The deal has been done, you can now officially call the company Activision Blizzard. Sure, the name is sorta lame but it does cover the bases… they’re Activision and they’re Blizzard; surely neither company wanted to lose their lively hood and branding.
We’re now looking at a company that’s more powerful than Electronic Arts, surely this worries Electronic Arts a bit. However, consumers like ourselves should be cheering for more competition against the big EA, perhaps forcing them to innovate a bit more and keep competitive.
Many gamers and industry participants would love to see independent companies grab a bit of the market share and bring in new startup companies and spin-off studios. However, if there is going to be a merger at the top-tier it might as well be one that puts pressure on Electronic Arts.
“We have created the world leader in online and console games with this transaction, and the combined strengths of the two businesses offer immense growth potential,” gushed Vivendi SA CEO Jean-Bernard Levy. “I am also very confident that, with the new leadership team in place, the new entity is perfectly positioned to take advantage of these rapidly developing markets across the globe.” (gamespot)
Now, we’ll have to wait and see if the upper level management can get along in a fluid manner and keep all their projects on track. With great power comes great responsibility, they’ve got the power… are they going to be responsible with it?
@Black&White
It was the first PC game I played properly. I was surprised at how complex the game was compared to console games. I enjoyed it but it got tedious real quick. One thing that annoyed me about that game was the difference in effort you had to put to be good or bad. If you wanted to be good, you had to feed the villagers, build them houses, protect them and look for their sheep. Being bad was so much easier. Just pick up a bunch of kids and chuck them in the sea. And their parents. And animals. Just chuck everything in the see. That took care of everything and you were on your way to becoming an Elite Omnipotent Asshole.
@Steambox
I for one would love to have a console that runs steam games. For many out there high system requirements are a barrier to PC games. And they just keep getting higher and higher each year. I bet Johna’s new rig already can’t run the latest releases on highest specs. And I find buying PC games to run them in shitty resolution not worth my money. The Steambox would be a good thing. A gaming dedicated PC with decent specs and a powerful cooling system for a sensible price. Although the idea does sound too ambitious. PC games are not uniform. Fitting them all on one hardware if bound to have issues.
@World of Rockcraft
I think they will do it. But for next gen hardware. Wouldn’t want them to make an MMO out of it because I don’t want some twats ruining my criminal empire.
@QOTW
I am with Paul on this one. I get deep into a single-player game storyline. I read books in Elder Scrolls games. I talk to every villager in Final Fantasy games. I do every available side quest in Mass Effect. But when it comes to MMOs, I tend to avoid stories. Mostly because they are crap. 90% are set in a medieval setting where some Dark Lord has been revived and now there is like 3 million warriors that try to stop him. But you are the specialiest one here. Also, because I only play MMOs with friends and it’s difficult to read stuff when others are not interested in the story. I am really into the DC Universe story but that’s because I already have a large knowledge of DC Comics.