, with faster loading times for game levels. Players can explore exciting new locations in and around Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, such as Hagrid’s Garden, Ollivanders Wand Shop, the Restricted Section of the library, and more, and encounter strange new creatures such as the Venemous Tentacula, Devil’s Snare, and Mutated Gytrash. Wizarding powers are now enhanced with exciting spell challenges, and a compelling ending to the game adds an entirely different twist-prepare for an all-new climactic showdown with the dreaded You-Know-Who!

Developed by EA’s UK Studio, the team behind the worldwide success of EA’s library of Harry Potter titles, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is available on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube™, and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. The game is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB and carries an MSRP of $29.95.

I hope this helps explain things a bit further."

Warthog it seems are being severely punished by the city over their recent trading statement, hence the heavy drop in their share price and the fact there has been no worthy news given out that the Harry Potter videogame is on the market, albeit that it is in the USA and with a difference in the game title.

I can confirm that both Harry Potter for Xbox,PS2 & Gamecube was released last Friday 12th in the UK. Battlestar galactica was also released on Xbox on 5th December and PS2 on 12th December. I am in the Computer Games Retail industry and we have recieved orders of both titles

They will not be big sellers but should do decent numbers.

I dont understand why WHOG share price keeps going down.

Hope this helps

WHOG are now priced to go bust. If any better news comes to light then we can expect a surge in price.

Highly speculative at this stage. The more cautious of you may prefer to hear that a recovery plan is in motion before committing your hard-earned cash - though of course, by that time most of the short term upside will have already happened.

I personally don't think that they will go bust, though they are likely to struggle, whilst the publishers cream off all the profits.

thanks for your info ARAWLI & OVERGROWTH

i now think it could take a while to pull back
from the brink what are chances of a full recovery
for the company ???

I reckon they'll be snapped up before they get a chance to fully recover.

A more accurate picture of the finances will be known after the Christmas period.

It looks as though WHOG will either be tapping the shareholders or institutions for more cash, which will dilute the value of the shares slightly, though the accompanying price rise (due to increased confidence) should cover this.

Here's my prediction (for what it's worth):

I can see relatively good news being posted during Q1 concerning Christmas sales figures which will knock the price up a bit. This is likely to be followed soon after by a discounted rights issue. The shares will then dip and waver, with a possible gradual rise afterwards throughout the rest of the year (as news filters through of new games developments). Take-over is likely to be in September probably by EA at 15p (any long termers still in are likely to bite the bidder's hand off).

What an inept piece of management and what a lack of integrity from the warthog management.They have reduced the share price down to approx 20% from my original investment amid talk of new games and upbeat messages. and then silence .......No news at all, but rest assured they knew what was happenning but communicated nothing. They are a typical example of why investors depart the stock market.Lets hope the management( or hopefully their replacements) put together a recovery package which the city will believe in. The rate of their demise and the lack of initial information communicated means there are probably others like me who have no option but to wait in hope for a recovery.
Sad days

wfagg, I agree entirely - we've all been done like a bunch of kippers.

Silence can sometimes be a good thing, though in this case we should have seen a profit warning much earlier, given all the previous hype.

I am well shafted in this stock as well after buying on all the hype about the Harry Potter game and Battlestar Galactica licence.

They have cost me a fortune and like wfagg I am stuck with them hoping for a major recovery!!

They cant go any lower than 2p can they?? Who knows ?? Bought loads at 17p.

It looks as though they are oversold now and that a recovery is possible (don't know about a major one though).

For most people who didn't manage to sell immediately on the profit warning, it's not worth selling now - better to wait a while and get your money back, rather than sell for beer money and regret it later.

Should the company have a good plan to keep the cash flow going, this sort of disaster can quite often be a severe wake-up call to the directors and spur them on to the previously uncharted ground of effective management.

Just look at what's happened to RTD over the last year. A year ago on the BB's (and in the financial press) all people were interested in was carping on about how bad the management was, now the directors have got down to the serious task of making money the company is looking very strong.

The same could just happen to Warthog. Speculators are already buying in. These are the people who buy in at the bottom and make a good profit on the way up to the next stage (it can a be very quick way to at least double your money). I'm not advocating here that existing investors "average down" because this can be bad for your financial health (should things go worse than expected, you'll be doubly kicking yourselves), however anyone looking to get in at the bottom for the first time could be well rewarded.

How many times have you done the same as me and bought into shares half-way up their meteoric rise, thinking to yourself - I should have bought them at 3p/10p or whatever ?

A punt at this stage is still highly speculative. The less daring of you still with an interest in Warthog may be more tempted to heed the advice of Rothschild who said his secret of success was that he always bought too late and sold too early.

The recent Looney Toons game must be selling steady,its in the Gamecube top 10 at least.Richard Burns Rally will be realeased in the spring.It has been getting very good press (game mags) prior to launch.It will be released by SCi & should be a really big seller.
These games may just see them through but they need to do the business with any new licences.Any clues on whats next???+