Activision conference call: new CoD game in development, Tony Hawk game for the DS, and more

In the video game industry, it’s important not to rest on one’s laurels. Activision probably knows this. In spite of the fact that its Q4 and fiscal year 2008 financial reports have shown encouraging results, the company is already planning its next ventures in the near future. This was evident in the company’s recent conference call. More lucrative news follows after the jump.

Encouraged by the record results of the Q4 and fiscal year 2008 reports, Activision is already planning its next set of projects for the year. The company recently announced these in a recent analyst conference call.

Activision executives Bobby Kotick and Mike Griffith and others mentioned several particularly noteworthy franchise endeavors and projections:

• Guitar Hero – The company will triple the number of Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC) SKUs in fiscal year 2009. Further details regarding the next entry in franchise will be coming within a couple of weeks.
• Call of Duty – a new Call of Duty game is in the works for the next fiscal year. Early reports have suggested the game is being developed by Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch. The game will be set in “a new military theater” and will reportedly be released for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS.
• Infinity Ward‘s Call of Duty 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) engine – This will also be used in Activision’s first James Bond title. The new game is set to be released concurrently with this year’s film “Quantum of Solace.”
• Tony Hawk – Activision is “inventing the franchise from the ground up.” The company has two games planned: one exclusively for the DS and another one for consoles. The DS title will launch this year, to be reportedly developed by Vicarious Visions. The latter one has been set for some time in the fiscal year starting April 2009. It will supposedly be innovative in a different kind of way than other Tony Hawk games.
• Console growth projections – Activision expects the following console sales to rise:
• PlaySation 2 – by 2-3 million units
• PlayStation 3 – 3-4 million units
• Xbox 360 – 4-5 million units
• Wii – 7 million units
• handheld sales (combined) – 11 million units
• The merger between Activision and Blizzard – Execs said that the deal will give stronger inroads into the Asian (especially the Korean) market. Conversely, Activision will be leveraging Blizzard’s experience in the online arena worldwide.

Looks like this next fiscal year will be a busy one for Activision. Stay tuned for more updates on all the plans that the company has mentioned above.