Videogame publishers hope thrill remains after blockbuster 2020

FILE PHOTO: The Activision booth is shown at the E3 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 13, 2017. REUTERS/ Mike Blake

(Reuters) - The big question for U.S. gaming companies when they report results in the coming days is whether players will remain hooked on "Call of Duty", "Grand Theft Auto" and "NBA 2K21" after life returns to some normalcy following vaccine rollouts.

Huge demand during the pandemic for game titles propped up results for Electronic Arts Inc, Activision Blizzard Inc and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc over the past few quarters. Most analysts are bullish and think the sales momentum can be sustained; some are a bit more skeptical.