Video games and their publishers have had an easier time weathering the economic storm around the world than many manufacturers in the technology industry. Some of the largest gaming companies posted some impressive profits during the recession. At the same time, some of the smaller video game firms have gone out of business.

One of the largest and most successful video game publishers is Activision Blizzard. The publisher is said to be considering turning some of its video game franchises into TV and film properties. One of the games rumored to be considered for conversion to the small screen is the Guitar Hero franchise.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said that the Guitar Hero franchise might make for a good reality show or concert tour. Considering that music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have helped revive the careers of some bands, a concert tour would be the most likely extension of the brand.

Two more of Activision Blizzard's super popular game franchises are also being considered for movie fodder -- World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.

The game publisher has posted some impressive financial results with Q1 2009 revenue tripled since its merger with Blizzard to $981 million with net income increasing to $189 million from $43 million the previous year. Reuters points out that comparisons to Activison numbers from last year are incorrect though since the Activision/Blizzard merger hadn’t taken place at that time.

Kotick said, "We have growth and we're making money. That's better than others can say."

Activision is launching a new game called DJ Hero that has a DJ style turntable controller and will be launching new Guitar Hero titles soon including Guitar Hero: Van Halen and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits.