Breakfast Topic: Your new Activision overlords

by Elizabeth Harper Dec 4th 2007 at 8:00AM

We've all had a couple of days to mull over the news of the big Activision Vivendi merger announced this weekend. The forums, official and unofficial, have been filled with outcries of concern over what this means for the future of Blizzard and their favorite game, while Blizzard has reassuringly repeated that nothing is really changing. But after all the excitement dies down, the truth is that it's all just words until we see what happens. But today I'm asking for your predictions: where will the new Activision Blizzard be a year from now?

Tags: activision, activision-blizzard, blizzard, merger, vivendi, world-of-warcraft, wow

Filed under: Blizzard, Breakfast topics

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

evestraw Dec 4th 2007 8:09AM

dont think it really affect wow

maybe more players

lukian Dec 4th 2007 8:15AM

Vivendi games ... had a major in-house developer in the form of Blizzard Entertainment, which Davidson had acquired in 1994...

"In December 2007 it was announced that Vivendi Games would merge with Activision."

So explain how Activision are:
a) NEW
b) Overlords of Blizzard Entertainment

Chris Anthony Dec 4th 2007 10:49AM

Er. You understand that December 2007 is this month, right?

Lykaon Dec 4th 2007 8:22AM

I think it the short-term nothing will change. One year from now it will be hard to isolate and describe what has changed.

But over time, quality will go down. Blizzard will lose autonomy. They will become part of a machine.

Their games won't suck. Their games will still be some of the best in the industry. But they won't be the groundbreaking, life-altering, games of the past.

It is the beginning of the end, but it won't happen with a bang. It will happen slowly over time, with a whimper.

Polarina Dec 4th 2007 10:01AM

You know Blizzard has a solution in case that occurs. It's called World of Warcraft II.

JrSlacker Dec 4th 2007 8:25AM

I honestly think you won't see any huge change on the game, and to back it up by saying Blizzard or Vivendi aren't stupid, so they wouldn't allow Activision come in if it was a bad idea. Perfect example is Bungie/Bioware, people went INSANE over that, but it only increases Bungies power. I really see more oportunities for Blizzard.

Marcus Dec 4th 2007 8:35AM

A DLC for Guitar Hero 3 featuring "Warcraft's Greatest Hits" is the only thing I foresee out of this.

Talgrimn Dec 4th 2007 8:49AM

L70ETC songs on Guitar Hero? Heh, that might actually make me want to get Guitar Hero for myself..

EirieYuki Dec 5th 2007 10:25PM

I see happening to WoW like every other blizzard game that is "out of date" and old. Like, Starcraft, Diablo(I&II), they are going to be forgotten about by the developer, still releasing patches and fixes, but like in starcraft and diablo.. The older they get the more "1337 Hax" are available and used.

Although, that is my opinion and i'm stickin' with it!

Aurix Dec 4th 2007 8:51AM

I hear they're adding "stupid fake guitar" as a new weapon skill.

tru fax

Marsh Dec 4th 2007 8:56AM

Maybe the new devs will bring a fans approach to the game and finally get world pvp, leveling and raiding right. Cuz blizzard really sucks at it.

Easterling Dec 4th 2007 9:01AM

Inevitabley there will be movement at the top of the company as new bosses take control. Will Blizzard be able to maintain quality output? It really depends if the new masters decide to cash in on the companies good name, and its hard to see why they wouldn't. Expect to see more Blizzard games of steadily declining quality.

Buckshot Dec 4th 2007 9:00AM

Finally, I will be able to get Red Bull and Doritos from the food and drink vendors. Plus the advantage to hiding behind the Pontiac billboard in AV is totally uber.

Shadowisp Dec 4th 2007 9:06AM

Cant wait till the day that Activision is introduced to their new toy... Warden

Kay Dec 4th 2007 9:11AM

This may very well mean little to nothing in the long run. However, you can hardly blame anyone who knows anything about business in the U.S. for being cynical about the state of affiairs. Many of us have personally worked in a company where a similar shake-up occured, in the video game industry or otherwise. Often the meeting immediately after goes something like this.

"For those of you concerned about the upcoming merger and/or restructuring, we just wanted to let you all know that there's nothing to be concerned about, and nothing at all will change except for increased funding!"

"Um...sir?"

"Yes, Jenkins?"

"Are you cleaning out my desk?"

"Oh! Erm...no, not at all! I'm just erm...restructing your workspace to um...help utilize your productivity. I'm er...streamling your core competencies?"

matt.millermd Dec 7th 2007 2:40PM

They would have to be pretty dumb to mess with a billion dollar profit maker...

java Dec 4th 2007 9:31AM

As with all mergers, first 6 months expect no changes at all. People getting a feel with for each other and the new company looking for reduncies such as consolidating HR and what not. New corporate policies will be developed disenfranchising people as no one openly welcomes change.

12 months in, expect to see a flight from quality as beating the number one video game distributor (EA) becomes the clear and undaunting message. Although WoW still continues to move forward subscriber base growth will trump quality. The top percent of hard core raiders start leaving the game feeling unchallenged by the new content. The less hardcore see the hardcore migrate away from the game and they become someone stymied at the prospects ahead of the them because it's just not as attractive based on what they see.

The content becomes less refined, the new company starts selling more expansions instead of building them into patches because of the "hey we own these players, they will pay for the content regardless" mentality comes about thereby using WoW as a catalyst to fund other far flung poorly thought out initatives. WoW subscriber base starts to slide, perhaps a shift in the pardigm changes after that, but never the less people are already investing in character development in other MMO's who are offering a richer expereince at this point and getting those subscribers back will be harder than it was to previously because they feel like the game they truly loved has just divorced them and taken everything (EULA applies here).

Acitivision is what they are purely a profit mongering gaming company to which they only aspire to produce low quality games hoping for the occasional hit and will over a period of time suck all that we love out of the staff at blizzard.

Surely we all complain about balance in game or frequent bugs that irk us to some degree or another. I still complain that my rogue is really only good for farming now since I dont believe it scaled well in TBC. But at the end of the day we complain because we care, we enjoy our game. I think we will see less complaining and more accounts cancelled as a result of this rather large change, regardless with what is said today by the big decision makers.

Mark my words, Activision is the start of the end for all of us who love World of Warcraft, as someone who's been in the corporate world for a very long time and subject to a fair share of mergers and acquisitions I guarantee you we're all just playing on borrowed time. I am very saddened by the developement and will be very very sad about having to walk away from all the time I invested in this hobby I call WoW. Enjoy the game while you can...

SaintStryfe Dec 4th 2007 9:38AM

java, I think your concerns are way overblown. Again, Viviendi bought Activision. This is the good company buying the IP of the morons. This is of course noting that Vivendi has been massively hands-off with Blizz and especially with WoW (How many people out there knew Viviendi owned Blizzard?).

I expect big shakeups - at Activision. I seriously doubt they're going to start bundling more less-full expansion packs just because they got some new IP and developers.

Beside, half of what you say happens would happen without this buy out. Will WoW one day be less then it is now? Sure. Does it matter or deserve a wall of text now? No.

original2k Dec 4th 2007 9:50AM

you guys all have a valid reason to be concerned, but really who would want to change such a good thing? i mean YES of course it's absolutely possible but this game has an installed userbase of 9million+, do you honestly think they are going to do anything to effect of ruining that group of people's interest in one of the videogame industry's hottest commodities?

like i said it is possible, but i REALLY doubt they would do anything so strong in the interest of sustained (and increased) revenue

java Dec 4th 2007 11:04AM

Although I have never worked in the software development industry, I have worked extensively in the technology and finance industry and I can assure you that the merits of my diatribe are not without foundation as I've been very close in following announcements and results of M&A (Merger and Acqusition) in my work and I can assure you what I've outlined is something atypical of the M&A playbook.

I hate to be the daddy-downer of the subject matter but I've been around the block long enough to understand that Blizzard was truly about quality and Activision was truly about the numbers and its investors. Who do you think will win? This is not a have your cake and eat it too scenario I assure you, but trust me when I say this I would be absolutely elated if I was entirely wrong about the long term picture.

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