Activision has solid 2013, expects Destiny to be 'billion dollar franchise'

Activision Blizzard announced today that it hit revenues of $4.58 billion for 2013, down a bit from 2012's $4.86 billion. This comes despite the fact that, according to the company, Call of Duty: Ghosts was the number one selling title for the fourth quarter of 2013, and also the best-selling game on next-gen consoles. It also found success with its StarCraft and Skylanders franchises. Digital revenues for the company were $1.56 billion, making up 34 percent of its total revenues this year. Profits were $1.01 billion for the year, down from $1.15 billion a year prior. For 2014, the company is hanging its hopes on Bungie's upcoming shooter Destiny. In a statement, CEO Bobby Kotick said "We expect Bungie’s Destiny... to be Activision Publishing’s next billion dollar franchise." The market response to the results was positive, with Activision shares shooting up almost 10 percent, to $18.80 per share, as of posting time.