Strong "Call of Duty" Sales allow Activision to increase Financial Forecast
The well-known computer game has been selling much better than expected.

Activision Blizzard Inc (O: ATVI) raised its full year forecast for adjusted sales after beating quarterly estimates on Tuesday, encouraged by a pandemic spike in the gambling space and the next release in its blockbuster franchise, Call of Duty, later this year . The company raised its 2020 adjusted sales forecast from $ 6.9 billion to $ 7.63 billion, beating previous analysts' estimate of $ 7.22 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Video game sales in the United States have largely benefited as people played more games while staying at home and bought virtual in-game content across platforms, increasing sales in June by 26% to $ 1.2 billion, which, according to the research company NPD, is the highest June expenditure for over a decade. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" was the second best-selling game in June across all platforms, according to NPD. The average Twitch viewership for the game increased about 129% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. The range of the game was further increased with the introduction of "Warzone" in March, the free expansion of the game to include the battle royale. Activision says Warzone has reached over 75 million players since its inception to date. The company, which is behind popular franchises such as Diablo and World of Warcraft, reported total adjusted sales of $ 2.08 billion for the second quarter ended June 30th. Analysts had expected an average of 1.70 billion dollars in sales. Activision's quarterly net income rose to $ 580 million, or 75 cents per share, from $ 328 million, or 43 cents per share, a year ago. Rivals Electronic Arts Inc. (O: EA) and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (O: TTWO) also reported a quarter marked by their flagship franchises.





