Activision: Destiny expected to become the "best-selling new video game IP in history"

During a post-earnings financial call yesterday, Activision Blizzard executives Bobby Kotick (CEO) and Eric Hirshberg (CEO of Activision Publishing) made the claim that Bungie's new shared-world shooter Destiny is on track to become the "best-selling new video game IP in history."

It's a bold claim, for sure, but what exactly does that mean? It all depends on what Activision considers to be a "new IP." The Super Mario Bros. franchise is an IP, or intellectual property, as is Call of Duty or Halo. Basically, if the game in question is the first in a series, expect to hear executives describe it as a "new IP."

If you think about "new IP" on a contemporary basis, Destiny is going up against the likes of Titanfall, The Order: 1886, Sunset Overdrive, and Evolve, among others. But if you define the parameters of "new IP" as simply the first installment of a new series throughout gaming history, you'd have to consider massively popular franchises like Super Mario and Final Fantasy, both of which have sold in excess of 100 million units to date.

Whatever the case, the distinction of "best-selling new video game IP in history" is a murky one. We've reached out to an Activision representative for comment.

Kotick and Hirshberg also said during the call that they anticipate Destiny could become Activision Publishing's third billion-dollar franchise, joining Call of Duty and Skylanders. The publisher has made a 10-year investment in Bungie and Destiny, so clearly they have high hopes for the franchise. But we won't know for sure how much life is in the series until launch on September 9.