Activision made ridiculous amounts of cash in fiscal year 2008, nearly $3 billion as a matter of fact. The latest installment in franchises like Guitar Hero and Call of Duty kept their momentum going strong, propelling the company to its 16th straight year of growth. And that's before the merger with Vivendi Games that will give Activision access to Blizzard's franchises.

Thus, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly earned bonuses of $3 million each for their part in the company's success. Activision Publishing CEO Michael Griffith pulled down a cool $1.5 million bonus. While much of the talk in the industry is about EA's ever-continuing courtship of Take-Two Interactive, many analysts think Activision Blizzard will be more profitable in the long run.