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They were Warn'ed: Warner Bros tries (again) to offload its video game division

ArugulaZ

ArugulaZ

Fearful asymmetry

Another year, another rumor that Warner Bros will sell its video game division to the highest bidder. There was talk last year that WB was going to divest itself of WB Games, in part to recoup the massive debt AT&T incurred from buying the film studio, but ultimately nothing came of it.

My question is this. Of what use is Warner Bros. Games without the Warner Bros. properties? It's too tightly intertwined with Warner Bros. IP (and LEGO) to have value to any other company. Once it's sold, it's not Warner Bros. Games anymore... it's just Games, without the DC comic book characters so frequently used in NetherRealm fighting games, and without a century of Warner-owned television or film properties. What's left? Just Mortal Kombat and a bunch of Midway arcade titles that have long since lost their relevance.

It's an even bigger headache when you consider that console manufacturers like Microsoft and Sony are interested in a purchase. I can't imagine LEGO would want its toy license to be exclusive to one game system, especially when both the Playstation and Xbox brands target an adult audience. I'd imagine that the Danish toy company would pull its license from WB Games and offer it to a company that's not under the constant threat of sale and re-organization, like Electronic Arts or Ubisoft. That in turn would take a sledgehammer to Traveler's Tales, which hasn't made a non-Lego game in at least fifteen years. What else is left for them? We're a long, long way from the time when TT was Psygnosis Lite, and with all the changes in the video game industry over the last twenty five years, I can't imagine they could abandon LEGO and pick up where they left off with Leander and Puggsy.

I would personally recommend that Warner Bros. stay the course and keep their video game division. It won't make a dent in AT&T's massive debt after purchasing WB, and the company is practically worthless to anyone else. But it's not like Warner Bros. has been making rational decisions over the last five years anyway.
 
LBD_Nytetrayn

LBD_Nytetrayn

..and his little cat, too
(He/him)
ArugulaZ said:
I'd imagine that the Danish toy company would pull its license from WB Games and offer it to a company that's not under the constant threat of sale and re-organization, like Electronic Arts or Ubisoft.
Click to expand...
I thought I'd heard recently that wasn't so true of the latter...
 
Olli

Olli

(he/him)
Given this, and the news from Activision at the beginning of the year, and from Square Enix / Eidos just recently, what is up with the video game industry recently? Is some bubble about to burst?
 
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