Activision Survey Reveals 82% of 'Gamer' Parents and 75% of Children are Familiar With the ESRB Video Game Ratings System

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a national survey released today by The Harrison Group and Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), 82% of parents and 75% of children who play games are familiar with ESRB ratings system.

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Additionally, 63% of parents with children who play games consider themselves gamers with the number increasing to 83% for parents ages 35 and younger, and 70% of parents pay close attention to the ratings when purchasing a game for themselves or their families.

The survey was conducted by The Harrison Group as part of Activision's "Ratings Are Not a Game®" educational initiative and focused on the awareness and influence of the ESRB rating system on both children and their parents.

Other key survey findings include:

• Gamers devote 32% of their leisure time to entertainment with video games accounting for the largest share – approximately 19%.
• 76% of parents agree that video games are a part of their family's life, and are something they're very comfortable with.
• Among parent gamers, 52% of their video gaming playing time is spent with their children.
• Approximately 62% of parents conduct research before purchasing a video game that their child wants.

"Parents rely on and value the ESRB ratings in helping them decide which games to allow their children to play," said Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. "Our 'Ratings Are Not A Game' education initiative underscores our commitment to helping parents better understand and utilize the ratings system as they select age appropriate games and determine the best way for the entire family to enjoy the gaming experience."

Activision's "Ratings Are Not A Game" educational initiative focuses on educating consumers about the ESRB's rating system and helping parents make informed decisions about the video games their families play. The company recently partnered with Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-director for the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital, to produce a series of videos that help parents optimize children's experiences with video games. These videos, as well as additional resources for parents are available at www.activision.com/RatingsAreNotAGame.

Methodology

For the Activision ESRB ratings survey, 1,201 online interviews were conducted among a nationally-representative group of video game players ages 6 to 44 and their parents. The research was conducted by the Harrison Group, a strategic marketing consulting and research services firm (www.harrisongroupinc.com).

About Harrison Group

Harrison Group (www.harrisongroupinc.com) is one of the country's leading marketing and strategic research consulting firms. Based in Waterbury, Connecticut, Harrison Group specializes in concept testing, forecasting, segmentation, branding, product feature/price optimization and market modeling for some of America's leading companies, including interactive entertainment companies, financial services firms, software and technology companies, retailers, and consumer package goods companies.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

SOURCE Activision, Inc.