Activision Blizzard Inc. said Wednesday that this week’s release of its first-person shooter videogame “Destiny” was the biggest franchise videogame launch yet, signaling the company expects its big bet on the game to pay off.
Activision said it sold $500 million in units of the game to retail stores and first parties the first day it was released. The company said the towering amount of orders marked the biggest new video-game franchise launch in history.
“Destiny” is a sci-fi shooter from Bungie Inc., the makers of the popular “Halo” series. Activision has bet big on the game, committing this year to invest $500 million in the franchise during the next decade.
Activision also is banking on new titles to boost revenue in the holiday season. Activision intends to launch new games under its major “Skylanders” and “Call of Duty” franchises in October and November, respectively.
This week, Bungie said that “Destiny” was the most preordered new videogame intellectual property on record. Dow Jones Newswires
