Activision Blizzard revenue rises as 'Call of Duty' delivers

(Reuters) - Videogame maker Activision Blizzard Inc reported a 7.6 percent rise in revenue, helped by higher sales of "Call of Duty" and "Hearthstone" franchises, and raised its 2015 revenue and profit forecast. Activision Blizzard, know for its first-person shooter games, raised its 2015 adjusted profit forecast to $1.30 per share from $1.20 per share. The company also raised its full-year adjusted revenue forecast to $4.60 billion from $4.43 billion. Activision Blizzard has several titles in the pipeline including updates to popular franchises "Call of Duty", "Destiny" and "Skylanders". The company is also reviving "Guitar Hero" this October. Revenue rose to $1.04 billion from $970 million in the second quarter ended June 30. Revenue from the "Call of Duty" franchise was powered by sales of its "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" game, which was released on Nov. 4. Activision Blizzard's digital business revenue rose 19.5 percent to $569 million. Videogame publishers are shifting to the lucrative digital business from physical sales as consumers switch to playing on smartphones and tablets from consoles. "In the second quarter, our monthly active users grew by 35 percent year-over-year," Chief Executive Bobby Kotick said in a statement. Activision Blizzard forecast third-quarter adjusted profit of 14 cents per share on adjusted revenue of $930 million. The company's net income rose to $212 million, or 29 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30, from $204 million, or 28 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned 13 cents per share on revenue of $759 million. Up to Tuesday's close, Activision Blizzard's shares had risen about 27.4 percent this year. (Reporting by Kshitiz Goliya and Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru)