EA unfazed by Activision Blizzard

When Vivendi and Activision merged recently, everyone in the gaming scene got a jolt. Everyone, it seems, except for third-party software leader Electronic Arts. What does EA have to say now that it has such household franchises as Diablo, Warcraft and Starcraft to worry about in addition to the Call of Duty and Guitar Hero franchises? Find out in the full article.

In the face of the power surge generated by Activision and Vivendi‘s merger, current third-party game software leader Electronic Arts expresses its confidence in remaining on top of the world. According to an EA representative, his company welcomes the challenge.

Vivendi recently shocked the business world by sealing a US$ 18.9 billion deal to form new corporate entity Activision Blizzard. The name second part of the name is derived from Blizzard Entertainment, Vivendi’s flagship studio.

This melding of companies virtually eliminates the financial margin between number one publisher EA and number two Activision.

“We’re always at our best when we have a clearly defined competitor,” said an EA rep. “[The Activision/Vivendi merger] doesnÂ’t change our strategy. Our CEO John Riccitiello has been encouraging senior managers to think of all other publishers as one large competitor–he’s been encouraging them to think like challengers.”

Activision brings in some serious guns to the corporate battlefield with its Call of Duty and Guitar Hero franchises. Vivendi and Blizzard, on the other hand, stomp in with powerhouse MMORPG World of Warcraft and PC franchises Diablo, Warcraft and Starcraft. The unification heralds Activision’s entry into the MMO arena.

“We wish them good luck and look forward to the competition,” concludes the EA rep. “We believe that EA still has the industry’s strongest portfolio of game franchises.”

Via Next-gen.biz