Skylanders Spyro's Adventure™ Sweeps: Pioneering Franchise Is 2012's #1 Best-Selling Console And Handheld Game Worldwide

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), is pleased to announce that Skylanders Spyro's Adventure™, which launched to great acclaim and record-setting sales in October 2011, was the #1 best-selling console and handheld video game title between January and April 30, 2012 worldwide based on revenue inclusive of toys and accessories, according to The NPD Group, GfK, Charttrack and Activision internal estimates.

"This achievement is incredibly gratifying, and quite an honor for everyone at Activision and our team at Toys for Bob," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "It was a simple idea really—bridging the gap between real and virtual play—but one that required tremendous creativity to execute and communicate to our audience. It spawned a new category and a new platform for play in an overwhelmingly challenging marketplace. We couldn't be happier that there is an ever-growing universe of Portal Masters out there."

Skylanders Spyro's Adventure combines unique and collectible "toys with brains" with an epic digital fantasy world, creating an unprecedented medium for cross-platform, communal play. Physical toys spring to virtual life by placing them on them the Portal of Power peripheral included with every starter pack. This novel concept was universally acclaimed after its launch, becoming the #1 best-selling kid's video game title worldwide in 2011 based on revenue inclusive of toys and accessories and the best-performing new children's video game IP in North America in overall single-year revenue, inclusive of software and accessories since NPD began tracking the category in 1998. Since claiming the top overall sales spot for 2012, the game has eclipsed the usual constraints of genre and demographics—no longer a daring experiment, Skylanders is now an unqualified monster hit.

In addition to its perch atop the international sales charts, the Skylanders franchise has soared to mobile and the web. The console sequel, Skylanders Giants™, will enjoy its Electronic Entertainment Expo coming-out party this June 5-7th and is swiftly becoming one of this fall's most hotly anticipated titles. Giants will introduce more than 20 new figures and a raft of technological and gameplay innovations that create even more opportunities for collaborative and competitive play. The sequel to the best-selling video game title of 2012 launches this October.

Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is developed by Toys For Bob, an Activision studio located in Novato, California.  For more information, please visit www.skylanders.com.  Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is rated E10+ by the ESRB; Skylanders Giants is not yet rated.

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 maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, 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, including statements about the expected release date of SKYLANDERS GIANTS are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. 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 unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections 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.

SKYLANDERS SPYRO'S ADVENTURE and SKYLANDERS GIANTS are trademarks; and SPYRO, PORTAL OF POWER and ACTIVISION are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. 

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.