Activision and Blizzard Merge

[TinCow]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7123582.stm

The companies behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft are merging in a deal which could shake up the global video games industry.

Activision and Blizzard have said they will form "the world's most profitable games business" in a deal worth $18.8bn (£9.15bn).

[edyzmedieval]

That's scary. Now let's see what are they going to come up with. CoD2 has been the masterpiece, and WoW has been the social revelation of the century.

[Bob the Insane]

CoD MMO... something like Planetside or BF2 on steroids!!

[Tiberius of the Drake]

No. they will add another faction to WOW. The American Army. At level 70 the player will be able to call in a thermonuclear strikes on their enemy in a duel.

[Marshal Murat]

I was thinking CoD: Return to Warcraft

maybe
EA-Smackdown MMORPG

[Papewaio]

Don't they have opposite ideas about patching?

Activision next to none and Blizzard keeps on patching years after the release of a game?

I hope the Blizzard model wins out.

[Xiahou]

Don't they have opposite ideas about patching?

Activision next to none and Blizzard keeps on patching years after the release of a game?

I hope the Blizzard model wins out.

I hope so too. But my gut tells me that mergers such as these often get your the worst of both companies instead of the best.

[Husar]

Well, actually Blizzard is owned by Vivendi and Vivendi now holds 52% stock in Activision Blizzard.
Can also be read here.

That said, I can't think of any games from either company that I'm particularly interested in.

[Papewaio]

Most of that is in the initial article. Which surprised me as I always thought of Blizzard as a US company.

[TinCow]

Don't they have opposite ideas about patching?

Activision next to none and Blizzard keeps on patching years after the release of a game?

I hope the Blizzard model wins out.

That is exactly my concern. Blizzard is easily the best 'patching' developer I have ever come across. I do not expect good things to come from this.

[Mouzafphaerre]

Well, actually Blizzard is owned by Vivendi and Vivendi now holds 52% stock in Activision Blizzard.
Can also be read here.

That said, I can't think of any games from either company that I'm particularly interested in.

.
Vivendi owns everything!
.

[I of the Storm]

That is exactly my concern. Blizzard is easily the best 'patching' developer I have ever come across. I do not expect good things to come from this.

Me neither. I'm afraid the beancounters and accountants will prevail.

[FactionHeir]

So after Bioware Blizzard gets somewhat jumbled up as well, huh?

Let's see how this merger affects SCII

[Husar]

.
Vivendi owns everything!
.

They're bigger than EA now.

What I tried to say was that when Vivendi and Blizzard had a good patching policy and now Vivendi has the majority of Activision Blizzard, maybe they'll keep their patching policy since Activision doesn't have as much to say.
Just an idea.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
TBH, Vivendi has a good reputation inmy view. They're still supporting decade-old games at least in terms of hosting forums. (Heck, they made a patch for Emperor years after release, with new campaigns and many fixes!) I occassioanally take a peek at the Emperor and Pharaoh fora from the Sierra (also Vivendi's) city building series. The guys who actually made those games broke apart (their branch abolished) and founded Tilted Mill but that's a different story.

OTOH, tell any old Cutthroat Eidos or a diehard Sea Dog Bethesda and see what happens to your corpse.
.

[TinCow]

Ironically, in this article a games industry says that he expects the merger to fuel to push towards a greater online component for console games. He says that the lifespan of games will be extended through internet downloads, known to us PC gamers as 'mods.' I find this an interesting perspective on the merger. If it is true, I will be very happy, since greater online connectivity for consoles is one of the things which I think will return gaming to its glory days.

[CrossLOPER]

WOOHOO! Crappy and generic games for the win, gaiz!!!!

[drone]

Ironically, in this article a games industry says that he expects the merger to fuel to push towards a greater online component for console games. He says that the lifespan of games will be extended through internet downloads, known to us PC gamers as 'mods.' I find this an interesting perspective on the merger. If it is true, I will be very happy, since greater online connectivity for consoles is one of the things which I think will return gaming to its glory days.

The difference being that you will probably have to pay for these console "mods", whereas PC game modding, I would imagine, is more fan-based, and thus free. PC mods are works of love, not profit, which probably give an overall better product.

[Whacker]

NSFW WARNING: POTTY WORDS IN LINK

This comic sums up my views on this rather well.

[Xiahou]

The real question is, what will they call the newly merged company?

Blizzavision or Actizzard?