Activision Looking to Blow More Cash

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Activision Looking to Blow More Cash


Activision Blizzard [http://www.activisionblizzard.com/], cash-flush and ready to spend, is considering new acquisitions in the near future as the recession drives the prices of potential takeover targets to irresistible lows.

merged with Vivendi Games [http://www.activision.com/] to become Activision Blizzard. And while many other publishers are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, Activision is packing $3 billion in cash and no debt, and is thus in a great position to take advantage of the current buyer's market.

"The combination of Activision holding a fair amount of cash and presumably prices being depressed, not only for publicly traded companies but also likely for new intellectual property licensing rights, should certainly create opportunities," Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said in an interview with Bloomberg [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aHj2T0wkztkU&refer=us]. The company is looking to "fill holes in its product line" and expand internationally, he said.

But while Activision's solid financial footing, not to mention its access to the Magic Money Machine known to gamers as World of Warcraft [http://www.worldofwarcraft.com], have put it in a position to do pretty much whatever it wants, Griffiths said the company won't snap up new properties just for the sake of blowing some coin. "We won't rush to judgment just because we have cash," he said. "We will be very disciplined."

Suggestions, anyone?


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Ranooth

BEHIND YOU!!
Mar 26, 2008
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Ok for the first time in my life im actually concerned about the future of gaming.

BULLFROG PLEASE SAVE US!!!!
 

Jack and Calumon

Digimon are cool.
Dec 29, 2008
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Let's think. Who would Activision buy?

1. Midway maybe? (Are they even still around?)
2. THQ Perhaps? (Don't think so)
3. Team sonic because NO-ONE WANTS TO BUY THEIR GAMES ANYMORE!!! (No, definetly not)

Who would Blizzard buy?

1. Lionhead studios? (Nah)
2. Bethesda? (More likely than the last one but I'd still say nah)
3. Team Sonic (Please stop suggesting that)

Who would I buy?

1. Who
2. The
3. Hell
4. Cares?
 

Cousin_IT

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Feb 6, 2008
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I hope if they do start buying up IPs etc they dont just sit on them & look smug with themselves for exploiting the recession
 

thiosk

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Sep 18, 2008
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i smell an increase in stock prices, which have been down over 50% off the highs.

Flush with cash and zero debt, must be nice. I hope they don't buy midway, because mortal combat blows.
 

lornb

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Jan 16, 2009
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I suggest you start by cutting off the head, then you drive a stake through the heart. You'll have to burn it to make sure it won't rise again.
 

Jhereg42

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Apr 11, 2008
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Whitenight2008 said:
hmmm Activision Blizzard + Bethesda = Fallout Online?
Nope. Interplay owns the rights to a Fallout MMO and has one in development right now.

Speaking of which, those rights (if attractive to ActiBliz, would make a very cheap and still independant Interplay an interesting target.
 

ChaosTheory3133

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Jan 13, 2009
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Hmmm... Interesting considering they tossed out it's portfolio of interesting IPs because they couldn't be "exploited". Wonder what it takes to lie beside the great Activision Blizzard
 

nova18

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Feb 2, 2009
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This news made me die inside.
But it could be good news to dev teams who ARE affected by the recession. At least if Act/Bliz buy them out, they could keep on the original develo......

I'm not even going to continue, this is just bad.
 

ccesarano

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Oct 3, 2007
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This is even worse than hearing about EA trying to grab a new company. After the Activision/Blizzard merger, they chopped off any project that couldn't be released annually. This meant removing Ghostbusters, Brutal Legend and Riddick.

If they absorb another company, all we can expect is a rise of sequelitis. At least EA has been trying to change for the better. I'm starting to like them a lot better than Activision, in fact (after Dead Space and Mirror's Edge, and the fact that the Wii Dead Space game isn't just a port but an original title meant to do more than grab some quick cash? Hell yeah).