• development

    Old Vivendi Digs Put To Constructive Use

    Vivendi's Los Angeles headquarters at the Howard Hughes Center might be gone, but what's taken its place will leave a lasting impact on LA drivers for years to come. More »
    06/26/09
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    Comment by ShoopDaBoofs: Pretty sure California should be working on not being bankrupt than roads.. 19 Responses | Other threads

  • the bourne conspiracy

    Ludlum Rep Says Jason Bourne In The Hands Of "Grown Ups Now"

    Seems Robert Ludlum's estate was no fan of Vivendi's The Bourne Conspiracy. Keith Boesky, who represents the interests of Robert Ludlum, says of the new deal with Electronic Arts, "We're dealing with grown ups now." More »
    02/02/09
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    Comment by KamikazeSim: Will this go towards the way of Bond and Batman under EA? I think so! But what can you do? I... 6 Responses | Other threads

  • ghostbusters

    Ghostbusters Gets Publisher, Release Window

    As was expected, it's been revealed that Atari have picked up the rights to the Ghostbusters game, left in limbo ever since the Activision/Vivendi merger killed off the game's original publisher, Sierra. Atari plans to release Ghostbusters "early next summer", to coincide with the first movie's 25th anniversary. Atari also announced they've picked up the in-development Riddick game (full title The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena), which will be out next spring. More »
    10/29/08
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    Comment by NewSpecies: Next summer? Damn. Well, at least this gives my wallet some time to heal from the major stab wounds I... 4 Responses | Other threads

  • 50 cent: blood on the sand

    50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is Dead, Dead, Dead [Update]

    Remember 50 Cent II, the sequel to discography-cum-video game 50-Cent: Bulletproof? The game that Sierra named 50-Cent: Blood on the Sand? The one that has a love-interest, slick graphics and tons of blood? More »
    09/19/08
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    Comment by phil2dot6: [www.gamesindustry.biz] Seriously Kotaku, check your sources. 5 Responses | Other threads

  • ghostbusters

    Ghostbusters Pulled From Gamestop

    We are getting reports that Gamestop have pulled Ghostbusters from pre-order. The tips center on an internal email at Gamestop, informing staff that pre-order customers will be entitled to a full refund. More »
    08/29/08
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    Comment by juscallmeweasel: Am i missing something? i thought companies werent allowed to take payment until the game ships? 3 Responses | Other threads

  • brutal legend

    Electronic Arts Publishing Brutal Legend?

    So we know that Double Fine's musical epic Brutal Legend is fine, because Tim Schafer told us so. We also know that it's not going to be published by Vivendi or by MTV. But who is going to put out this Jack Black anthem? According to at least one source the game's future publisher is none other than Electronic Arts. More »
    08/13/08
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    Comment by joeloliol: as long as they don't even SLIGHTLY affect the artistic integrity of the game... or try to censor the game... more » | Other threads

  • sierra

    Sierra's Last Game Is A Sad Way To Go Out

    Ah, Sierra. So, so, so many fond memories. King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, Quest For Glory, Half-Life 1, Homeworld, SWAT...so many good games, so many good times. So it's crushing to see that, as the label prepares to fade into oblivion following the Blactivision merger, its last game is...less than memorable. Hitting the printers as the ink dried on the Activision-Vivendi merger was Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, making it most likely the last game to be sold under the Sierra brand name (at least until someone digs it up, Atari style). An awful game based on an awful movie. Shame, that. More »
    08/08/08
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    Comment by Refused: @DukeOfPwn: That woman made the experience extremely painful for me also. more » | Other threads

  • sierra

    Is It Time To Let Sierra Die?

    That's a question Edge are asking today, and it follows on from a string of questions people have been asking for at least 10-15 years. What was once a company renowned for their PC adventure games, and later as the publisher of stuff like Half-Life and SWAT, are now facing oblivion, with Activision displaying zero interest in maintaining the brand following their merger with Vivendi. Me, I say put it to rest, and it's a sentiment shared by company founder Ken Williams: More »
    08/01/08
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    Comment by LVP: @thurauh1: How about Gold Rush more » | Other threads

  • sony pictures

    Will We See The Ghostbusters Game In 2009?

    So Activision doesn't want to publish Ghostbuster: The Videogame (silly, Activision). We've heard that the game isn't cancelled, but what exactly does that mean? Is it even coming out or will it just languish? According to Variety, Sony Pictures, who owns the rights to Ghostbuters and who licensed the IP to Vivendi last year, is working Vivendi "to evaluate various options surrounding the release of the 'Ghostbusters' video game." What's more, Sony adds: More »
    07/30/08
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    Comment by Ashkihyena: @crashlanding: That would suck balls, meaning that us with just the PC and 360 couldn't play it, and honestly, I... more » | Other threads

  • activision blizzard

    Vivendi Gives Bourne Back To Ludlum

    As a part of Activision's continuing offloading of Sierra properties, Ludlum Entertainment has required the rights to create games based off of the works of Robert Ludlum. These include the Bourne series and Covert One, both of which excited Crecente to no end when Vivendi first announced them back in 2005. Now three years and one measly game later the ball is back in Ludlum's court. More »
    07/30/08
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    Comment by stryker1800: @Koztah: just wanted to make sure you were prepared. lol more » | Other threads

  • vivendi

    "Ghostbusters Is Not Cancelled And Will Not Be"

    Earlier, we brought word that Activision was taking inventory of Sierra's catalogue and picking and choosing games it wanted to publish. Some games, like Crash Bandicoot, made the cut. Other games like Ghostbusters: The Video Game did not. Does that mean the game's been canned? Well, no. It means that the game doesn't have a publisher. The dev team is still there! Dan Aykroyd is still there! Ernie Hudson, he's still there!! Activision isn't the only show in town, and as a Vivendi spokesperson told game site Destructoid: "It is not cancelled and will not be cancelled." More »
    07/29/08
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    Comment by BtownDesignGuy: Oh Activision. How I loathe your business decisions. I would say you are the new EA... but that might actually... 1 Responses | Other threads

  • activision

    Activision Adds Sierra's Spyro, Crash To Line Up; Ghostbusters, Brütal Legend Dropped?

    Activision announced today that it would be taking a handful of titles formerly published by (and planned to be published by) Sierra and add them to its own product portfolio. Games in the Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age and Spyro the Dragon series will join the Activision family of published titles, with Prototype and an unnamed, unannounced fifth title to rest in the shade of the mega publisher's wing. More »
    07/28/08
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    Comment by hogarth3: @Hikaru: actually i was looking forward to that. and i hated the first. more » | Other threads

  • activision blizzard

    Activision Blizzard Merger Finalized

    When yesterday over 92 percent Activision shareholders gave their thumbs-up to the company's pending merger with Vivendi, it was pretty much a done deal, and today Activision Blizzard is official. More »
    07/10/08
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    Comment by MattMoylan: LIZARD-VISION is born! more » | Other threads

  • tim schafer

    We Won't Be Seeing Brütal Legend At E3 :(

    Sunday night's pre-E3 Kotaku party is going to be a booze-fueled, feel-good adventure. None of that, however, will dull the pain of Brütal Legend's absence at E3, an absence confirmed by MTV Multiplayer today. Double Fine Productions frontman Tim Schafer confirmed the bad news earlier today and I'm just barely keeping it together. More »
    07/08/08
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    Comment by Tye-The-Czar: That's as heartbreaking as Episode 12 Code Geass R2 at the end. WAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! (watch Code Geass! Please.) more » | Other threads

  • activision

    Court Denies Injunction To Retirement Group In Acti-Blizz Merger

    Shareholders are expected to approve Activision's pending merger with Vivendi with a vote on July 8th, and now one more obstacle has been cleared: the Delaware Court of Chancery has denied a request for a preliminary injunction on behalf of Wayne County Employees' Retirement System, who sued in April because it, as a group, opposed the merger. More »
    07/02/08
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    Comment by That mop mutant from NES.: They finally must have gotten a wind about WoW. I thought it was Groundhog day. At least they took the initiative... more » | Other threads

  • ghostbusters

    Ghostbusters Game Gets With The Jibber-Jabber

    Movies tend to run longer these days than they used to (where'd the 87-minute feature go?), but even taking that into account, the average size of a film script today is around 120-150 pages. The Ghostbusters game? 480 pages. Oh, sorry. According to Ernie Hudson (and if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything he says), it's "480 pages or something". While that's not huge in terms of games, where sometimes thousands upon thousands of lines of dialogue must be recorded (hi, Oblivion), it's huge when you consider the entire principal cast of this game are Hollywood talent. And huge when that means they've recorded three Ghostbusters film's worth of stuff. More »
    06/04/08
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    Comment by VakeroRokero: @BtownDesignGuy: This is a game, not Hamlet. It's gotta have tons of random chit chat... more » | Other threads

  • ea

    Some Electronic Arts ESA Cheerleading

    So, yeah, Activision and Vivendi pulled out of ESA. What does that mean? Let's ask EA! Jeff Brown, the Canada's arm of corporate communications, said: More »
    05/19/08
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    Comment by Keepin It Hamsta: EA telling companies they make bad decisions about how to treat their consumers is like Microsoft telling Apple to make... more » | Other threads

  • ghostbusters

    Ghostbusters Gameplay: Don't Cross the Streams

    This, courtesy of Playr TV over on the UK's Bravo, seems to be the video that Flynn saw at the Sierra Spring Event back in April. If you're itching for this game, due out on all platforms around Halloween, you've probably seen gameplay clips in other videos so far. This one is a good five-minute look that lets you form your own impressions of the game, due out around Halloween on all platforms. A few of mine after the jump. More »
    05/17/08
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    Comment by freespeech: nah the wall coming apart and 2:17 looked pretty hokey BUT it was pretty cool how you could raise it... more » | Other threads

  • warcraft gold

    Blizzard Made $295M Last Quarter, Wrath of the Lich King Dated For Second Half Of '08

    Vivendi Games, which contributed some $340 million to its parent company's "very good" first quarter, continues to place much of its success on Blizzard Entertainment. The World of Warcraft developer provided an impressive $295 million to Vivendi's games division, with a good portion of that cash coming from the MMO's 10.7 million subscriber base. Vivendi says games revenue was down, year over year, with some of that poor performance due to unfavorable exchange rates. Yawn! Who cares about another billion dollar year? We're not Rob Pardo's kids! Where's the next WoW expansion, already? More »
    05/14/08
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    Comment by interstate78: What I really don't understand is why, with all that money they're making, they're not using these ressources to ramp... more » | Other threads

  • record growth

    Activision Announces Record Billion-Dollar Growth In "Breakthrough" Fiscal 08

    Activision saw a record $2.90 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2008, the publisher announced today - $602.5 million was in the fourth quarter alone, as compared to $312.5 million during the same period last year. More »
    05/08/08
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    Comment by CCCombobreaker: @MarionBarryHussein: They were number 1 before Guitar hero took off and at that time EA was worse off financially, although by... more » | Other threads

  • e3 drama

    Industry Insiders Discuss ESA, E3's Future

    What's the fate of E3, and of the Entertainment Software Association? It's worth examining in light of recent events. This morning we broke the news that two major publishers, Activision and Vivendi, have decided to take a pass on the event and exit the trade association, while other companies have withdrawn their E3 attendance as well. At the same time, the ESA appears to be facing stirrings of industry discontent with the ESA's leadership, namely its current president, Mike Gallagher. More »
    05/02/08
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    Comment by samuraiyu: We used to have meetings before the show with all the publishers because we know that once the show starts... more » | Other threads

  • breaking

    ESA Confirms Activision/Vivendi Departure

    The Entertainment Software Association told Kotaku today that both Activision and Vivendi are no longer a part of the industry trade organization, confirming a rumor we broke earlier this morning. More »
    05/02/08
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    Comment by postulio71: The ESA sounds more like a mob "protection" racket. "You pay us money and we make sure no one else get... more » | Other threads

  • rumor

    Activision and Vivendi Break From ESA

    Yesterday word broke that Activision was one of what might be several companies not attending this year's E3 Media and Business Summit. Today I've heard that neither Activision nor Vivendi will be attending the annual conference and are in fact no longer members of the association. More »
    05/02/08
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    Comment by m3tallic7: damn I used to work at Vivendi and didn't see this coming..as to why they're pulling out seems pretty odd...every... more » | Other threads

  • news

    Warner Bros. Gets Vivendi Vet For Prez

    Warner Bros. has hired former Vivendi prez Martin Tremblay as president of its Interactive Entertainment business. In his new role, Tremblay will handle the studio's long-term strategy, from publishing and distribution to licensing and business development. More »
    04/30/08
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    Comment by Billkwando bought his tickets for Hyde's US tour: This article wins the "Least posts ever" award. more » | Other threads

  • ghostbusters

    *This* Is Good Games PR

    Hey, PR types: CGI trailers are misleading. Screens can be, too. Fact sheets are boring, community Q&As never really tell us anything and for God's sake, no more developer diaries, OK? If you want to get reader's attention, do what Vivendi just did to start drumming up attention for their Ghostbusters game, and give the people they want. They want to see some cool shit. Like this fully-restored Ectomobile, which made an appearance at a Minnesota Best Buy solely to promote the new Ghostbusters game. Well, that and fulfil the fantasies of hundreds of grown men, all of whom wish they could have stepped right in, got down to the point and cleaned up the town. Oh yeah. More »
    04/18/08
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    Comment by midnightz: Saw this in the UK... not at a big event... not in the captial city of London... but on the... more » | Other threads

  • activision blizzard

    EU Gives Blizzard Activision Its Blessing

    Today the European Commission granted French telecom and media group Vivendi permission to merge its videogame unit with Activision, thus bringing to fruition the merger first announced back in December. The Commission had to be sure that the joining of the two companies wouldn't cause a monopoly in the marketplace. They could have just asked us, but no, they had to be all official.
    The Commission said for "all categories of game software, the combined firm would continue to face several strong, effective competitors, such as Electronic Arts, and the game console manufacturers, such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft".
    Thank goodness. I know we were all on the edge of our seats there. Go tough-actin' BlizzActin! More »
    04/16/08
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    Comment by KreacherOfBloodandRank: Oh God the WOW Bard class is back XD Here's to seeing the Tauren Marine make a serious appearance in Starcraft more » | Other threads

  • 50 cent

    50 Cent Sequel's Story Is AMAZING

    We've got a little more info on today's darling of the internets, the unexpected sequel to 50 Cent's first game outing, Bulletproof. This time relating to the game's story. A story of blood, sand, promises, treachery, revenge and...a crystal skull. Which we're guessing somebody was paid to write. I...you...look, just read this, will you?
    ...what's inspired the title is, 50 and G-Unit are putting on a sold-out performance somewhere in a fictional Middle Eastern setting. This is where the 'blood on the sand' comes in. They put on the performance; the people are pleased, but the concert promoter stiffs them and doesn't give 50 and G-Unit their payment.
    More »
    03/26/08
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    Comment by Phiedny: I see the Sci-Fi channel let their writers out. 1 Responses | Other threads

  • vivendi

    50 Cent Sequel To Feature Bloody Sand

    Yep, Fifty and the G Unit are back. The follow up to 50 Cent: Bulletproof, the educational shoot 'em up in which the rapper took on a criminal organization out to get him, is known as 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. According to the MTV reveal on the Vivendi-published, Swordfish Studios-developed title, the details of whom 50 and his G's will be shooting at are still super secret. We know 50's going somewhere sandy, bringing AI and player controlled buddies with him and that Formula 50 Vitamin Water and bottles of bub will most likely be consumed. More »
    03/26/08
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    Comment by freespeech: WOW, looks pretty good can't wait for it to come out....is what I would say if I was drunk and... more » | Other threads

  • 50 cent: bulletproof

    Yes, There Is Going To Be A 50 Cent II

    It was simply inevitable. With Vivendi shipping well over a million copies of 50 Cent: Bulletproof to over a million suckers with crap taste in shooters, a sequel was expected. According to a cover snap of the latest issue of EGM, 50 Cent II, as we're calling it now, is reality. It's getting the "first look" preview treatment in next month's mag, something for which we're sure the boys at EGM were gentlemanly enough to feign interest in for a well-deserved exclusive. More »
    03/24/08
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    Comment by freespeech: you think this will be better than shaq-fu?????????????????? more » | Other threads

  • game design

    'Designing Filmic Games': Designing the Bourne Game

    Gamasutra has a great interview up with Paul O'Connor of High Moon Studios, talking about the challenges and pitfalls of designing games based on movie IPs (in this case, a game based on The Bourne Conspiracy; while not directly tied to any of the films, they are using parts of the films in their game). As he succinctly notes early in the interview, the terrible reputation of movies-turned-games is entirely deserved; while I've read a number of interviews tackling this question, this interview is in-depth and a meaty read in a way that most of the others aren't. More »
    03/15/08
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    Comment by FranUnFine: @Eville1: Yes, The Warriors. I see it as a spiritual successor to Streets of Rage, and I can beat that... more » | Other threads

  • mmo

    Activision May Be Considering A Massively Multiplayer Call Of Duty

    The head cheese at Activision, Bobby Kotick, recently made headlines for his assertion that, in order to compete properly with World of Warcraft, publishers may need to invest nearly a billion dollars in such a venture. Fortunately for Kotick and crew, they now have access to the big brains at Blizzard and Vivendi, a group of folks who know quite a bit about the MMO business. How then, can Activision exploit its biggest earners into even bigger financial monsters? More »
    03/04/08
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    83

    Comment by ninjikiran: @MagnusGman: World War 2 Online was an awesome game~ It was never complete enough on release and possibly a little... more » | Other threads

  • legal

    Activision Sued Over Blizzard Merger

    Time for more crazy lawsuit news! Why? Because everyone loves crazy lawsuit news. The mighty Wayne County Employees' Retirement System are unhappy with the merger deal Vivendi and Activision signed last year, claiming that as shareholders they copped a bum deal:
    The merger, stock purchase and tender offer, working in concert, convey control of Activision to Vivendi but fail to offer the Activision stockholders an opportunity to realize a true control premium for their stock.
    And to think, there once was a time people had to work for their money. Cry me a river. More »
    02/27/08
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    Comment by scoli83: @kennyd1: So you are arguing that because a corporation is a legal person, that no duty is owed to shareholders/bondholders? That... more » | Other threads

  • business

    The Activision Blizzard Merger That Nearly Wasn't

    Trying to combine two companies into one successful partnership that all sides are happy with is hard work - and the Activision Blizzard merger was no exception. Papers filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) detail the process - the preliminary proxy statement is really, really massive, but does contain some interesting details about how the merger came to be (and almost wasn't on multiple occasions). More »
    02/02/08
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    Comment by Irenicus-the one and only: This merger seems to be pretty good. Time will tell of course. People hear about Microsoft trying to buy Yahoo? more » | Other threads

  • world of warcraft

    Blizzard Loots $1.2 Billion From 2007, Thanks To WoW

    Vivendi, of which Blizzard Entertainment is a division, released its 2007 earnings revenues today, revealing that the World of Warcraft publisher raked in $1.2 billion (€814 million) in revenue last year. WoW's 10 million large subscriber base contributed the lion's share of the Vivendi Games division's $1.5 billion take (€1.018 billion). Blizzard's revenue was up 58% year over year which can be attributed to strong sales of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and a subscriber boost of 2 million people. More »
    01/30/08
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    Comment by Suzaku: @Xira: Ghost was completely dropped as a game and transferred to other media, IE novels. Tokyopop is also gonna release... more » | Other threads

  • rumor

    Surfer Girl Speaks Again: Blizzard MMO and EA's Karma

    Surfer Girl—the rogue rumor writer who still hasn't really been proven reliable or full of crap—has put up another interesting post. First, if you read between the lines a bit, she claims that Diablo is the new Blizzard MMO.
    What is this new Blizzard MMO?
    More »
    12/14/07
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    Comment by ビッグ ボス: As if Diablo 2 wasn't addictive enough, an MMO would be epic levels of crack. Only thing that could be... more » | Other threads

  • ea

    What If EA Bought Take-Two?

    GameDaily tests the raw mental computing power of four top industry analysts today, gathering their collective thoughts on the possible purchase of Take-Two Interactive by mega-publisher EA. It wasn't that long ago that EA boss John Riccitiello implied that big industry mergers were on their way out, following the company's own acquisition of Bioware/Pandemic. But with the Activision/Blizzard/Vivendi deal still piping hot fresh on industry watcher brains, one has to wonder: will EA snap up another? More »
    12/05/07
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    Comment by Americo: Shh. Quiet, people. If EA buys out Take Two, we could get a new MVP Baseball game. more » | Other threads

  • ring

    Blizzavision Conference Call

    This morning, Activision and Blizzard cracked the OJ for an AM conference call to investors (and of course, interested gaming media). It was a bit too early for our weekend hangovers to stand, but luckily MTV's Stephen Totilo wrote an extensive account of the meeting. Here are the highlights aside from rumors of Dark Elf McMuffin ingestion: More »
    12/03/07
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    Comment by Man In Gauze is an obscure reference to Courage the Cowardly Dog.: Sweet, I can't wait to see the easter eggs in SC2. more » | Other threads

  • omg sequels

    Merger Fact Sheet Reveals Guitar Hero IV, Call Of Duty 5

    Several kotakuites have pointed us towards a PDF file detailing the Activision and Vivendi deal on Vivendi's website, getting all overexcited by the games listed as being in the pipeline on the Activision side. Guitar Hero IV and Call of Duty 5 are listed, alongside new Marvel titles, a new Tony Hawk game, a racing game from Bizarre, new Dreamworks titles, and James Bond. The vibe I've been getting from these emails is "OMG! Guitar Hero IV! CoD 5!" Come on folks, really. Was there any doubt that those two titles would be getting additional sequels? Was there some big scare I missed where they hinted that their most popular franchises were ending with the last installments? Calm down. Have yourself a nice cup of tea and save the excitement for when they announce Call of Guitar Hero, where you travel from the future to battle Nazis with the one weapon they can't counter - ROCK AND ROLL. *throws up horns* More »
    12/03/07
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    Comment by Dakobah: WWII = no sale from me more » | Other threads

  • business

    Will There Be Activision Blizzard Branding? No.

    As we announced last night, Vivendi Games (which includes Blizzard Entertainment) and Activision have merged after Vivendi bought a majority share in the company. Like with any merger, things will obviously change. Things like the name, which will now be Activision Blizzard. Say that a couple times: Activision Blizzard, Activision Blizzard, Activision Blizzard. Seeing that on a game box just might frighten customers. Thankfully, we won't ever see that corporate moniker on a game box. Blizzard President and CEO Mike Morhaime explains: More »
    12/03/07
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    Comment by Similian: HAhahhaha Actard ... Bactivizard Hahahaahah No way any of these would work. more » | Other threads

  • business

    Vivendi Games and Activision Merge to Create Activision Blizzard [Update]

    So I woke up this morning to a press release (and a ton of emails to the tip line) announcing that Vivendi Games (which includes Blizzard) and Activision are merging. Raise your hand if you didn't see that one coming, or do I just need another cup of coffee? Does this mean we have Guitarcraft to look forward to? The companies are going to be holding a conference call tomorrow morning at 8:30 EST that will be accompanied by a live webcast on the Vivendi and Activision websites. Vivendi will be the majority share holder in the deal after purchasing $1.7 billion in Activision stock, and the whole deal is reported to be worth a cool $18.9 billion. The full press release, with all the nitty gritty of the arrangement, is after the jump. Update: if you don't feel like slogging through the entirety of the press release, Blizzard has a nice little FAQ up on how this will impact the day-to-day operations of Blizzard. Short answer? It won't. (thanks to Stephen Totilo for mentioning it). More »
    12/02/07
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    Comment by larzini: Any chance we'll the Marvel Comics, err, Entertainment franchise put into some capable hands for a proper MMORPG. According to the... more » | Other threads