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Activision Blizzard beating $860 million Jan.-March target

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Apr 16, 2009 9:24 am PT

Recession can't stop World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Guitar Hero as publisher says sales are tracking better than previously announced projections for its fourth fiscal quarter.

While Activision Blizzard has yet to release its earnings report for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, positive results are a safe bet. Today the publisher said that due to its games' better-than-expected performance at retail, revenues and earnings for the quarter are both looking to best the company's previously announced projections.

Not even global poverty can stop the music.

In February, Activision Blizzard told investors it was aiming for $860 million in revenues with an earnings per share of $.08. The publisher opted not to give new projections or any indication as to how far it expects to exceed those totals.

While no specific products were credited with the sales boost, Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick issued a statement saying that the worldwide response to the Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and World of Warcraft franchises remains strong despite the challenging economic environment. He added that performance also bodes well for the company's upcoming lineup, which includes Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 23), Prototype (June 9), and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1).

In other Activision Blizzard news, the company today announced that it is switching World of Warcraft partners in the Chinese market. Previously the publisher had entrusted the game's operation in that market to The9, but going forward it will be licensed to NetEase. Activision Blizzard and NetEase are also working together on Warcraft III and Starcraft II for the Chinese market.

Activision Blizzard is expected to release its detailed results for the quarter ended March 31 sometime next month.

71 Comments

  • havocmerc

    Posted Apr 20, 2009 10:45 am PT

    Good show Old Man.

  • Quofan

    Posted Apr 19, 2009 9:29 am PT

    I like Blizzard but I cant stand the franchises from Activision. Most of them are absolute garbage.

    The only thing from them Im looking forward to atm is Prototype.

  • nintendoboy16

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 4:56 pm PT

    Way to go Activison Bliizard. On your Activision half I like some of your Spiderman games and your Guitar Hero (not getting DJ Hero), and on your Blizzard half, I love your RTS's such as Starcraft and Warcraft.

  • gk_of_berea

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 12:41 pm PT

    Wolverine game looks good.

  • ciaxhieu

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 12:34 pm PT

    blizzard is pure quality

  • J0nGalt

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 8:05 am PT

    Gee, lets think why we would care....maybe because these guys make games based on how much money they make? Do you like well designed MMORGs, RTSs and simulators? You better start caring about the $ process, cause thats what determines what kind of games they will make in the future. And yes, how much money a game makes does often determine how good it will be. Not entirely but its a damn good indication, considering its an indication to how well recieved it was and how many people WANT to play it. Its obviously not everything though.

    Im assuming you would prefer a game where no thought was given to what people like, where all the game does is preach the greatness that is not making a profit for the sake of an artfully pretty game with little to know content. Yeah...real fun.

  • gameking5000

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 5:17 am PT

    @ CROSSFIRE5000

    It's like the evening news, you don't always see stories you want to see but it's still on. Because some want to read while some don't

  • CROSSFIRE5000

    Posted Apr 17, 2009 6:45 pm PT

    wow y do we care about the $ procces

  • Diernes

    Posted Apr 17, 2009 9:56 am PT

    money doesnt nessesarily equal a good game, creativity, time and effort do.

    Not everyone is infatuated with Wow. Maybe if they put alot of time money and original creativity into the game it might become good for me.

  • ShawnOfTheDeadz

    Posted Apr 17, 2009 6:37 am PT

    @Adziboy

    Activison is a Publisher who owns certain developers and their IP's. For example the Call of duty series is worked and created by Infiniti Ward and Treyarch. I don't believe that they develope games in house, the only major company i know which did was EA and Blizzard (who used too).

  • LorDaftwager

    Posted Apr 17, 2009 6:18 am PT

    Can you imagine how good WoW would be right now if Blizzard channelled all its profits from the MMO back into the game?

  • japanesegoth

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 10:23 pm PT

    well of course they're gonna be making money when so many people are willing to spend like $15 a month on a stupid game.

  • dallasanderson1

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 10:14 pm PT

    i would have to agree,Inconnux, NFS most wanted was fantastic,and so was dead space, but thats where it ends for EA, they need to pick up their game for sure

  • Inconnux

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 9:18 pm PT

    @ISuperGamerI

    I am not interested in any of those EA titles. Perhaps deadspace, but the generic sports titles released every year are mediocre at best. Much like their NFS series... generic and sub par. EA has improved somewhat (Mass Effect!) but not enough to lose their reputation as a shovelware company.

    As for my Blizzard comment, I would agree with you on Milking the Guitar hero franchise, but when you look at the Blizzard end, everything they create is amazing. Note I didn't say Blizzard/Activision... I only said Blizzard

  • ffviiifreak

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 8:22 pm PT

    most is from gh metallica

  • XeonForce

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 6:41 pm PT

    I like CoD, within reason... but I have to agree with people who hate seeing Activision and Blizzard in bed together, they are like... complete opposites when it comes to game development practices, but hey, opposites attract I guess... as long as Blizzard keeps their IP's in good quality...

  • w4rgasm

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 6:01 pm PT

    I love Activision games... but they do milk it way too much.
    Blizzard, on the other hand, has been my FAVORITE since I picked up Warcraft way back when.

  • Red122

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 5:34 pm PT

    Well just shows how many people dont have lives.

  • monlosez

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 4:49 pm PT

    Warcraft IV and Diablo III. Can't wait for those. Starcraft II, I can pass.

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