Activision overtakes EA as the number one third-party games publisher in the U.S.
After the first half year of U.S. game sales were in, it turns out that Activision has become the first games publisher in over a decade to top Electronic Arts (EA) as the leading third-party multiplatform games publisher. Activision raked in a huge $397.8 million in videogame sales between January and June 2007, that’s $32.1 million more than EA.
But the fight over your money isn’t over, because EA is expected to come out on top in the more crucial second half of the year…
The LA Times reports that Activision executives said the company’s achievement gave validation to its strategy: grow market share by aggressively acquiring development studios, winning licenses to make games based on movies such as Transformers, and cultivating homegrown franchises including Call of Duty and Tony Hawk. Whereas we’re seeing EA taking a different route to more original franchises like Skate and Spore.
“We’ve never been better positioned as a company to take advantage of the growth in the video game industry,” said Bobby Kotick, Activision’s longtime chief executive. “For 17 years, I’ve focused on becoming the No. 1 video game company, and we’re getting a lot closer to achieving that objective.”
Of course, it helped that EA was undergoing a lull, with many of its blockbuster titles — such as Medal of Honor: Airborne, Rock Band and Madden NFL 08 — not due out until later this year.
Moreover, Activision’s sales were pumped up by the Guitar Hero franchise, which lets players simulate performing in rock concerts. Chief Financial Officer Thomas Tippl said the runaway hit would be “the fastest Activision brand in the company’s history to hit $1 billion in sales.”
26 July 2007 07:19Reeteshinator
that Is really something shockinG!
