Activision to Offer Up Ghostbusters, Brutal Legend, World in Conflict to Other Publishers

When companies merge, or in this - when giants collide, several changes always take place. Some of them are great changes, some of them are… well this is a family friendly site so I will let you fill in the blank.

Case in point: The Activision Blizzard (Vivendi) merger. Its great that there is a huge company out there ready, willing and able to go after EA with broadsword, but that little blessing is also a bit bittersweet. Some games have been cut, not canned, but cut from the new publishing giant’s list and will be offered up to other publishers for distribution, or sale if you will.

The majority of these cuts come from Sierra, which means that the only games that they have been working on that made this cut are: Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age, Spyro, and unannounced game and Prototype which means that these games will be the only wholly owned properties that Activision Blizzard will keep. Ghostbusters, World in Conflict, and Brutal Legend, however, did not make it.

Vivendi Games Mobile, and Sierra Online might also go up on the auction block, and the realigning of staff for Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios is also in the works. Massive Entertainment, which is working on Prototype at the moment (which made the merger) and Swordfish Studios are also being considered for liquidation. High Moon as you may recall, were the folks behind the Bourne game, and Massive was working on World in Conflict.

However, don’t get upset over Ghostbusters and the other two as of yet. They are still being worked on as we speak. According to a source, who wished to remain anonymous, Ghostbusters, especially, is still coming just possibly not from Activision Blizzard.

As told to VG247:

“It’s basically being put out to tender. Considering where it is in development, hopefully someone else will pick it. I guess that if there are Sierra games that are not mentioned in the Activision press release, then they’re part and parcel of the stuff that’s going out to tender, but I don’t know for sure. But I would not used the word ‘canned’ if I were you [talking about Ghostbusters]. “

So until more on this develops, keep your fingers crossed that Ghostbusters, Brutal Legend, and World in Conflict and any other game that Sierra and the others were working on, that you happen to have been looking forward to, will be picked up by someone else.

What really baffles me though is that they actually think that a game like The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (yes I know it is already out) is considered a hot commodity but Ghostbusters is not. Very strange thinking there, very strange indeed.

You can read the full Activision press release after the jump.

Thanks: VG247

Activision Publishing Broadens Product Portfolio With Crash Bandicoot(R), Ice Age(R), Spyro(R) and Two New Intellectual Properties - Monday July 28, 6:00 pm ET - Company to Streamline Vivendi Games’ Studio Operations

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Further strengthening its foundation for future growth, Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI - News) today announced that the company will broaden its product portfolio by adding Vivendi Games’ multi-million unit selling properties Crash Bandicoot®, Ice Age® and Spyro® to its roster of proven franchises. The company will also retain two new intellectual properties that are currently in development — Prototype and a second game that has not yet been announced.

Additionally, Activision Publishing will continue to support the Vivendi Games’ catalogue including The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor(TM), which was launched on July 22 in conjunction with the release of Universal Pictures’ theatrical feature film.

Games based on Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age and Spyro have been top-selling titles in North America and Europe. The Crash Bandicoot franchise has sold more than 35 million units across multiple platforms in North America and Europe since its first release in 1996, and life-to-date units of Spyro have exceeded 20 million worldwide. The Ice Age feature films have grossed in excess of $1 billion in theatrical box office revenues worldwide, and Sierra Entertainment’s Ice Age® 2: The Meltdown(TM) sold nearly two million units worldwide.

“Four of the five properties that we are keeping will be wholly owned properties that further bolster our strong brand portfolio,” said Mike Griffith, CEO of Activision Publishing. “We are very excited to add such recognizable and successful brands as Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age and Spyro, which reinforce our leadership position in movie-based and family entertainment video games.”

Griffith added, “We have conducted a thorough review of Vivendi Games’ brand portfolio and are retaining those franchises and titles that are a strong fit with our long-term product strategy. We are reviewing our options regarding those titles that we will not be publishing.”

Additionally, Activision Publishing announced that the company intends to adapt the Vivendi Games’ studio operations to better align the studio structure against the new product slate. The company will realign staffing at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios and is exploring options regarding Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios, including the possibility of divestiture.

Griffith continued, “We are focused on improving efficiency across the combined organization and are concentrating on businesses where we have leadership positions that are aligned with Activision Publishing’s long-term corporate objectives.”

The company also is evaluating options regarding two non-strategic business units Vivendi Games Mobile and Sierra Online, which provides casual games for the PC and Xbox® Live® Marketplace, including the possibility of divesting these business units.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.