Activision Blizzard Inc
Activision Blizzard is a worldwide publisher of online, personal computer ("PC"),
console, handheld, and mobile interactive entertainment products. Through Activision
Publishing, Inc. ("Activision"), we are a leading international publisher
of interactive software products and content, with a focus on developing and publishing
video games on various consoles, handheld platforms and the PC platform through
internally developed franchises and license agreements. Activision currently offers
games that operate on the Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ("Sony")
PlayStation , Nintendo Co. Ltd. , and Microsoft Corporation ("Microsoft")
Xbox console systems; the Nintendo Dual Screen ("DS") handheld game
systems; the PC; Apple iOS devices and other handheld and mobile devices. Through
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. ("Blizzard"), we are the leading publisher
of online subscription-based games in the massively multiplayer online role-playing
game ("MMORPG") category. Blizzard also internally develops and publishes
PC-based computer games and maintains its proprietary online-game related service,
Battle.net.
Our Activision business involves the development, marketing, and sale of products
through retail channels or digital downloads, by license or from our affiliate
label program with certain third-party publishers. Activision is focusing its
efforts in the areas we believe have the most opportunity for growth and higher
profitability, and we have reduced investments in areas we believe have less
profit potential and limited growth opportunities. To that end, investments
are being focused on proven intellectual properties to develop deep, high-quality
content that offers engaging online multiplayer gaming experiences.
Blizzard is the development studio and publisher best known as the creator
of World of Warcraft®, as well as the multiple award winning Diablo®
and StarCraft® franchises. Blizzard distributes its products and generates
revenues worldwide through various means, including: subscriptions (which consist
of fees from individuals playing World of Warcraft, including sales of prepaid-cards
and other value-added service revenues such as realm transfers, faction changes,
and other character customizations within World of Warcraft gameplay); retail
sales of physical "boxed" products; online download sales of PC products;
and licensing of software to third-party or related party companies that distribute
World of Warcraft and StarCraft II® products.
Competition
We compete for the leisure time and discretionary spending of consumers with
other video game companies, as well as with other providers of different forms
of entertainment, such as motion pictures, television, social networking, online
casual entertainment and music.