Topic: Viviendi, Activision Merge to Form Activision Blizzard

[WindyMan]

The new publisher will effectively become the largest third party in the industry.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14920

 In what may very well be the biggest news story of 2007, Activision and Vivendi Games have jointly announced that they will be joining forces to create Activision Blizzard.  Vivendi, which owns Blizzard Entertainment, will have a 52% stake in the newly formed publishing label, making it the controlling shareholder.  Vivendi's operations and properties will fall under current Activision management.  The transaction, valued at $18.9 billion dollars in stock and cash, will make Activision Blizzard "the world's largest pure-play online and console game publisher," according to the new company.    

Activision has been going through its most successful period in its history, seeing record sales and profits due to games like Guitar Hero III, Call of Duty 4, and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.  Vivendi has the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro properties, but is best known for owning Blizzard Entertainment, the juggernaut online games maker.  StarCraft, Diablo, and Warcraft are some of the biggest names in gaming, and World of Warcraft is the most successful MMO ever created with 9.3 million subscribers.   The release of the long-awaited StarCraft II is also on the horizon.    

Robert Kotick, Activision chairman and CEO, says the merger benefits both companies because of their strengths in different areas. "By combining leaders in mass-market entertainment and subscription-based online games, Activision Blizzard will be the only publisher with leading market positions across all categories of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry and reach the broadest possible audiences."    

As a result of the Activision Blizzard merger, the new label is expected to have a combined revenue stream of $3.8 billion in 2007, which will be the largest income total for any third-party publisher.    

Thanks to lord_die_seis for the news tip!

[Kairon]

Woah.

[AzureNightmare]

Holy crap!

edit: Holy crapping crap!

[BlackNMild2k1]

.........^ActiBlizzion .................^EA    

[WindyMan]

I prefer Actiblizz, myself.

[BlackNMild2k1]

either or is better than Activision Blizzard, it just that ActiBlizz just sounds short for ActiBlizzion anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

edit: The NEW site is up

www.activisionblizzard.com

[The Sailerman]

Wow, this bodes well for the next Guitar Hero!
Vivendi owns Universal Music Group, which I believe is the largest music business in the world, and now Activision has full access to their songs!

[ShyGuy]

BLIZZAK

[Kairon]

I want some 70th Level Tauren Chieftain in the next Guitar Hero.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I posted this in the other thread in the "General Gaming" section

Artist under UMG including Prince  

[Crimm]

This still doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  Viviendi has non-Blizzard IPs, so why name the company after Blizzard?  I recognize that WoW is a goldmine (pun intended), but still.

[that Baby guy]

I imagine the Blizzard component of Vivendi was raking in more cash than the Vivendi portion of Vivendi to the extent that it was worth more.  Besides, which of Vivendi's brands are your favorite?

[Galford]

This will not end well for the Industry.

[Crimm]

What about Sierra?  Are they just like "lolz you don't exist?"  Besides, Activision Blizzard is the suckiest name ever.

[NWR_insanolord]

This is something the SEC really shouldn't allow. In a market as deep as this one, the 2nd and 3rd place companies shouldn't be allowed to merge, it's what the anti-trust laws were put in place to prevent.

[wulffman04]

Holy Crap! Didn't see that coming.

[BlackNMild2k1]

From what I read, Blizzard invested 2 billion into the merger, and since they are the biggest money maker with the biggest brand and the biggest game and therefore the most influential part of Vivendi, their name was used along with Activision.

What Joe Schmoe would recognize Vivendi and associate it to gaming?

[Ceric]

I don't think this applies for antitrust simply because you still have competative players in Nintendo, EA, and Ubisoft just to name a few.

Though I could see why they would want to go with Blizzard.  It is there most respected name.  Where Vivenda and Sierra only have pass glory, which I wish they would polish and resurrect  

[nickmitch]

I'm pretty damn stunned. Is it just me or did this come out of nowhere?

[Crimm]

Blactivision.

Sounds like a BET with activist proposition.

[WuTangTurtle]

seriously wtf is up with this cr@p, first i have to hear about EA taking over BioWare and Pandemic, and now I hear of this!  Next it will be THQ buying......um what other good 3rd party companies are left?

[Enner]

This is an interesting turn of things. With this, there will be a bigger money pool for the developers the publishers have!

Okay, they'll most likely want to keep that money pool as is.

I'm know I'm in the minority, but I'm hoping that this really does help rather than hinder. Same goes for EA buying Bioware/Pandemic and reading the "don't worry!" interviews from each studio. Indeed I'm not worrying! History will tell the truth and it will be a very long time until it comes. In otherwords, I'm in favor holding over the more brutal negativity until it actually results in bad and/or disappointing games.

[Nick DiMola]

This news is totally out of left field. I'm not sure all of these mergers are good for the industry and it will probably only make it harder for small devs to get into the industry. Maybe it will mean more money and more time for development, but I'm guessing that it will more than likely stifle innovation.

[scot00]

I like the name Blizzard Vision..

But then again I dont count..

-S

[KDR_11k]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ceric
I don't think this applies for antitrust simply because you still have competative players in Nintendo, EA, and Ubisoft just to name a few.

Antitrust would be about making sure those companis stay competitive afterwards.