Activision Profits Powered by Guitar Hero

Activision turned a $24.3 million loss into a slender quarterly profit of $698,000 in just one year—thanks to its blockbuster musical simulation Guitar Hero. The video game is expected to produce revenue in the billions, the Wall Street Journal reports. Guitar Hero III was launched October 28—, and its first week sales were more than $100 million.

The game allows players to step into the boots of guitar-heavy rock bands, playing licks by bands like Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, and Poison. "Our third quarter slate is expected to deliver our strongest quarterly results to date," said chief executive Robert Kotick, looking ahead to the next quarter. The latest in the company's Call of Duty series will launch Tuesday. (More Activision stories.)