Activision/Blizzard's strongest platform is PC

"PC has now become Activision/Blizzard's most profitable platform, with PC earning almost as much as all consoles combined in terms of net revenue. In Q1 2017, console revenues fall by $150 million over the same period of 2016, with PC revenues rising by $166 million, giving consoles a total revenue of $615 million and PC a total revenue of $566 million.Here it must be remembered that Activision/Blizzard's console revenue comes from Xbox One, PS4 and other modern and legacy console platforms, with the recent drop in console revenues being attributed to the failures of console releases like Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. PC, on the other hand, has seen huge sales growth, with sales being attributed to popular PC releases like Hearthstone and Overwatch, with overwatch becoming Blizzard's 8th $1 billion franchise.

Total PC revenue is a mere 9% lower than console revenue this quarter, easily making PC the most successful PC platform in Q1 2017. The question now is whether or not this trend will continue as we move through 2017, as future releases from Activision could turn the tide in favour of consoles."

https://www.overclock3d.net/news/misc_hardware/pc_is_now_activision_blizzard_s_most_profitable_platform/1

I'm sure this is not a big surprise for many, considering World of Warcraft and other PC centric titles, but still a good thing for the PC platform. But, PC is always dying, right? ;)

it's no surprise when Blizzard is in play when like half of their games arent available on console, obviously on PC they get a bigger cut per game sold too due to no platform royalty, cod drives the console sales on the other side, while being practically dead on PC

Not surprising, Blizzard has perfectly harnessed the craft of micromanagement extortion bullshit extended content, combined with an MMO that still has the gall to charge monthly even though they've butchered all the servers into a hundred tiny packets each and all the game services and buyable content still cost a small fortune.

Makes sense. Blizzard makes great games and their games sell a lot on PC.

It's been a while since I had much interest in playing a Activision or Blizzard game.

The last Blizzard game I played was Diablo III and that has to be one of my biggest disappointments ever. Stopped buying Blizzard games after that.

The last Activision game that really interested me was Transformers: Devastation, but I still have to play that to be honest :P

Those darn console owners not paying that WoW sub

Anyone forgetting the elephant in the room?

Activision’s ‘Overwatch’ Video Game Fuels Strong Sales

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Activision Blizzard raised its full-year adjusted profit and revenue forecasts, and reported quarterly revenue above estimates, as the videogame publisher benefited from the popularity of its "Overwatch" game.

The company on Thursday nudged up its full-year adjusted profit to $1.88 per share from $1.85 and its adjusted revenue forecast to $6.33 billion from $6.30 billion.

Activision's total adjusted revenue rose 31.7% to $1.20 billion in the first quarter ended March 31, from $908 million a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected revenue of $1.09 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"Among the drivers of our results was 'Overwatch', which now has over 30 million players globally," CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement.

Activision, best known for its "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft" games, released the multi-player futuristic game "Overwatch" on May 24 last year to rave reviews.

Revenue from the company's high-margin digital business rose 50%.

Activision Blizzard (ATVI, +1.68%), like rivals Electronic Arts (EA, +1.03%) and Take Two Interactive (TTWO, +2.76%), has in recent years benefited from a shift among players to download games rather than buy physical discs.

Bu... Bu.. China is the only place where PC is popular, it's almost dead in every other country! Isn't it?

I was going to "inb4 console fans slagging Blizzard games" but I'm way too late for that.

Well,

Starcraft isn't on consoles

Warcraft isn't on consoles

Hearthstone isn't on consoles

Heroes of the Storm isn't on consoles

So...duh

Dat Overwatch money.

Curious to see if Destiny 2 picks up any kind of significant PC following.

That's what happens when most of your games are only on PC.

You mean games like Call of Duty, Destiny and Skylanders?

Blizzard on one platform owning Activision on multiple platforms. And still, it seems, the Activision side of the company is intent on learning nothing from the Blizzard side of the company.

Yeah their just paying for something that should be free.

@hiphops_savior: Has more people playing on PC. Also gets new Characters first and patches first.

No surprise really.

That subscription fee is just too good to not chase, even Nintendo wants a piece. Oddly enough though a wow sub is more expensive than XBL but at least you can pay it in gold now

Activision/Blizzard is definitely one of the most influential (if not "the" most) businesses in PC gaming, whether or not you actually like anything they produce. They've set many trends that other companies want to follow and have a pretty big hand in video games being considered "main stream" due to the fact they've revealed just how ridiculously lucrative the medium can be.

Not necessarily. Diablo 3 for example was a disaster in every possible way though it sold 13million copies in few months or something. Sales dont mean necessarily great.

PC gaming is dead tho.

You can't kill what's already dead tho.

No surprise really given Blizzard's games are mainly PC. I'm not really interested in PC gaming myself but Blizzard's games are the one thing I miss.

This. Not much more to say.

"Should be free"

Why? Server maintenance costs, staff costs, development costs (for new content) haven't gone away, why should the subscription?

@GarGx1: no, I mean all of it's big subscription based games on PC only, the ones that actually make money.

Call of Duty is one the most lucrative game I.P's in existence and it makes (by far) most of that money from consoles.

Destiny is a console exclusive that had made Activision hundreds of millions of dollars and cash shop that makes the original PC Diablo 3 auction house look like a cheap budget shop.

I wouldn't want to even try guessing how much money they have made from the Skylanders I.P.

Don't try to pretend that Activision don't have very console centric/exclusive games that are insanely popular with mainstream gamers. Making almost as much money from one platform as all the other platforms they support, is nowhere near entirely down to WoW subs. If that were the case PC revenue would have been enormously more than consoles when WoW was at its' peak with 12+ million players.

A PC centric developer sells best on PC? No... /s

They're willing to eat the costs of maintaining a server to increase user base and make money off esports tournaments.

I suppose you're just forgetting that Call of Duty, Destiny, Diablo 3, Overwatch, and of course the other Activision games are also on the consoles. :P

Blizzard itself may have a PC focus for most games, but Activision also sells like mad on the consoles.

I mean.... im a bit shocked that this was not always the case.

OOOOHHHH "Activision/Blizzard". Okay, that makes sense now.

Duh with Blizzard but I'm actually surprised with Activision.

Still on Crusade against Blizzard? Vanilla Diablo 3 wasn't that good. Right now it is. Then you have Starcraft, Warcraft franchise and other cool stuff.

Still ? Youre the one saying Blizzard makes great games and i beg to differ with examples. What crusade ? If im on crusade by having different opinion and actually provide a fact about my opinion what should i say about you ? Blind fanboy that think all Blizzard games are great ?

Right now Diablo 3 is as bad as ever ( better than vanilla but still ) with Diablo 3 fanatics that playing it all day dissing it as hard as ever and actually many of them comparing it with the free to play Path of exile and crying out loud to Blizzard . You once more showing your fanboyism. Check videos and posts for once from Diablo gamers themselfs if you think im on a crusade and talking out of my ass.

Also HOTS says hi as well. A mediocre moba at best which lacks depth and felt short to be the next big thing as all of you were hyping it for before its release. LOL killer who ? Rings a bell now ? No ?

Anyways , be real. Blizzard make great games but not every single time. Live with it or keep ...... blizz ass all i care.

you mean NERF THIS

It technically can be.

You buy it with gold, 1+ million gold is easy to get on WoW these days.

Because Blizzard also charges exorbitantly for all of their in-game services, expansions, and the cosmetic item shop. The idea that people should be paying 15 dollars a month on top of that is nonsense.

I could almost see it if it was a brand spanking new game too, but WoW and a huge chunk of it's tech is over a decade old now with plenty of recycling animations and models from content to content. There's no reason at all why it should cost this much.

If you play even casual end-game, it's very very easy to play for free.

Sure beats paying for XBL/PSN though.

Having different opinion is one thing but looking for an excuse for bashing is another. Anyways,,, just curious, what are your thoughts on Starcraft 2 and Overwatch.

Excuse to bash ? !! I dont need excuses , i got facts to do so. Because what you just said works both ways. Having different opinion is one thing but praising every single game Blizzard game as great is another. You see ?

As for Starcraft 2 and Overwatch , are great games. You see ? Im not a crusader , im being honest thats all.

Also for the record , i own Diablo , Diablo 2 x3 , Diablo 3 , WoW and all expansions except the last one , Starcraft . Warcraft 3 + expansion.