Activision

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is a publisher of online and console games, with locations in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.Official Site: Our Company The merger of Activision and Blizzard Entertainment created Activision Blizzard, Inc. on July 10, 2008.Official Site: Activision Blizzard, Inc.


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"Still, whatever Activision does tomorrow, and however irrelevant it might be today, its legacy was etched in alabaster over two and a half decades ago. Activision will always be the first third-party company, it will always have started the movement for individual recognition, it will always have been on the forefront of the argument for games as human expression. That it never got to complete its mission, and that it's taken twenty years for us to find our way back, is beside the point. In the end, its founding principles will outlive even the company itself."—Edge, 2006Edge: A Short History Of Activision (August 24, 2006)

1979 - Activision is founded.
1980 - Designs and sells its first Atari 2600 game series: Pitfall.
1988 - Activision becomes Mediagenic.
1991 - Robert Kotick and Brian Kelly acquire Mediagenic.
1992 - Company is restructured, reincorporated, and again named Activision.
1997 - Revenues hit $189.2 million, 119 percent over previous year's $86.6 million.
Activision acquirs NBG Distribution, CentreSoft Ltd. and Raven Software.
1998 - Revenues snowball to $312.1 million.
Activision invests in Pandemic Studios realization.
Activision also makes deals with Head Game Publishing, Marvel Entertainment, Disney Interactive, CD Contact Data and LucasArts Entertainment.
1999 - Revenues top $436.5 million; income increases by 193 percent to $15.3 million.
Activision acquirs Neversoft and Expert Software.
2000 - Activision invests in Gray Matter Interactive(for Software's Wolfenstein 3D). 2001 - Activision acquirs rights to Columbia Pictures film Spider-Man. Activision also acquirs Treyarch.
2002 - Activision invests in Infinity Ward, the studio that will develop Medal of Honor:Allied Assault.
Activision also acquirs Luxoflux Corporation and Z-Axis Ltd. .
2003 - Activision and DreamWorks SKG makes a multi-year&multi-property publishing agreement. Activision makes a partnership with Valve and acquirs Infinity Ward and Shaba Games LLC.
Activision is investigated by the U.S.Securities and Exchange Commission for its accounting practices.
2004 - The company marks its 25th anniversary celebrating record earnings and the 12th consecutive year of revenue growth.
2005 - Activision acquirs Vicarious Visions, Beenox and Toys For Bob.
2007 - Activision acquirs the control of Bizarre Creations.
Activision acquirs Irish multiplayer technology company Demonware.
2008 - Activision Merges with Vivendi to become Activision Blizzard.
Activision acquirs UK studio FreeStyleGames.
2009 - Activision acquirs Seven Studios.

-Top Artists Allow Fans to Fill Their Stockings With Downloadable Songs for Guitar Hero(R) and Band Hero(TM) This Holiday http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=426876

• -Call of Duty(R) Franchise Surpasses $3 Billion in Retail Sales Worldwide. http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=426784
• -Call of Duty(R): Modern Warfare(R) 2 Sets All-Time Entertainment Industry Record Grossing an Estimated $550 Million Worldwide in First Five Days http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=425018
• -Activision Publishing Hires Industry Veterans Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey to Lead Sledgehammer Games http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=424906
• -Tony Hawk(TM): RIDE(R) Rolls Onto North American Retail Shelves http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=424672
• -Call of Duty(R): World at War: ZOMBIES Available Now From The App Store http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=424494