Guitar Hero and Call of Duty bolster Activision profits

Publisher's profits more than double in latest financial year from $40 million to $86 million.

Activision has revealed that strong sales of leading franchises including Guitar Hero and Call of Duty have helped it to more than double its profits. Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance were also highlighted as key titles.

According to Activision, 200,000 song packs for Guitar Hero II on Xbox 360 have already been sold and it expects DLC to account for $20 million in the next fiscal year.

Activision has also played down the threat from EA's upcoming Rock Band, noting that Guitar Hero has strong support from retail and importantly very good brand recognition.