Video game giant Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) reported better-than-expected financial results for the third quarter of 2009, helped by lower costs and a good audience response for games such as “Guitar Hero 5″ and “World of Warcraft.” The company reported GAAP net revenues of $703 million, versus its prior GAAP net revenue outlook of $680 million; GAAP earnings per diluted share came in at $0.01, versus its prior GAAP loss per diluted share outlook of $0.03. Looking forward, the company is reaffirming its outlook for calendar year 2009, expecting to deliver GAAP net revenues of $4.05 billion and GAAP earnings per diluted share of $0.26; the company remains confident on its outlook as next week sees the release of the hotly anticipated game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” which is seen to be one of the top entertainment properties of the holiday season.