Preliminary net income for the fiscal third quarter was up significantly to a $125 million, up from $68m for the same period last year. Net revenues were up by a slightly less spectacular one per cent year-on-year, totalling $822.8m, an increase of $6.6m as compared to net revenues of $816.2 million reported for the same period the previous year.

For full year, Activision said it is increasing its net revenue outlook to $1.40 billion, up from $1.37bn. However, profits are expected to be hit by legal expenses incurred by an investigation into its stock option practices.

“Strong launches for both PlayStation 3 in the U.S. and the Wii in the U.S. and Europe, as well as continued consumer adoption of the Xbox 360 worldwide, suggests a great deal of momentum for next-generation videogame system adoption in the coming years,” said Activision chairman and CEO Robert Kotick.

“As we look toward the future, we remain excited about the improving market conditions for our industry. The combination of our product slate, the opportunities created by next-generation console systems, the increasing installed base of current-generation console hardware, continued growth in handhelds, as well as higher barriers to entry for new and existing competitors, positions us well to expand our net revenues, earnings and operating margins in the future.”