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Update: AT&T no longer seeking sale of Warner Brothers gaming unit

Brian

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Brian

Brian

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Besides the usuals (take-two, EA, and Activision Blizzard), I wonder if Epic would get involved. It would solidify their PC store foothold and make them a big player. I would assume an IPO would follow such an acquisition. 

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Commissar SFLUFAN

Commissar SFLUFAN

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3 minutes ago, ManUtdRedDevils said:

Besides the usuals (take-two, EA, and Activision Blizzard), I wonder if Epic would get involved. It would solidify their PC store foothold and make them a big player. I would assume an IPO would follow such an acquisition. 

I can't see Epic getting involved without the blessing of Tencent.

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Jason

Jason

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It's amazing how incompetent AT&T is. They've created an extremely confusing clusterfuck with HBO GO, HBO Now, and HBO Max, particularly with Now and Max. And it's beyond me why having a cable/satellite subscription gets you Max access, but you have to create a new login, instead of just adding the content to Go. Way to make sure people don't realize what they're getting for their money. 

 

But most of all...they managed to hemorrhage subscribers for their streaming and satellite TV services during a time period where everyone was stuck at home. :lol:

 

They have so much stuff that should just be printing them money, but they somehow have zero idea what to do with any of it. 

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Dodger

Dodger

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26 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's amazing how incompetent AT&T is. They've created an extremely confusing clusterfuck with HBO GO, HBO Now, and HBO Max, particularly with Now and Max. And it's beyond me why having a cable/satellite subscription gets you Max access, but you have to create a new login, instead of just adding the content to Go. Way to make sure people don't realize they're getting for their money. 

 

But most of all...they managed to hemorrhage subscribers for their streaming and satellite TV services during a time period where everyone was stuck at home. :lol:

 

They have so much stuff that should just be printing them money, but they somehow have zero idea what to do with any of it. 

 

 

That is a good point, because damn near anything that makes your home life easier is selling like hot cakes. Old ass video game consoles suddenly selling like they are new again. Want shit for your home gym, fuck you it's all sold out. Realizing now that you are stuck at home just how much you hate your cable company and would change if you had any other viable alternative? ATT has fucked that up. 

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skillzdadirecta

skillzdadirecta

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1 hour ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

 

Disney has absolutely ZERO interest in actually owning game development studios.

 

@skillzdadirecta - this actually gives more credence to the notion that AT&T is actively considering an exit from the publishing side of DC Comics.

 

I was just saying this in another chat... it's no secret AT&T is looking to get out of publishing monthly comics. The characters are what's valuable. They don't give a flying fuck about publishing comics. What's interesting is that when Disney bought Marvel, a friend of mine told me one of the reasons Disney wanted Marvel was for the publishing. That they hadn't published their own comics since the old Disney comics from back in the day and they were looking to get back into that. Gonna be an interesting Summer.

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Commissar SFLUFAN

Commissar SFLUFAN

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It seems that the actual number being considered is a far more "reasonable" $2 billion.

Quote

CNBC said the price could be about $4 billion. But one of my sources said the price offered was $2 billion. A major game company said it was not interested in the purchase because WBIE only intermittently makes money, and it does not own some of the major franchises that are at the core of its major games. It does not, for instance, own the Harry Potter license, as it is not clear if author J.K. Rowling would approve a transfer of the license from Warner Bros. to another game company. Nor does it own the DC Comics property, which the Batman Arkham and Injustice franchises use.

 

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SoberChef

SoberChef

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In all seriousness, M$ ponying up would be a MASSIVE play. What's even more is that I could genuinely see them take the high ground and at least for titles like Batman, MK, LotR that they would allow the titles to release across all consoles to "be the bigger man" and really push Sony into furthering the growing sentiment that cross play SHOULD be a thing.

 

Also, if in fact this sale happens, I feel a bit sorry for Ed Boon as this will be his 2nd time he's with a company that gets sold off/dissolved. RIP Midway!

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Remarkableriots

Remarkableriots

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13 minutes ago, SoberChef said:

In all seriousness, M$ ponying up would be a MASSIVE play. What's even more is that I could genuinely see them take the high ground and at least for titles like Batman, MK, LotR that they would allow the titles to release across all consoles to "be the bigger man" and really push Sony into furthering the growing sentiment that cross play SHOULD be a thing.

 

Also, if in fact this sale happens, I feel a bit sorry for Ed Boon as this will be his 2nd time he's with a company that gets sold off/dissolved. RIP Midway!

They wouldn't get the license to make most of those games even if they bought the studio.

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Jason

Jason

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3 hours ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

For that offer price, a long-term license for the DC properties is definitely part of the deal.

 

And presumably a real license, and not the sort of license they give the Arrowverse shows where they can randomly decide to remove permission to use specific characters.

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SimpleG

SimpleG

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3 hours ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

For that offer price, a long-term license for the DC properties is definitely part of the deal.

Hes not completely wrong unless I misunderstand these 2 articles

 

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/activision-and-ea-are-reportedly-in-discussions-to-buy-mortal-kombat-and-rocksteadys-parent/

"If a sale goes through, many of the Warner Bros. IP tied to in-development games, such as Harry Potter and Batman, would not be part of the deal but could be licensed, the publication’s sources said."

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/att-seeks-sale-for-warner-gaming-unit-could-fetch-4-billion.html

Many of the video game titles within Warner Bros. Interactive are tied to Warner-owned intellectual property, including “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones” and “The Lego Movie.” The unit also owns the “Mortal Kombat” and the “Scribblenauts” series. A deal might involve a commercial licensing agreement where AT&T can continue to get revenue from its IP, the people said. 

 

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Commissar SFLUFAN

Commissar SFLUFAN

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@SimpleG - While no one except C-suite executives would be privy to the exact terms of the offer, it stands to reason that a long-term licensing arrangement for the IPs over which AT&T has complete control (DC Comics IPs, not Harry Potter, Lego, or Lord of the Rings) would be included in the $2 billion offering price. 

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Jason

Jason

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22 minutes ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

@SimpleG - While no one except C-suite executives would be privy to the exact terms of the offer, it stands to reason that a long-term licensing arrangement for the IPs over which AT&T has complete control (DC Comics IPs, not Harry Potter, Lego, or Lord of the Rings) would be included in the $2 billion offering price. 

 

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment doesn't make anything other than games based on various preexisting IPs, right? It seems like the studio is worthless without SOME kind of solid licensing agreement.

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Commissar SFLUFAN

Commissar SFLUFAN

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1 hour ago, Jason said:

 

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment doesn't make anything other than games based on various preexisting IPs, right? It seems like the studio is worthless without SOME kind of solid licensing agreement.

We can divide the WBIE IPs into three categories:

 

a. IPs that are entirely owned by the AT&T parent company whose entire ownership would theoretically transfer in any sale: Mortal Kombat, F.E.A.R., No One Lives Forever, Scribblenauts (of these only Mortal Kombat is worth anything, the others are worthless)

 

b. IPs that are entirely owned by the AT&T parent company that would be long-term licensed to the buyer as part of the sale: the DC Comics properties

 

c. IPs that are not owned by the AT&T parent company and whose rights may or may not transfer in a sale: Lord of the Rings, Lego, Harry Potter

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stepee

stepee

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1 hour ago, Emperor Diocletian II said:

We can divide the WBIE IPs into three categories:

 

a. IPs that are entirely owned by the AT&T parent company whose entire ownership would theoretically transfer in any sale: Mortal Kombat, F.E.A.R., No One Lives Forever, Scribblenauts (of these only Mortal Kombat is worth anything, the others are worthless)

 

b. IPs that are entirely owned by the AT&T parent company that would be long-term licensed to the buyer as part of the sale: the DC Comics properties

 

c. IPs that are not owned by the AT&T parent company and whose rights may or may not transfer in a sale: Lord of the Rings, Lego, Harry Potter

 

Looking at the titles in list A, I hope THQ Nordic purchases them because they would totally make a new NOLF or at least a remaster!

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SoberChef

SoberChef

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5 hours ago, SimpleG said:

Hes not completely wrong unless I misunderstand these 2 articles

 

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/activision-and-ea-are-reportedly-in-discussions-to-buy-mortal-kombat-and-rocksteadys-parent/

"If a sale goes through, many of the Warner Bros. IP tied to in-development games, such as Harry Potter and Batman, would not be part of the deal but could be licensed, the publication’s sources said."

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/att-seeks-sale-for-warner-gaming-unit-could-fetch-4-billion.html

Many of the video game titles within Warner Bros. Interactive are tied to Warner-owned intellectual property, including “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones” and “The Lego Movie.” The unit also owns the “Mortal Kombat” and the “Scribblenauts” series. A deal might involve a commercial licensing agreement where AT&T can continue to get revenue from its IP, the people said. 

 

So AT&T don't want to be in the business of MAKING games, merely profiteering from others' hard work while raking in untold riches and keeping the essence of what makes the games all to themselves. Meanwhile...say someone like Ed Boon for instance, would essentially still be a part of Netherealm Studios however that studio no longer has any real right to MK but would be still working on it even though their head is a co-creator of it. Yeah, I really can not wrap my head around how that is EVEN legal or generally an accepted thing. *sighs with infuriated fervor*

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