The Associated Press reports that “Activision Blizzard Inc., maker of the blockbuster ‘Call of Duty’ video game franchise, said Tuesday that strong sales led to better-than-expected results for its third quarter and raised its full-year forecast. The stock jumped in after-hours trading.”

“Activision said sales of its “Destiny” and “World of Warcraft” games helped drive adjusted revenue up 78 percent in the three months that ended in September to $1.17 billion. That topped analysts’ forecast for $991.8 million, according to Zack’s, and last year’s revenue of $657 million.”

“The company gained 7.4 million subscribers to ‘World of Warcraft” during the quarter, ahead of its release of ‘Warlords of Draenor.’ The company also raised its full-year outlook as it prepares for sales of the latest “Call of Duty” installment which was released Monday.”

UPDATE: Wall St. Journal’s “Heard on the Street” adds: “The smashing success of the new “Destiny” videogame couldn’t come at a better time for Activision Blizzard.”

“The videogame publisher has been fighting a multifront war of sorts. One is against critics who dinged the initial release of “Destiny” with disappointing scores. That caused some to wonder if the much-hyped game would misfire. The other battle has been against analysts and investors worried its flagship “Call of Duty” franchise is finally showing its age.”