Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said that he is confident that the company's online strategy will help it to weather the storm as sales models shift from disc-based to digital. He also added that 70 percent of the company's operating profit comes from "non-console based video games."
For a better understanding of what that means, a quote:
"Today, probably 70 percent of our operating profit comes from non-console-based video games. So, while you might see a month-to-month change or volatility against expectations, that doesn't really get us too concerned." Operating income for Activision's January-March 2010 quarter alone was $511 million.
While one might want to tie that number to DLC sales from games like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, but a spokesperson for the company told Gamasutra that Kotick's statement doesn't include console based content of any kind. Maryanne Lataif, VP of corporate communications for Activision Blizzard, told Gamasutra in a phone call that "non-console-based video games" means just that.
So, as you have probably already guess 70 percent of Activision's operating profits comes from World of Warcraft.
There are other "non-console-based" Activision games that might be counted in this category like iPhone titles and PC games, but those pale in comparison to the juggernaut that is World of Warcraft. Lataif added that merely five years ago DLC and subscription-based services weren’t as popular as they are today, and that monthly volatility at retail is now less impactful than in the past."
Kotick is keen to bring some of the company's biggest franchises online and repeat the wild success of World of WarCraft. If he has his way we may eventually see the company's second biggest franchise, Call of Duty, coming to a computer near you - for a monthly fee. But in the interim the company is preparing for Blizzard's next big game, StarCraft II, complete with a revamped Battle.net. That will surely add to the company's "non-console game" profit.
Source: Gamasutra
Comments
Re: Activision: 70 Percent of Income Comes From Non-Console ...
Well jeez, maybe they had beter stop proclaiming the death of PC gaming and embrace pc gamers instead of treating them all like criminals with overbearing DRM schemes that do nothing but punish their prescious 70%.
But I'm not bitter, no sir!