Blizzard 2009 Annual Report Download - page 15
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economy,retailersfocusedonreducinginventories.Themarketweaknesswasmostnotableinthecasual
gameandmusicgenres,ascomparedtocoregamerperformingtitles,withcasualconsumersscalingback
theirpurchases,includingmakingfewerpurchasesofhigherpricedpointperipheralbasedgamesinthe
musicgenre.
For2009,ActivisionBlizzard’sconsolidatednetrevenueswere$4,279million,andconsolidated
netincomewas$113million,whichincludeda$409millionchargefromtheimpairmentoffinitelived
intangibleassetsreflectingtheimpactoftheweakermarketforthecasualandmusicgenres.TheCompany
generated$1,183millioninnetcashfromoperatingactivities.
Notwithstanding,thischallengingmacroeconomicenvironment,ActivisionBlizzardgrewitsshare
by1.8pointsoverthepreviousyearacrossallplatformsto16%inthecombinedU.S.andEuropean
market,accordingtoTheNPDGroup,Charttrack,andGfk.
Followingtheyearend,theCompanyannouncedanewstockrepurchaseprogramunderwhichthe
Companycanrepurchaseupto$1billionoftheCompany’scommonstock.TheBoardofDirectorsalso
declaredacashdividendof$0.15percommonsharepayableonApril2,2010toshareholdersofrecordat
thecloseofbusinessonFebruary22,2010.
AdditionalBusinessHighlights
AccordingtoTheNPDGroupwithrespecttotheU.S.market,CharttrackandGfk,forthe
Europeanmarket,duringtheyearendedDecember31,2009:
•CallofDuty:ModernWarfare2wasthe#1bestsellingconsoletitleintheU.S.andEurope;
•DJHerowasthehighestgrossingnewintellectualpropertylaunchedin2009intheU.S.and
Europe;
• CallofDutyandGuitarHeroweretwoofthetopfivebestsellingfranchisesacrossall
platformsintheU.S.andEurope;
• Wearethe#1U.S.publisheroverallforthePS3andXbox360,andthe#1thirdparty
publisherfortheWii;and
•CallofDuty:ModernWarfare2andWorldofWarcraft:WrathoftheLichKingweretwoof
thetopfivebestsellingPCtitlesindollarsintheU.S.andEurope.
Todate,CallofDuty:ModernWarfare2hassoldmorethan$1billioninretailsalesworldwide,
accordingtoTheNPDGroup,Charttrack,andGfk.Further,atDecember31,2009,therewere
approximately11.5milliongamersworldwidesubscribedtoplayWorldofWarcraft.
ProductReleases
GamesreleasedduringtheyearendedDecember31,2009included:
•Monstersvs.Aliens;
• GuitarHero5;
•GuitarHero:Metallica;
• MarvelUltimateAlliance2;
•XMenOrigins:Wolverine;
• BakuganBattleBrawlers;
•GuitarHero:ModernHits;
• DJHero;
•PROTOTYPE;
• BandHero;
•GuitarHero:SmashHits;
• CallofDuty:ModernWarfare2;
•Transformers:RevengeoftheFallen;
• TonyHawk:Ride;
•IceAge:DawnoftheDinosaurs;
• GuitarHero:VanHalen;and
•Wolfenstein;
• ThreemappacksforCallofDuty:Worldat
War.