Activision Blizzard has posted 'better-than-expected' financial results for the first quarter of 2013, ended March 31, 2013.
Zoom
Net revenues from digital channels represented 28 per cent of the company's total revenues, while World of Warcraft saw the loss of 1.3 million subscribers.
Launched on March 12, the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm expansion sold through approximately 1.1 million copies worldwide in its first two days on sale and, according to Activision, was the number-one PC game for the quarter.
"Our first-quarter performance was driven by continued consumer interest in all of our key franchises," said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.
"Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm was the #1 PC game for the quarter. Additionally, during the quarter, Blizzard's World of Warcraft remained the #1 subscription-based MMORPG in the world with more than eight million subscribers, although the game saw declines of approximately 1.3 million subscribers, mainly from the East, but in the West as well."
He went on, "While we have had a solid start to the year, we now believe that the risks and uncertainties in the back half of 2013 are more challenging than our earlier view, especially in the holiday quarter.
"The shift in release dates of competing products, the disappointing launch of the Wii U, uncertainties regarding next-generation hardware, and subscriber declines in our World of Warcraft business all raise concerns, as do continued challenges in the global economy. For these reasons, we remain cautious."
