Steam
About three years after the first chapter was released, the creator of Undertale released Deltarune Chapter 2. The new game was released on Steam and, instantly after its release, it got as many as 100,000 contemporary players, according to SteamDB data.Specifically, we are talking about 102,916 contemporary players. The number has dropped rapidly (13,000 at the time of writing), but this is normal as we are talking about a very short single player game. Just to give you a point of reference, at the time of writing the contemporary players of games like Naraka Bladepoint and GTA 5 are around 100,000, with a daily peak of 150,000. Rust is at 56,000, peaking at 104,000. Deltarune was therefore able, for a moment, to rival these heavyweights.
Success is linked to many factors. First of all, let's talk about a new chapter of a spin-off of Undertale, a huge indie hit. Also, we remind you that Deltarune is currently free. The first two chapters can be played at no cost, while the following ones will be paid.
When it comes to Steam hits: Deathloop ranks # 1 and # 3 of the best-selling games of the week.
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This Portfolio of Past Losers Remains Solid but Is Running Out of Steam
My 2021 Tax Loss Selling Recovery Portfolio gave back about 4.5% over the past month but still has performed relatively well since inception, up about 49%. It is on its last legs, however, and will be retired by November as I begin to put together next year's vintage. As I wrote last week, pickings for the new version are slim at this point, but a lot can change between now and the intended December roll-out.
This annual portfolio experiment starts by identifying potentially cheap names that have fallen sharply during the year and might be pushed even lower at the end of this year as investors harvest losses. By way of reminder, screening criteria include the following:
The theory is that these names may rebound in the New Year when the selling pressure is off, and so far that has been the case in 2021.
Tranche 1, released last Dec. 1, fell about 5% during the past month and is now up 33% since inception. It continues to outperform both the S&P 500 (up 21%) and Russell 2000 (up 25%). Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) (up 45%) was the best performer over the last month, rising 3% and adding to the previous month's gains brought on by the offer by JBS S.A. to buy the rest of the company it does not already own. Designer Brands (DBI) (up 59% since inception) fell 12% for the month despite solid second-quarter earnings where it beat the consensus on the top and bottom lines. Walgreen Boots Alliance (WBA) (up 33% since inception) was about flat for the month, while Xerox (XRX) (down 3% since inception) fell 12% last month to put in in negative territory and render it the worst performer overall. On Sept 9, XRX left the New York Stock Exchnage to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Tranche 2, released last Dec. 4, is up 86% since inception but declined about 2% last month. However, it remains the best-performing tranche as it continues to outperform the S&P 500 (up 21%) and Russell 2000 (up 23%). Wells Fargo (WFC) (up 60% since inception), the best performer last month, was the worst this month, falling 8%. Falcon Minerals (FLMN) (up 112% since inception) was flat for the month but remains the portfolio's overall best performer. The month was fairly uneventful for Townsquare Media (TSQ) (up 79% since inception) and Genesco Inc. (GCO) (up 92% since inception) in terms of performance. Genesco bested second-quarter consensus estimates on the top and bottom lines with its Sept. 2 earnings release, but the market was not impressed and its shares fell 8% that day.
Tranche 3, released last Dec. 7, is up 27% since inception and still is beating the S&P 500 (up 20%) and Russell 2000 (up 22%), but it fell about 6% since the last update. Sally Beauty Holdings (SBH) (up 36% since inception) fell 11%; the most notable news this past month was the appointment of a new CEO on Sept. 1. AerCap Holdings (AER) (up 26% since inception) was down slightly for the month. Phillips 66 Partners (PSXP) (up 31% since inception) and GIII Apparel (GIII) (up 16% since inception) each gave back about 5% for the month.
This portfolio is getting a bit long in the tooth...
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