Activision reports $3.4 billion in cash and investments, no debt

by Jessica Conditt on Nov 7th 2012 5:30PM

Activision Blizzard reports $841 million in net revenue for the third quarter of 2012, which is $100 million higher than its outlook of $740 million, and surpasses 2011's Q3 net revenue of $754. For the third year straight, Activision generated more than $1 billion of operating cash flow in the trailing 12-month period ending this quarter, on September 30.

Activision is in the black, with $3.4 billion available in cash and investments, and no debt to speak of, Activision Chief Financial Officer Dennis Durkin reports during a financial call.

"On September 30, we had no debt and $3.4 billion in cash and investments," Durkin says.

Activision cites World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Diablo 3 and Skylanders Spyro's Adventure as its main revenue drivers: Mists of Pandaria sold through 2.7 million copies in its first week, Diablo 3 has sold 10 million copies and Skylanders was the No. 1 action-figure line in the US for the first nine months of 2012, and topped game-sales charts.

With all that considered, plus the imminent launch of Black Ops 2, Activision raises its calendar-year outlook from $4.3 billion to $4.6 billion.

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NPD monthly reports integrate Walmart data starting next month

by Ben Gilbert on May 24th 2012 8:45AM

Every month, the NPD Group releases a report on the previous month's US sales in the game industry, both consoles and software. While that monthly report is already "projected to 100% of the market," according to NPD Group's David Riley, next month, it'll get bolstered by the nation's largest retailer: Walmart. Despite being revealed this past February, the past several months of NPD reports haven't included Walmart's numbers.

"Our enhanced retail coverage, including the addition of several new retailers, begins with May data released on Thursday, June 14," Riley told me in an email yesterday. While he couldn't supply a list of all of the retailers involved, he told me, "Yes, it does include Walmart."

With any luck, the addition of Walmart to NPD's stable of retailers reporting – which already includes America's largest game retailer, GameStop – will help to thwart claims of NPD being a "very poor indicator of the industry's performance." Then again, between the lack of digital sales accounted for in NPD's monthly report and the urge of publishers to spin poor sales numbers, those complaints likely won't stop anytime soon.

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Nintendo reports $461.2 million in losses for fiscal 2011

by JC Fletcher on Apr 26th 2012 10:30AM

Nintendo's announcement of losses for the fiscal year ending March 31 remains shocking, even though we had advance warning in the form of company forecasts. The actual results, with net sales of ¥647 billion ($8 billion!) were ¥12.3 billion lower than forecasted. The full-year loss was 37.3 billion yen ($461.2 million).

Nintendo said its effort to boost 3DS sales was successful, and that software sales were slower than expected in the US and Europe over the holidays. In addition, the reduced selling price of both the Wii and the 3DS, and, of course, the strong yen, contributed to the losses. The 3DS was actually dropped below cost in the 2011 price cut, the financial report reveals.

By the middle of the next fiscal year (the one that started April 1), Nintendo expects to stop selling 3DS below cost – we assume not by raising prices, but by reducing production costs. In addition, it expects to improve its fortunes with New Super Mario Bros. 2, the 3DS Animal Crossing, the new Brain Age game, and an Asian launch of the 3DS. Oh, and, of course, the Wii U.

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Super Hero Games for the Nintendo <b>Wii</b> | REPORTS NEWS

Super heroes h??? b??n nearly f?r a very long time ?n th? form ?f comic books ?nd action facts. Th?? h??? establish th??r way t? th? h?g? screen ?nd even t? th? planet ?f video games. Th?? ?r? timeless ?nd th?? never seem t? g? out ?f stylishness. It seems ?n th?? planet ?f ????ll?nt ?nd evil th?r? ?? always room f?r one more super hero t? come along ?nd save th? day.

If ??? l?k? super heroes ??? w?ll b? very excited t? learn th?t th?r? ?r? plenty ?f Nintendo Wii games th?t fit ?nt? th?? category. Th? h??? wonderful effects ?? ??? ??n feel l?k? ??? ?r? a ??rt ?f th? game. Y?? ??n bring th? characters t? life instead ?f ???t moving th?m nearly. Y?? w?ll l?k?l? g?t lost ?n th? action th?t ?? going ?n.

One ?f th? newest ones out th?r? ?? Spiderman 3. Set ?n th? city ?f N?w York, Spiderman ?? out th?r? trying t? save th? day anyway h? ??n. Wh?t ?? very original ?b??t th?? version ?f th? game ?? th?t ??? ??n g? w?th th? regular suit ?r th? black one th?t Spiderman wears ?n th? movie. Wh?n Spiderman ?? wearing th? black suit h? ?? stronger ?nd nearer. Y?t w? ?ll know th?r? ?r? ways ?n wh??h th?t suit consumes h?m ?? ??? better b? ready f?r th?m ?n th? game.

Th?r? ?r? perfect storylines fr?m th? movie th?t ??? ??n play through ?f ??? wish t? d? ??. If n?t, ??? w?ll h??? th? selection t? m?k? ???r ?wn scenes along th? way. W?th th?? particular super hero game f?r th? Wii ??? aren’t ???t trying t? save others; ??? ?r? trying t? save Spiderman fr?m himself ?? well. W?ll ???r desire f?r power b? t?? much ?nd lead t? ???r ?wn destruction? W?ll n?t using th? black suit though mean ??? aren’t powerful enough ?t times t? defeat th? enemies? Th?r? ?r? plenty ?f ???l effects ?nd plenty ?f f?nt??t?? features establish ?n th?? game th?t ??? w?ll b? quite impressed w?th.

If destruction ?? more ???r stylishness th? In?r?d?bl? Hulk game m?? b? wh?t ??? ?r? interested ?n. H? ?? h?g? ?nd green ?nd ??n g?t very m?d wh?n things don’t g? h?? way. Even though th? Hulk ?? attempting t? b? helpful h? leaves a mess ???r? wh?r? h? goes. Y?? m?? b? having a f?nt??t?? time destroying everything ?n ???r path b?t ??? need t? b? careful. Th? more ??? ?nd th? more forces w?ll b? coming t? take ??? out. Th?t ???ld mean ???r game ends before ??? h??? gotten t? explore very much out th?r?.

Th? game d???r?b?? th? In?r?d?bl? Hulk ?? more ?f a human th?n a cartoon version. In fact ?f ??? h??? see th? newly released movie th?n ??? w?ll know th?t th?r? ?? a connection between th? two. It ?? n? industrial accident th?t th?? newly released Wii game came out nearly th? same time ?? th? movie hit theatres. M??t people ?h???? th?t th?? l?k? th?? humanist form ?f th? Hulk much better.

Th?r? ?? ?l?? Harvey Birdman: Attorney ?t Law. W?th th?? particular super hero game Harvey h?? t? solve ??m? tough cases. Ar? ??? up t? th? task ?f helping h?m d? ??? Th?r? ?r? ??m? th?t ?r? relatively simple t? solve ?nd others th?t ?r? going t? take a f?nt??t?? deal ?f concentration ?n ???r ??rt. Y?? ??n h??? a f?nt??t?? time w?th th?? Wii game ?? well ?? enjoying sharpening ???r thinking skills.

Th? legacy ?f super heroes lives ?n w?th th? many Nintendo Wii games. If ??? h??? a couple ?f favorites ??? ??n ?h???? those games t? play. It ??n b? fun t? b? a ??rt ?f those games instead ?f ???t reading ?b??t th?t super hero ?r watching th?m ?n TV. Nintendo h?? done a terrific job ?f bringing th??? images t? life f?r people t? really g?t ?nt? th? game.

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