Activision has just announced that a special meeting of shareholders has given the publishing giant its approval to complete the proposed merger with Blizzard and Vivendi Games. Activision says that when the transaction closes on its expected July 9th date, Vivendi Games will become a new wholly owned subsidiary of Activision.
The proposal to merge the two giants was announced in December 2007 and has since been the topic of much discussion in the gaming industry. The merger of Activision, the world's largest console game publisher and Blizzard, the leader in pure-play online games like World of Warcraft is expected to have a combined revenue of $3.8 billion in the 2007 calendar and the highest operating margins of any major third-party video game publisher.
I'm calling it now:
Tony Hawk's Call of Diablocraft Extreme: Arthas' Revenge
It'll be a Strategic Tactical Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Pro-Skating RPG with Paladins.
you, sir or madam, are a genius. just trying to imagine that has me lolirl
if you've played Metal Gear Solid 2: substinance, then you've actually seen something close to this with the silly Solid Snake skateboarding thing...what a strange experience. i'm glad they didn't build upon that too much. my mind can only handle so many genres as once.
but i'd totally spec for grinding, and get the unlockable unique Azurewrath Skateboard of Accurate-Headshots-While-Grinding. then i'd throw grenades into enemy skateshops while doing a nose manual in Tristram's local military skate park-base
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Stay.
You don't always know where you stand,
'Till you know that you won't run away.
There's something inside me that feels...
Like breathing in sulfur.
I just hope with all these new chiefs in the house they let Blizzard stay true to it's roots. I'd hate to see some numbskull from outside Blizzard get the idea that they're gonna "improve" some it's games.
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There is a place on Earth for all God's creatures...... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy...^_^
I worry that some douchebag exec at Activision is gonna ruin Blizzard by forcing them to make crappy console games. I smell the end of Blizzard's reign at the top of PC gaming.
I'm pretty sure (well, I hope) that Blizzard has its creativity under its own reins. The last thing any of us want is for Activision's chief guy to decide, hey, let's make Starcraft for consoles. As a Starcraft fan, that would suck!
That said, I can totally see Diablo 3 being made for consoles, since the game only needs to be played with one hand they could easily modify the 360's controller to support it. Having inventory items stackable and take up a single slot instead of the Tetris nonsense in previous games helps big time, too.
The only thing that worries me about a Diablo 3 console game is the Battle.net support. Will Microsoft allow it or is everyone who plays it on the console gonna be forced onto XBox Live? It's crap compared to what Blizzard has in store.
Seriously, I wouldn't mind seeing Diablo introduced to a whole new group of gamers. It only helps to expand its popularity. So long as some executive doesn't decide that sequels/expansions to Diablo for the PC don't need to be made for the PC anymore because they're "not as profitable" or because "the PC is dead!"
Judging from what Blizzard's executives had to say, I'm pretty sure they'll never let that happen.
I'm pretty sure (well, I hope) that Blizzard has its creativity under its own reins. The last thing any of us want is for Activision's chief guy to decide, hey, let's make Starcraft for consoles. As a Starcraft fan, that would suck!
That said, I can totally see Diablo 3 being made for consoles, since the game only needs to be played with one hand they could easily modify the 360's controller to support it. Having inventory items stackable and take up a single slot instead of the Tetris nonsense in previous games helps big time, too.
The only thing that worries me about a Diablo 3 console game is the Battle.net support. Will Microsoft allow it or is everyone who plays it on the console gonna be forced onto XBox Live? It's crap compared to what Blizzard has in store.
Seriously, I wouldn't mind seeing Diablo introduced to a whole new group of gamers. It only helps to expand its popularity. So long as some executive doesn't decide that sequels/expansions to Diablo for the PC don't need to be made for the PC anymore because they're "not as profitable" or because "the PC is dead!"
Judging from what Blizzard's executives had to say, I'm pretty sure they'll never let that happen.
I believe at one time the original Diablo was on console. You could only play offline, because of the fact it was a PS1 game.
Also, most games that do go from PC to Console; have a bad taste. It's just not the same, I don't think I could ever play any of the Diablo games on a console. The feeling of the game would be off for me.
I worry that some douchebag exec at Activision is gonna ruin Blizzard by forcing them to make crappy console games. I smell the end of Blizzard's reign at the top of PC gaming.
don't worry Blizzard has, and always will have complete autonomy. They under no ones thumb. Well except maybe their fans.
Blizzard has said many many times before that they hold complete control over what games they make, how those games are made, how long they take to make, what platform they will release them on and when it's considered "done".
Anyone would be a fool to step in and mess with the receipe that Blizzard is working with. Everyone knows that whatever it is that they do behind closed doors, works. It works better then anyone else in the industry. A smart man who buys out Blizzard would say " Good job, keep doing whatever it is that you do!".
Only thing I would wish would change at Blizzard is the length of time they take to develop a game. It takes them just as long now when they are a HUGE company as it did when they just started out. I mean i know they work on several games at once now instead of just one, but they still take ridiculously long time to produce a game.
this should be interesting to watch play out, with that much more money and funding who knows what we will see. im just hoping they dont mix console and pc games too much, i like my pc games to stay pc and my consol games to stay right where they are.
...haha blizzbox...
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The proposal to merge the two giants was announced in December 2007 and has since been the topic of much discussion in the gaming industry. The merger of Activision, the world's largest console game publisher and Blizzard, the leader in pure-play online games like World of Warcraft is expected to have a combined revenue of $3.8 billion in the 2007 calendar and the highest operating margins of any major third-party video game publisher.
Source: Reuters
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
ok now that that's over, i just wonder how this would effect both gaming companies, or even effect them at all?
Making Controversial points one post at a time!
Tony Hawk's Call of Diablocraft Extreme: Arthas' Revenge
It'll be a Strategic Tactical Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Pro-Skating RPG with Paladins.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
How long did it take you to think of that?
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
you, sir or madam, are a genius. just trying to imagine that has me lolirl
if you've played Metal Gear Solid 2: substinance, then you've actually seen something close to this with the silly Solid Snake skateboarding thing...what a strange experience. i'm glad they didn't build upon that too much. my mind can only handle so many genres as once.
but i'd totally spec for grinding, and get the unlockable unique Azurewrath Skateboard of Accurate-Headshots-While-Grinding. then i'd throw grenades into enemy skateshops while doing a nose manual in Tristram's local military skate park-base
You don't always know where you stand,
'Till you know that you won't run away.
There's something inside me that feels...
Like breathing in sulfur.
That said, I can totally see Diablo 3 being made for consoles, since the game only needs to be played with one hand they could easily modify the 360's controller to support it. Having inventory items stackable and take up a single slot instead of the Tetris nonsense in previous games helps big time, too.
The only thing that worries me about a Diablo 3 console game is the Battle.net support. Will Microsoft allow it or is everyone who plays it on the console gonna be forced onto XBox Live? It's crap compared to what Blizzard has in store.
Seriously, I wouldn't mind seeing Diablo introduced to a whole new group of gamers. It only helps to expand its popularity. So long as some executive doesn't decide that sequels/expansions to Diablo for the PC don't need to be made for the PC anymore because they're "not as profitable" or because "the PC is dead!"
Judging from what Blizzard's executives had to say, I'm pretty sure they'll never let that happen.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
I believe at one time the original Diablo was on console. You could only play offline, because of the fact it was a PS1 game.
Also, most games that do go from PC to Console; have a bad taste. It's just not the same, I don't think I could ever play any of the Diablo games on a console. The feeling of the game would be off for me.
Easy enough to remedy. Just as MS has its Xbox, Blizzard could break into the console world with its own machine -- the BlizzBox.
I can't believe I just said that.
I'm suffering from a lack of sleep.
(I'm not a fan of consoles, unless its old-school Atari [2600/5200].)
don't worry Blizzard has, and always will have complete autonomy. They under no ones thumb. Well except maybe their fans.
Too lazy to read about the latest technology? Then visit TigerDirectBlog for Tech Update Videos.
I Lol'd. That was great.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
Anyone would be a fool to step in and mess with the receipe that Blizzard is working with. Everyone knows that whatever it is that they do behind closed doors, works. It works better then anyone else in the industry. A smart man who buys out Blizzard would say " Good job, keep doing whatever it is that you do!".
Only thing I would wish would change at Blizzard is the length of time they take to develop a game. It takes them just as long now when they are a HUGE company as it did when they just started out. I mean i know they work on several games at once now instead of just one, but they still take ridiculously long time to produce a game.
...haha blizzbox...