Item 1A.    RISK FACTORS

A continuing deterioration of general economic conditions could result in a reduction in discretionary spending by consumers that could reduce demand for our products.

        Most of our products involve discretionary spending on the part of consumers. Consumers are generally more willing to make discretionary purchases, including purchases of products like ours, during periods in which favorable economic conditions prevail. As a result, our products may be sensitive to general economic conditions and economic cycles. A continuation or worsening of current, adverse worldwide economic conditions, including declining consumer confidence, inflation, recession, rising unemployment and volatile gasoline prices, may lead consumers to delay or reduce purchases of our products. Reduced consumer spending may also require us to incur increased selling and promotional expenses. A reduction or shift in domestic or international consumer spending could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business may be harmed if our distributors, retailers or other parties with which we do business cannot honor their existing credit arrangements, default on their obligations to us, or seek protection under the bankruptcy laws.

        We rely on various business partners for several important aspects of our business, including distribution of our products, product development, and intellectual property licensing. Some of these business partners are highly-leveraged or small businesses that may be particularly vulnerable to difficult economic conditions. As a result of the current economic downturn, we are subject to increased counterparty risks, including the risks that our business partners may default on their obligations to us or seek protection under the bankruptcy laws.

        For example, retailers and distributors in the interactive entertainment industry have from time to time experienced significant fluctuations in their businesses and a number of them have failed. We typically make sales to most such retailers and some such distributors on unsecured credit, with terms that vary depending upon the customer's credit history, solvency, credit limits, and sales history, as well as whether such customer can obtain sufficient credit insurance. Challenging economic conditions may impair the ability of such customers to pay for products they have purchased, and as a result, our reserves for doubtful accounts and write-off of accounts receivable could increase and, even if increased, may turn out to be insufficient. Moreover, even in cases where we have insolvency risk insurance to protect against a customer's bankruptcy, insolvency, or liquidation, this insurance typically contains a significant deductible and co-payment obligation, and does not cover all instances of non-payment. As a result, a payment default by or the insolvency or business failure of a significant customer could significantly harm our business and financial results.

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        The insolvency or business failure of other types of business partners could result in disruptions to the manufacturing or distribution of our products or the cancellation of contractual arrangements that we consider to be favorable.

Current general economic conditions may adversely affect other aspects of our business.

        We are unable to predict the likely duration and severity of the current disruption in financial markets and adverse economic conditions in the U.S. and other countries, and all of the effects the disruptions and current macroeconomic conditions may have on our business. Among other things, because we generally maintain large cash reserves, we are subject to the risk that inflation may cause the real value of our cash and cash equivalents to decline. Furthermore, uncertainties concerning the likely length and severity of the economic downturn cause our forecasts to be subject to even greater risks and uncertainties.

Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may have a negative impact on our results of operations.

        We transact business in various currencies other than the U.S. dollar and have significant international sales and expenses denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, subjecting us to currency exchange rate risks. A substantial portion of our international sales and expenses are made in local currencies, including certain major currencies, such as the euro and U.K. pound, and emerging market currencies, such as the Korean won and Chinese renminbi, which could fluctuate against the U.S. dollar. We have, in the past, utilized currency derivative contracts to hedge certain foreign exchange exposures, principally anticipated transactions and firm commitments, with hedge tenors of generally less than 12 months. We may also, from time to time, hedge non-U.S. dollar earnings. Our principal counterparty in respect of currency derivative contracts is Vivendi, though we periodically evaluate and may use similar arrangements with other counterparties. There can be no assurance that we will continue these programs, or that we will be successful in managing exposure to currency exchange rate risks. We currently expect that a stronger U.S. dollar in 2009 than in 2008 will adversely affect our results of operations in 2009 compared to 2008.

Although we expect that the Business Combination will result in benefits to Activision Blizzard, we may not realize those benefits because of integration difficulties and other challenges.

        The success of the combination of Activision and Vivendi Games will be dependent in large part on the success of our management in integrating the operations, technologies and personnel of the two companies. Though we have largely achieved the integration in North America, other regions are still underway.

        Our failure to meet the challenges involved in successfully completing the integration of the operations of Activision and Vivendi Games in those other regions or to otherwise realize any of the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, including additional revenue opportunities, could impair our results of operations.

        Challenges involved in this integration include, without limitation:

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integrating successfully each company's operations, technologies, products and services;



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reducing the costs associated with operations;



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coordinating the publishing, distribution and marketing efforts to effectively promote the products of Activision Blizzard as a combined company;



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preserving development, distribution, licensing or other important relationships of each company and resolving potential conflicts that may arise; and



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combining the corporate cultures, maintaining employee morale and retaining key employees.

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        We may not successfully complete the integration of the operations of Activision and Vivendi Games in a timely manner and we may not realize the anticipated benefits or synergies of the Business Combination to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated. The anticipated benefits and synergies include cost savings associated with anticipated restructurings and other operational efficiencies, greater economies of scale and revenue enhancement opportunities. However, these anticipated benefits and synergies assume a successful integration and are based on projections, which are inherently uncertain, and other assumptions. Even if integration is successful, anticipated benefits and synergies may not be achieved.

Vivendi owns a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, and the interests of Vivendi and its subsidiaries may conflict with the interests of our other shareholders.

        Vivendi and its subsidiaries currently own approximately 55% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock.

        As a result of the Business Combination, Vivendi has the ability to nominate a majority of our board of directors and determine the outcome of certain matters submitted to our stockholders, such as the approval of significant transactions. As a result, actions that may be supported by a majority of other stockholders may be blocked by Vivendi. In addition, Vivendi's ownership may affect the liquidity in the market for our common stock.

        Furthermore, the ownership position and governance rights of Vivendi may discourage a third party from proposing a change of control or other strategic transaction concerning Activision Blizzard. As a result, our common stock may trade at prices that do not reflect a "control premium" to the same extent as do the stocks of similarly situated companies that do not have a stockholder with an ownership interest as large as Vivendi's ownership interest.

We are a "controlled company" within the meaning of NASDAQ rules and, as a result, are exempt from certain corporate governance requirements.

        For so long as Vivendi or any other entity or group owns more than 50% of the total voting power of our common shares, we will be a "controlled company" within the meaning of NASDAQ rules and, as a result, qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. As a controlled company, we are exempt from several NASDAQ standards, including the requirements:

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that a majority of our Board consists of independent directors;



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that our prospective directors be nominated solely by independent directors; and



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that the compensation of our executive officers be determined solely by independent directors.

        We currently rely on these exemptions and as a result, a majority of our Board is not independent (as defined by the NASDAQ rules). In addition, while we have a nominating and corporate governance committee and a compensation committee, these committees do not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the NASDAQ corporate governance requirements.

We depend on a relatively small number of franchises for a significant portion of our revenues and profits.

        A significant portion of our revenues has historically been derived from products based on a relatively small number of popular franchises and these products are responsible for a disproportionately large amount of our profits. We expect that a limited number of popular franchises will continue to produce a disproportionately large amount of our revenues and profits. Due to this dependence on a limited number of franchises, the failure to achieve anticipated results by one or more products based on these franchises may significantly harm our business and financial results.

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Sales of certain titles such as Guitar Hero are affected by hardware peripheral availability, which increases our exposure to imbalances between projected and actual demand.

        Some of our titles involve one or more separate hardware peripherals, such as the guitar controller in Guitar Hero. Typically, we sell such software both in bundles with the hardware peripheral and on a stand-alone basis. Consumers may not want to buy such game software if they cannot also buy the hardware peripheral. If we underestimate demand or otherwise are unable to produce sufficient quantities of the hardware peripheral of an acceptable quality or allocate too few peripherals to geographic markets and hardware platforms where demand exceeds supply, we will forego revenue. This may also create greater opportunities for competitors to develop or gain market share with competitive product offerings.

        In addition, if we overestimate demand and make too many peripherals, or allocate too many peripherals to geographic markets and hardware platforms where there is insufficient demand, we will incur unrecoverable manufacturing costs for unsold units as well as for unsold game software. In either case, hardware peripheral manufacturing and allocation decisions may negatively affect our financial performance.

The increasing importance and complexity of hardware peripherals in our business increases our exposure to hardware manufacturing and shipping risks, including availability of sufficient third-party manufacturing capacity, and increases in manufacturing and shipping costs.

        A limited number of manufacturers are authorized by Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft to make the hardware peripherals for Guitar Hero, and the majority of those manufacturers are located in China. Anything that impacts the ability of those manufacturers to produce or otherwise supply the hardware peripherals for us or increases their costs of production, including the revocation of the first party license to produce the hardware, the utilization of such manufacturer's capacity by one of our competitors, natural disasters that disrupt manufacturing, transportation or communications, labor shortages, civil unrest or issues generally negatively impacting international companies operating in China, increases in the price of petroleum or other raw materials, increases in fuel prices and other shipping costs, and increases in local labor costs in China, may adversely impact our ability to supply those peripherals to the market and the prices we must pay for those peripherals, and therefore our financial performance. Additionally, the increasing complexity and expense of these hardware peripherals increases the risk of production delays or product defects.

Our sales may decline substantially without warning and in a brief period of time because a substantial portion of our sales are made to a relatively small number of key customers and because we do not have long-term contracts for the sale of our products.

        In the U.S. and Canada, Activision has primarily sold its products on a direct basis to mass-market retailers, consumer electronics stores, discount warehouses, and game specialty stores. Activision products are sold internationally on a direct-to-retail basis, through third-party distribution and licensing arrangements and through our wholly-owned European distribution subsidiaries. Activision's sales are made primarily on a purchase order basis without long-term agreements or other forms of commitments. Activision's largest customers, Wal-Mart and GameStop, accounted for approximately 20% and 22%, respectively, of Activision's net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008. The loss of, or significant reduction in sales to, any of Activision's principal retail customers or distributors could significantly harm our business and financial results. The concentration of sales in a small number of large customers also could make us more vulnerable to collection risk if one or more of these large customers became unable to pay for our products or sought protection under the bankruptcy laws. In addition, having such a large portion of our total net revenue concentrated in a few customers reduces our negotiating leverage with these customers.

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We may not be able to maintain our distribution relationships with key vendors and customers.

        Our CD Contact, NBG, and Centresoft subsidiaries distribute interactive entertainment software and hardware products and provide related services in the Benelux countries, Germany, and the UK, respectively, and via export in other European countries for a variety of entertainment software publishers, many of which are our competitors, and hardware manufacturers. From time to time, they also maintain exclusive relationships to serve certain retail customers. These services are generally performed subject to limited-term arrangements. Although we expect to use reasonable efforts to retain these vendors and retail customer relationships, we may not be successful in this regard. The cancellation or non-renewal of one or more of these arrangements could adversely affect our business and financial results.

As online functionality has become an increasingly important feature of our software products, we may need to defer the recognition of an increasing amount of revenue, which may adversely affect the net revenue, net income and earnings per share that we will report under GAAP.

        As online functionality has become a more important component of gameplay, an increasing number of our online-enabled games contain a more-than-inconsequential separate service deliverable in addition to the product, and our performance obligations for these games extend beyond the sale of the games. Vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value does not exist for the online services, as we do not plan to separately charge for this component of online-enabled games. As a result, we recognize revenues from the sale of certain online-enabled games for certain platforms ratably over an estimated service period. In addition, we defer the costs of sales of those titles. This has an adverse effect on the revenue, net income and earnings per share that we report under GAAP. If we are required to recognize a greater portion of the revenue of a sale after shipment, or if we are required to recognize revenue over a longer service period, there may be an adverse effect on our reported net revenue, net income and earnings per share under GAAP.

A substantial portion of our revenue and profitability will depend on the subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game category. If we do not maintain our leadership position in this category, our financial results could suffer.

        Activision Blizzard is the leading global developer, publisher and distributor in terms of subscriber base and revenues in the subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game ("MMORPG") category, due to the popularity of World of Warcraft and related expansion packs. Subscription revenues from this game comprise a significant portion of our consolidated revenues. To remain the leader in the MMORPG category, it is important that we continue to refresh World of Warcraft or develop new MMORPG products that are favorably received by our existing customer base and new customers. A number of software publishers have developed and commercialized or are currently developing online games for use by consumers over the Internet which pose a threat to the popularity of World of Warcraft , and we expect new competitors to continue to emerge in the MMORPG category. If consumer demand for World of Warcraft games declines and we have not introduced new MMORPG or other products that replace World of Warcraft 's potentially decreasing revenue, or added other sources of revenue, our financial condition could suffer. Additionally, if new technologies are developed that replace MMORPG games, if consumer preferences trend away from MMORPG games or if new business models emerge that offer online subscriptions for free or at a substantial discount to current MMORPG subscription fees, our revenue and profitability may decline.

The development of MMORPG products requires substantial up-front expenditures. We may not be able to recover development costs for our future MMORPG products.

        Consumer preferences for games are usually cyclical and difficult to predict, and even the most successful titles remain popular for only limited periods of time, unless refreshed with new content. In

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order to remain competitive in the MMORPG market, we must continuously develop new products and enhancements to existing products. Because of the significant complexity of MMORPG games, these products require a longer development time and are more expensive to create than traditional console game products. In addition, the long lead time involved in developing a MMORPG product and the significant allocation of financial resources that each product requires means it is critical that we accurately predict consumer demand for new MMORPG products. If future MMORPG products do not achieve expected market acceptance or generate sufficient sales and subscription revenues upon introduction, we may not be able to recover the development and marketing costs associated with new products, and our financial results could suffer.

A substantial portion of Activision Blizzard's revenues is derived from subscriptions paid by World of Warcraft subscribers. If these customers cancel their subscriptions, our results of operations may suffer.

        A substantial portion of our revenues is generated by subscription fees paid by consumers who play World of Warcraft . Typically, World of Warcraft subscribers purchase one to three month memberships that are cancelable, without penalty, at the end of the membership period. If World of Warcraft subscribers become dissatisfied, they may chose not to renew their memberships in order to engage in other forms of entertainment (including competing MMORPG offerings) and we may not be able to replace lost subscribers. Additionally, if general economic conditions deteriorate further, consumers may decrease their discretionary spending on entertainment items such as MMORPG games and users may choose not to renew their World of Warcraft subscriptions. A decrease in the overall subscription base of World of Warcraft could substantially harm our operating results.

We depend on servers to operate our MMORPG business. If we were to lose server capacity, for any reason, our business could suffer.

        Our business relies on the continuous operation of our data servers. Any broad based catastrophic server malfunction, a significant intrusion by hackers that circumvents our security measures, or a failure of our disaster recovery service would likely interrupt the operation of our MMORPG games and could result in the loss of subscription-based sales. An extended interruption of service could harm our reputation and operating results.

        We must project our future server needs and make advance purchases of servers to accommodate expected business demands. If we underestimate the amount of server capacity our business requires or if our business were to grow more quickly than expected, our customers may experience service problems, such as slow or interrupted gaming access. Insufficient server capacity may result in our experiencing decreased sales, a loss of our customer base, and adverse consequences to our reputation. Conversely, if we overestimate the amount of server capacity required by our business, we may incur additional operating costs that would adversely affect our operating margins.

We may not accurately predict the amount of Internet bandwidth necessary to sustain our online gaming businesses.

        Our online gaming businesses are dependent on the availability of sufficient Internet bandwidth. An increase in the price of bandwidth could have an adverse effect on operating margins since we may not be able to increase our prices or subscriber levels to compensate for such costs. Because of the importance of our MMORPG business to our revenues and results of operations, our ability to access adequate bandwidth to support our business is critical. To secure bandwidth access, we have entered into arrangements with several bandwidth providers and entered into long-term contracts with some of them to secure future bandwidth capacity. If the price of bandwidth were to decrease, our contractual commitments to pay higher prices could affect our ability to compete with other video game producers.

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        Conversely, because we purchase additional bandwidth based on anticipated growth, our bandwidth capacity is sometimes larger than necessary to sustain our existing needs. If our projected online business growth is delayed or does not occur, we will incur larger bandwidth expenses than necessary. If we underestimate the amount of bandwidth that our online business requires, and our purchased bandwidth capacity is insufficient to meet demand, our business and reputation may suffer.

Our results of operations or reputation may be harmed as a result of offensive consumer posted content.

        We are subject to risks associated with World of Warcraft 's collaborative online features, specifically our online chat feature. Consumers may post narrative comment, in real time, onto World of Warcraft 's gaming sites that is visible to other users. Despite our efforts to police and restrict inappropriate consumer content, from time to time objectionable and offensive consumer content may be posted to a World of Warcraft 's gaming site. We may be subject to lawsuits, governmental regulation or restrictions, and consumer backlash (including decreased sales and harmed reputation), as a result of consumers posting offensive content, any of which could harm our operating results.

A substantial portion of World of Warcraft's subscribers pays their subscription fees using credit cards. Credit card fraud could have a negative impact on our business and operating results.

        A substantial portion of the subscription revenue generated by World of Warcraft is paid by subscribers using credit cards. At times, there may be attempts to use fraudulently obtained credit card numbers to pay for World of Warcraft upgrades or subscriptions. Additionally, the credit card numbers of World of Warcraft 's subscribers are maintained in a proprietary database that may be compromised internally or externally by fraudulent maneuvers. As fraudulent schemes become more sophisticated, it may become more difficult and more costly for us to detect credit card fraud and protect subscriber information. An increase in credit card fraud could have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.

The future success of our business depends on our ability to release popular products.

        The life of any one console or hand-held game product is relatively short and generally involves a relatively high level of sales during the first few months after introduction followed by a rapid decline in sales. Because revenues associated with an initial product launch generally constitute a high percentage of the total revenues associated with the life of a product, delays in product releases or disruptions following the commercial release of one or more new products could have an adverse effect on our operating results and cause our operating results to be materially different from expectations. It is therefore important for us to be able to continue to develop many high quality new products that are popularly received. We focus our development and publishing activities principally on products that are, or have the potential to become, franchise brand properties. If we are unable to continue to develop many high quality new products that are popularly received, our business and financial results may be negatively affected.

Our business is "hit" driven. If we do not deliver "hit" titles, or if consumers prefer competing products, our sales could suffer.

        While many new products are regularly introduced, only a relatively small number of "hit" titles account for a significant portion of net revenue. Competitors may develop titles that imitate or compete with our "hit" titles, and take sales away from them or reduce our ability to command premium prices for those titles. "Hit" products published by our competitors may take a larger share of consumer spending than anticipated, which could cause our product sales to fall below expectations. If our competitors develop more successful products or offer competitive products at lower prices, or if we do not continue to develop consistently high-quality and well received products, our revenues, margins, and profitability could decline.

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If we are unable to maintain or acquire licenses to intellectual property, we may publish fewer "hit" titles and revenues may decline.

        Some of our products are based on intellectual property and other character or story rights acquired or licensed from third parties. These license and distribution agreements are limited in scope and time, and we may not be able to renew key licenses when they expire or to include new products in existing licenses. Our loss of a significant number of intellectual property licenses or relationships with licensors, or inability to obtain additional licenses of significant commercial value could have an adverse effect on our ability to develop new products and therefore on our business and financial results. Additionally, the failure of intellectual property acquired by us to be popularly received could impact the market acceptance of those products in which the intellectual property is included. Such lack of market acceptance could result in the write-off of the unrecovered portion of acquired intellectual property assets, which could harm our business and financial results. Furthermore, the competition for these licenses and distribution agreements is often intense. Competition for these licenses may also increase the advances, guarantees, and royalties that must be paid to the licensor.

The interactive entertainment industry is highly competitive and competitors may succeed in reducing our market share and sales.

        We compete with other publishers of PC and video game console interactive entertainment software and peripherals. Those competitors vary in size from small companies with limited resources to very large corporations with significantly greater financial, marketing, and product development resources than we have. For example, integrated video game console hardware and software companies such as Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft compete directly with us in the development of software titles for their respective platforms. Certain of these competitors may spend more money and time on developing and testing products, undertake more extensive marketing campaigns, adopt more aggressive pricing policies, pay higher fees to licensors for desirable motion picture, television, sports, music and character properties, and pay more to third-party software developers than we do. Further, certain major media companies, such as Disney and Time Warner, who have been investing in the videogame products, have increased the competition within the industry.

        We also compete with other forms of entertainment and leisure activities. For example, the overall growth in the use of the Internet and online services by consumers may pose a competitive threat if customers and potential customers spend less of their available time using interactive entertainment software and more using the Internet and online services. A number of software publishers who compete with us have developed and commercialized or are currently developing online games for use by consumers over the Internet. Future increased consumer acceptance and increases in the availability of online games or technological advances in online game software or the Internet could result in a decline in platform-based software and negatively impact sales of our console and hand-held products. Newer technological advances in online game software may also render products such as World of Warcraft obsolete. Direct sales of software over the Internet by competitors could adversely affect our distribution business as well.

        Competition in the interactive entertainment industry is intense and we expect new competitors to continue to emerge.

Our business is subject to the risks and uncertainties of international trade.

        We conduct business throughout the world, and we derive a substantial amount of revenue from international trade, particularly from Europe, Australia, and Asia. We expect that international revenues will continue to account for a significant portion of total revenues in the future. We are subject to risks inherent in foreign trade, including increased tariffs and duties, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, shipping delays, increases in transportation costs, increases in local labor costs in

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overseas locations where our hardware peripherals are manufactured, and international political, regulatory and economic developments, all of which may impact operating margins or make it more difficult, if not impossible, for us to conduct business in foreign markets.

        For example, a deterioration in relations between the U.S. and any country in which we have significant operations or sales, including China in particular, could result in the adoption or expansion of trade restrictions that harm our business and operating results as could the implementation of government regulations in a country where we have significant operations or sales. For example, to operate in China, World of Warcraft must have a publishing number. A decision by the Chinese government to revoke this number would adversely impact our operating results. A publishing number will also be required to sell the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack in China. A decision by the Chinese government to decline to grant a number for this or other future products would adversely impact our operating results. Additionally, in the past, legislation has been implemented in China that has required modifications to the World of Warcraft software. The future implementation of similar laws may require engineering modifications to our products that are not cost-effective, if even feasible at all or could degrade the customer experience to the point where customers ceased to purchase such products.

        Further, if government regulations or restrictions prevent us from repatriating internationally derived revenue into the U.S., or a country's tax structure makes repatriation prohibitively expensive, we may not transfer such revenue into the U.S., which could affect our ability to reinvest or utilize such amounts in our business.

        In addition, cultural differences may affect consumer preferences and limit the popularity of titles that are "hits" in the U.S. If we do not correctly assess consumer preferences in the countries in our market, our sales and revenue may be lower than expected.

We rely on independent third parties to develop some of our software products.

        We rely on independent third-party software developers to develop some of our software products. Because we depend on these developers, we are subject to the following risks:

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continuing strong demand for developers' resources, combined with the recognition they receive in connection with their work, may cause developers who worked for us in the past either to work for a competitor in the future or to renegotiate agreements with us on terms less favorable for us;



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limited financial resources and business expertise and inability to retain skilled personnel may force developers out of business prior to completing products or require us to fund additional costs; and



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a competitor may acquire the businesses of key developers or sign them to exclusive development arrangements. In either case, we would not be able to continue to engage such developers' services for our products, except for those that such developers are contractually obligated to complete development for us.

        Increased competition for skilled third-party software developers also has compelled us to agree to make significant advance payments on royalties to game developers. If the products subject to these arrangements do not generate sufficient revenues to recover these royalty advances, we would have to write-off unrecovered portions of these payments, which could harm our business and financial results. Typically, we pay developers a royalty based on a percentage of net revenues from product sales, less agreed upon deductions, but from time to time, we have agreed to pay developers fixed per unit product royalties after royalty advances are fully recouped. To the extent that sales prices of products on which we have agreed to pay a fixed per unit royalty are marked down, our profitability could be adversely affected.

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Our platform licensors set the royalty rates and other fees that must be paid to publish games for their platforms, and therefore have significant influence on our costs.

        We pay a licensing fee to the hardware manufacturer for each copy of a product manufactured for that manufacturer's game platform. In order to publish products for new hardware platforms, we must take a license from the platform licensor which gives the platform licensor the opportunity to set the fee structure that we must pay in order to publish games for that platform. Similarly, the platform licensors have retained the flexibility to change their fee structures for online gameplay and features for their consoles and the manufacturing of products. The control that platform licensors have over the fee structures for their platforms and online access makes it difficult for us to predict our costs and profitability in the medium to long term. It is also possible that platform licensors will not renew our existing licenses. Any increase in fee structures or nonrenewal of licenses could have a significant negative impact on our business models and profitability, particularly for Activision Publishing, as the publishing of products for console systems is the largest portion of Activision Publishing's business.

Our business is highly dependent on the success, timely release and availability of new video game platforms, on the continued availability of existing video game platforms, as well as our ability to develop commercially successful products for these platforms.

        We derive a substantial portion of our revenue from the sale of products for play on video game platforms manufactured by third parties, such as Sony's PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii and NDS. The success of our business is driven in large part by the availability of an adequate supply of these video game platforms, our ability to accurately predict which platforms will be successful in the marketplace, and our ability to develop commercially successful products for these platforms. We must make product development decisions and commit significant resources well in advance of the anticipated introduction of a new platform. A new platform for which we are developing products may be delayed, may not succeed or may have a shorter life cycle than anticipated. Alternatively, a platform for which we have not devoted significant resources could be more successful than initially anticipated, causing us to miss a meaningful revenue opportunity. Additionally, if the platforms for which we are developing products are not released when anticipated, are not available in adequate quantities to meet consumer demand, or do not attain wide market acceptance, our revenues may suffer, we may be unable to fully recover our investment in developing those products, and our financial performance may be harmed.

Transitions in console platforms could adversely affect the market for interactive entertainment software.

        In 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 and, in 2006, Sony and Nintendo introduced the PlayStation 3 and Wii. When new console platforms are announced or introduced into the market, consumers typically reduce their purchases of game console entertainment software products for current console platforms in anticipation of new platforms becoming available. During these periods, sales of game console entertainment software products published by us may be expected to slow or even decline until new platforms are introduced and achieve wide consumer acceptance. This decline may not be offset by increased sales of products for the new console platforms. As console hardware moves through its life cycle, hardware manufacturers typically enact price reductions and decreasing prices may put downward pressure on software prices. During platform transitions, we may simultaneously incur costs both in continuing to develop and market new titles for prior-generation video game platforms, which may not sell at premium prices, and also in developing products for next-generation platforms, which will not generate immediate or near-term revenue. As a result, our operating results during platform transitions may be more volatile and more difficult to predict than during other times, and such volatility may cause greater fluctuations in our stock price.

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We must make significant expenditures to develop products for new platforms which may not be successful.

        We must make substantial product development and other investments in a particular platform well in advance of introduction of the platform and may be required to realign our product portfolio and development efforts in response to market changes. Furthermore, development costs for new console platforms are greater than such costs for current console platforms. If increased costs are not offset by higher revenues and other cost efficiencies, operating results will suffer and our financial position will be harmed. If the platforms for which we develop new software products or modify existing products do not attain significant market penetration, we may not be able to recover our development costs, which could be significant, and our business and financial results could be significantly harmed.

If the average price of prior-generation titles continues to decline or if we are unable to sustain launch pricing on next-generation titles, our operating results will suffer.

        We have experienced a decrease in the average price of titles for prior-generation platforms. With the transition of the interactive entertainment software industry to next-generation video game platforms, fewer prior-generation titles are able to command premium prices, and we expect that even those titles that can do so will be subject to price reductions at an earlier point in their sales cycle than was the case with prior platform transitions. We expect the average price of prior-generation titles to continue to be under pressure, which may have a negative effect on our margins and operating results.

        Next-generation titles for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo Wii have been offered at premium retail prices since the launch of such consoles. We expect to continue to price next-generation titles at a premium level, but if we are unable to sustain launch pricing on these next-generation titles we may experience a negative effect on our margins and operating results.

Platform licensors are our chief competitors and frequently control the manufacturing of and have broad approval rights over our console and hand-held video game products.

        Generally, when we develop interactive entertainment software products for hardware platforms offered by Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft, the products are manufactured exclusively by that hardware manufacturer or their approved replicator.

        The agreements with these manufacturers include certain provisions, such as approval rights over all software products and related hardware peripherals and promotional materials and the ability to change the fee they charge for the manufacturing of products, which allow them substantial influence over the cost and the release schedule of such interactive entertainment software products. In addition, because each of the manufacturers is also a publisher of games for its own hardware platforms and manufactures products for all of its other licensees, a manufacturer may give priority to its own products or those of our competitors in the event of insufficient manufacturing capacity. Accordingly, Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft could cause unanticipated delays in the release of our products as well as increases to projected development, manufacturing, marketing, or distribution costs, which could harm our business and financial results.

        In addition, platform licensors control our ability to provide online game capabilities for console platform products and in large part establish the financial terms on which these services are offered to consumers. Currently, Microsoft provides online capabilities for the Xbox 360 and Sony provides online capabilities for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 products. In each case, compatibility code and/or the consent of the licensor are required for us to include online capabilities in its console products. As these capabilities become more significant, the failure or refusal of licensors to approve our products may harm our business and financial results.

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Our market is subject to rapid technological change, and if we do not adapt to, and appropriately allocate our new resources among, emerging technologies, our revenues would be negatively affected.

        Technology changes rapidly in the interactive entertainment industry. We must continually anticipate and adapt our products to emerging technologies. When we choose to incorporate a new technology into a product or to develop a product for a new platform, operating system or media format, we often are required to make a substantial investment one to two years prior to the introduction of the product. If we invest in the development of video games incorporating a new technology or for a new platform that does not achieve significant commercial success, our revenues from those products likely will be lower than we anticipated and may not cover our development costs. If, on the other hand, we elect not to pursue the development of products incorporating a new technology or for new platforms that achieve significant commercial success, our revenues would also be adversely affected, and it may take significant time and resources to shift product development resources to that technology or platform. Any such failure to adapt to, and appropriately allocate resources among, emerging technologies would harm our competitive position, reduce our market share and significantly increase the time we take to bring popular products to market.

We may face difficulty obtaining access to retail shelf space necessary to market and sell our products effectively.

        Retailers typically have a limited amount of shelf space and promotional resources, and there is intense competition among consumer interactive entertainment software products for high quality retail shelf space and promotional support from retailers. To the extent that the number of products and platforms increases, competition for shelf space may intensify and may require us to increase our marketing expenditures. Retailers with limited shelf space typically devote the most and highest quality shelf space to those products expected to be best sellers. We cannot be certain that our new products will consistently achieve such "best seller" status. Due to increased competition for limited shelf space, retailers and distributors are in an increasingly better position to negotiate favorable terms of sale, including price discounts, price protection, marketing and display fees, and product return policies. Our products constitute a relatively small percentage of most retailers' sales volume. We cannot be certain that retailers will continue to purchase our products or to provide those products with adequate levels of shelf space and promotional support on acceptable terms. A prolonged failure in this regard may significantly harm our business and financial results.

Our products may be subject to legal claims.

        In prior fiscal years, at least two lawsuits have been filed against numerous video game companies, including against Activision, by the families of victims who were shot and killed by teenage gunmen in attacks perpetrated at schools. These lawsuits alleged that the video game companies manufactured and/or supplied these teenagers with violent video games, teaching them how to use a gun and causing them to act out in a violent manner. These lawsuits have been dismissed. Similar additional lawsuits may be filed in the future. Although, with respect to the prior lawsuits of this nature against us, our general liability insurance carrier agreed to defend such suits, it is uncertain whether insurance carriers would do so in the future, or if such insurance carriers would cover all or any amounts for which we might be liable if such future lawsuits are not decided in our favor. If such future lawsuits are filed and ultimately decided against us and the relevant insurance carrier does not cover the amounts for which we may be liable, it could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results. Payment of significant claims by insurance carriers may make such insurance coverage materially more expensive or unavailable in the future, thereby exposing us to additional risk.

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If our products contain defects, our business could be harmed significantly.

        Software products and hardware peripherals as complex as the ones published and distributed by us may contain undetected errors and defects. This risk is often higher when such products or peripherals are first introduced or when new versions are released. Failure to avoid, or to timely detect and correct, such errors or defects could result in loss of, or delay in, market acceptance, and could significantly harm our business, financial results, and reputation.

We may permit our customers to return products and to receive pricing concessions which could reduce net revenues and results of operations.

        We are exposed to the risk of product returns and price protection with respect to our distributors and retailers. Return policies allow distributors and retailers to return defective, shelf-worn, and damaged products in accordance with terms granted. Price protection, when granted and applicable, allows customers a credit against amounts owed with respect to merchandise unsold by them. We may permit product returns from, or grant price protection to, our customers under certain conditions. These conditions include compliance with applicable payment terms, delivery of weekly inventory and sell-through reports, and consistent participation in the launches of premium title releases. We may also consider other factors, including the facilitation of slow-moving inventory and other market factors. When we offer price protection, it is offered with respect to a particular product to all of our retail customers (although only customers who meet the conditions detailed above are entitled to such price protection). Activision also offers a 90-day limited warranty to its end users that Activision products will be free from manufacturing defects. Although we maintain a reserve for returns and price protection, and although we may place limits on product returns and price protection, we could be forced to accept substantial product returns and provide substantial price protection to maintain our relationships with retailers and our access to distribution channels. Product returns and price protection that exceed reserves could significantly harm our business and financial results.

Our business is subject to risks generally associated with the entertainment industry, any of which could significantly harm our operating results.

        Our business is subject to risks that are generally associated with the entertainment industry, including the popularity, price and timing of the release of our games and the platforms on which they are played, economic conditions that adversely affect discretionary consumer spending, changes in consumer demographics, the availability and popularity of other forms of entertainment, and critical reviews and public tastes and preferences, which may change rapidly and cannot necessarily be predicted. Many of these risks are beyond our control. These risks could negatively impact our business and financial results.

We are exposed to seasonality in the sale of our products.

        The interactive entertainment industry is highly seasonal, with the highest levels of consumer demand occurring during the calendar year end holiday buying season. As a result, net revenues, gross profits, and operating income have historically been highest during the second half of the calendar year. Receivables and credit risk are likewise higher during the second half of the calendar year as customers stock up on our products for the holiday season. Further, delays in development, licensor approvals, or manufacturing can also affect the timing of the release of products, causing us to miss key selling periods such as the calendar year end holiday buying season.

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We may not be able to adequately adjust our cost structures in a timely fashion in response to a sudden decrease in demand.

        A significant portion of our selling and general and administrative expense is comprised of personnel and facilities. In the event of a significant decline in revenues, we may not be able to exit facilities, reduce personnel, or make other changes to our cost structures without disruption to operations or without significant termination and exit costs. Management may not be able to implement such actions in a timely manner, if at all, to offset an immediate shortfall in revenues and profit.

If we do not continue to attract and retain key personnel, we will be unable to effectively conduct our business.

        Our success depends to a significant extent on our ability to identify, hire, and retain skilled personnel. The software industry is characterized by a high level of employee mobility and aggressive recruiting among competitors for personnel with technical, marketing, sales, product development, and management skills. We may have difficulties in attracting and retaining skilled personnel or may incur significant costs in order to do so. If we are unable to attract additional qualified employees or retain the services of key personnel, our business and financial results could be negatively impacted.

Our products are subject to the threat of piracy and unauthorized copying, and inadequate intellectual property laws and other protections could prevent us from enforcing or defending our proprietary technologies. We may also face legal risks arising out of user-generated content.

        We regard our software as proprietary and rely on a combination of copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret laws, employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements, and other methods to protect our proprietary rights. We own or license various copyrights, patents, and trademarks. We are aware that some unauthorized copying occurs, and if a significantly greater amount of unauthorized copying of our software products were to occur, it could cause harm to our business and financial results.

        Policing unauthorized use of our products is difficult, and software piracy is a persistent problem, especially in certain countries. Further, the laws of some countries where our products are or may be distributed either do not protect their products and intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S., or are poorly enforced. Legal protection of our rights may be ineffective in such countries. In addition, though we take steps to make the unauthorized copying and distribution of our products more difficult, as do the manufacturers of consoles on which some of those games (and a majority of those games published by Activision) are played, our efforts and the efforts of the console manufacturers may not be successful in controlling the piracy of our products. Organized pirate operations have been expanding globally. In addition, the proliferation of technology designed to circumvent the protection measures used in our products, the availability of broadband access to the Internet, the ability to download pirated copies of games from various Internet sites and peer-to-peer networks, and the widespread proliferation of Internet cafes using pirated copies of our products all have contributed to an expansion in piracy. This could have a negative effect on our growth and profitability in the future.

        Moreover, as we leverage our software products using technologies such as the Internet and online services, and as user-generated content increases, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and to avoid infringing intellectual property rights of others may diminish. We cannot be certain that existing intellectual property laws will provide adequate protection for our products in connection with these emerging technologies.

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Data breaches involving the source code for our products or customer or employee data stored by us could adversely affect our reputation and revenues.

        We store the source code and game assets for our interactive entertainment software products as created. In addition, we store confidential information with respect to our customers and employees. A breach of the systems on which such source code and assets, account information (including personally identifiable information) and other sensitive data is stored could lead to piracy of our software or fraudulent activity resulting in claims and lawsuits against us in connection with data security breaches. A data intrusion into World of Warcraft servers could also disrupt the operation of World of Warcraft . If we are subject to data security breaches, we may have a loss in sales or be forced to pay damages or other amounts, which could adversely affect profitability. In addition, any damage to our reputation resulting from a data breach could have an adverse impact on our revenues and future growth prospects, or increased costs arising from the implementation of additional security measures.

We may be subject to intellectual property claims.

        As the number of interactive entertainment software products increases and the features and content of these products continue to overlap, software developers increasingly may become subject to infringement claims. Many of our products are highly realistic and feature materials that are based on real world examples, which may be the subject of intellectual property infringement claims of others. In addition, our products often utilize complex, cutting edge technology that may become subject to emerging intellectual property rights of others. Although we take steps to avoid knowingly violating the intellectual property rights of others, it is possible that third parties still may claim infringement. From time to time, we receive communications from third parties regarding such claims. Existing or future infringement claims against us, whether valid or not, may be time consuming, distracting to management and expensive to defend.

        Intellectual property litigation or claims could force us to do one or more of the following:

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cease selling, incorporating, supporting or using products or services that incorporate the challenged intellectual property;



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obtain a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property, which if available at all, may not be available on commercially favorable terms; or



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redesign the affected interactive entertainment software products or hardware peripherals, which could result in additional costs, delay introduction and possibly reduce commercial appeal of the affected products.

        Any of these actions may harm our business and financial results.

Our products are subject to ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board and similar agencies. Our failure to obtain our target ratings for our products could negatively impact our sales.

        The Entertainment Software Rating Board (the "ESRB") is a self-regulatory body in the U.S. that provides consumers of interactive entertainment software with ratings information, including information relating to violence, nudity, or sexual content contained in software titles. Certain countries other than the U.S. have also established similar rating systems as prerequisites for product sales in those countries. In some instances, a company may be required to modify its products to comply with the requirements of the rating systems, which could delay or disrupt the release of any given product, or may prevent its sale altogether in certain territories. The relevant ESRB ratings include "Everyone" (age 6 and older), "Everyone 10+" (age 10 and older), "Teen" (age 13 and over), or "Mature" (age 17 and over). Certain of our titles have received a "Mature" rating. None of our titles has received the "Adults Only" rating (18 and over). If we are unable to obtain the ratings we have targeted for our

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products as a result of changes in the ESRB's ratings standards or for other reasons, including the adoption of legislation in this area, our business and prospects could be negatively affected.

Our business, products, and distribution are subject to increasing regulation of content in key territories. If we do not successfully respond to these regulations, our business may suffer.

        Legislation is continually being introduced that may affect both the content and the distribution of our products. For example, privacy laws in the U.S and Europe impose various restrictions on the collection, storage and use of personal information. Those laws and regulations vary by territory. In addition, many foreign countries have laws that permit governmental entities to censor the content and/or advertising of interactive entertainment software. Other countries, such as Germany, prohibit certain types of content.

        In the U.S, numerous laws have been introduced at the federal and state level which attempt to restrict the content of games or the distribution of such products. For example, legislation has been adopted in several states, and proposed at the federal level, that prohibits the sale of certain games (e.g., violent games or those with "M (Mature)" or "AO (Adults Only)" ratings) to minors. In addition, a number of state legislative bodies in states such as Illinois, California, Michigan, and Washington have introduced various forms of legislation designed to regulate and control sales of video games deemed inappropriate for sales to minors. Some argue that there is a link between video games and violence, which may lead to increased pressure for legislative activity. To date, most courts that have ruled on such legislation have ruled in a manner favorable to the interactive entertainment industry. But in the event such legislation is adopted and enforced, the sales of our products may be harmed because the products we are able to offer to our customers and the size of the potential market for our products may be limited. We may also be required to modify certain products or alter our marketing strategies to comply with new and possibly inconsistent regulations, which could be costly or delay the release of our products.

If one or more of our titles were found to contain objectionable undisclosed content, our business could suffer.

        Throughout the history of the interactive entertainment industry, many video games have been designed to include certain hidden content and gameplay features that are accessible through the use of in-game cheat codes or other technological means that are intended to enhance the gameplay experience. However, in some cases, objectionable undisclosed content or features have been found in other publishers' interactive entertainment software products. In a few cases, the ESRB has reacted to discoveries of undisclosed content and features by changing the rating that was originally assigned to the product, requiring the publisher to change the game and/or game packaging and/or fining the publisher. Retailers have on occasion reacted to the discovery of such undisclosed content by removing these games from their shelves, refusing to sell them, and demanding that their publishers accept them as product returns. Likewise, some interactive entertainment software consumers have reacted to the revelation of undisclosed content by refusing to purchase such games, demanding refunds for games they have already purchased, refraining from buying other games published by the company whose game contained the objectionable material, and, on at least one occasion, filing a lawsuit against the publisher of the product containing such content.

        We have implemented preventive measures designed to reduce the possibility of objectionable undisclosed content from appearing in the video games we publish. Nonetheless, these preventive measures are subject to human error, circumvention, overriding, and reasonable resource constraints. If a video game we published were found to contain undisclosed content, we could be subject to any of these consequences and our reputation could be harmed, which could have a negative impact on our operating results and financial condition, and our business and financial performance could be significantly harmed.

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We engage in acquisitions, and may encounter difficulties in integrating these businesses and therefore we may not realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions.

        As part of our business strategy we, from time to time, acquire complementary companies or businesses, enter into strategic alliances and joint ventures and make investments to further our business. In the past several years, we have made various acquisitions and entered into joint venture arrangements intended to complement or expand our business, and may continue to do so in the future. The success of these transactions will depend on our ability to integrate assets and personnel acquired in these transactions and to cooperate with our strategic partners. We may encounter difficulties in integrating acquisitions with our operations, and in managing strategic investments. Furthermore, we may not realize the degree, or timing, of benefits we anticipate when we first enter into a transaction. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our involvement in joint ventures decreases our ability to manage risk.

        We conduct many of our operations through joint ventures in which we share control with our joint venture partners. Although we often enter into joint venture arrangements in order to share risks with our joint venture partners, these arrangements may decrease our ability to manage risk. As with any joint venture arrangement, differences in views among the joint venture participants may result in delayed decisions or in failures to agree on major issues. There is the risk that our joint venture partners may at any time have economic, business or legal interests or goals that are inconsistent with ours. There is also risk that our joint venture partners may be unable to meet their economic or other obligations and we may be required to fulfill those obligations alone. Failure by us, or an entity in which we have a joint venture interest, to adequately manage the risks associated with any joint ventures could have an adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of our joint ventures and, in turn, our business and operations.

        We anticipate entering into additional joint ventures with other entities. We cannot assure that we will undertake such joint ventures or, if undertaken, that such joint ventures will be successful or produce the anticipated benefits.

Historically, our stock price has been highly volatile.

        The trading price of our common stock has been and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to many factors, including for example, but without limitation:

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quarter to quarter variations in results of operations;



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the announcements of new products;



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the announcement of lower prices on competing products;



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product development or release schedule;



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general conditions in the computer, software, entertainment, media or electronics industries, and in the economy;



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timing of the introduction of new platforms and delays in the actual release of new platforms;



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hardware manufacturers' announcements of price changes in hardware platforms;



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consumer spending trends;



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the outcome of lawsuits or regulatory investigations in which we may become involved;



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changes in earnings estimates or buy/sell recommendations by analysts;

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•

sales or acquisitions of common stock by our directors or executive management, or by Vivendi and its affiliates; and



•

investor perceptions and expectations regarding our products, plans and strategic position, and those of our competitors and customers.

        In addition, the public stock markets have been experiencing extreme price and trading volume volatility. This volatility has significantly affected the market prices of securities of many technology companies for reasons often unrelated to the operating performance of the specific companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Subject to certain limitations, Vivendi may sell common stock at any time, which could cause our stock price to decrease.

        Vivendi may sell the shares of our stock that it owns, including pursuant to a registered underwritten public offering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act. We have entered into an investor agreement with Vivendi, which includes registration rights and which gives Vivendi the right to require us to register all or a portion of its shares at any time, subject to certain limitations. The sale of a substantial number of shares of common stock by Vivendi within a short period of time could cause our stock price to decrease, and make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of common stock.

Integrating and maintaining internal controls for the combined business may strain our resources and divert management's attention. If we fail to establish and maintain proper internal controls, our ability to produce accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.

        Prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, Vivendi Games was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivendi and not subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations of any stock exchange. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Vivendi Games will be subject to such rules and regulations. Prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, as described in Item 9A of this Form 10-K, it was determined that Vivendi Games had material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. Integrating and maintaining appropriate internal controls and procedures for the combined business will require specific compliance training of certain officers and employees, will entail substantial costs in order to modify existing accounting systems, and will take a significant period of time to complete.

        We are currently in the process of incorporating the internal controls and procedures of Vivendi Games into our internal control over financial reporting, and we expect to be able to perform an assessment of and report on internal control over financial reporting for the year ending December 31, 2009. We may not, however, be efficient in establishing the adequacy of internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase our operating costs and could impair our ability to operate the business. In the event that we are not able to demonstrate compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, or that our internal controls are perceived as inadequate, or that we are unable to produce timely or accurate financial statements, investors may lose confidence in our operating results and our stock price could decline.

Changes in tax rates or exposure to additional tax liabilities could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

        We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and in various other jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes and, in the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is

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uncertain. We are required to estimate future taxes. Although we currently believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the estimate process is inherently uncertain, and such estimates are not binding on tax authorities. The effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the business, including the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in tax elections, and changes in applicable tax laws, as well as other factors. Further, tax determinations are regularly subject to audit by tax authorities and developments in those audits could adversely affect our income tax provision. Should the ultimate tax liability exceed estimates, our income tax provision and net income could be adversely affected.

        We are also required to pay taxes other than income taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, net worth, property, and goods and services taxes, in both the U.S. and various other jurisdictions. Tax authorities regularly examine these non-income taxes. There can be no assurance that the outcomes from these examinations, changes in the business or changes in applicable tax rules will not have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.