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1、TEXTONEThebrideandgroom,aguitar-wieldingrockvixenandamuscle-ripplingdragon-slayer,makeanoddcouple—soitishardlysurprisingthatnobodyexpectedtheirmarriage.ButonDecember2ndthevideo-gamecompaniesbehind“GuitarHero”and“WorldofWarcraft”,ActivisionandVivendiGamesrespec
2、tively,announcedplansforanelaboratemerger.Vivendi,aFrenchmediagroup,willpoolitsgamesunit,plus$1.7billionincash,withActivision;thecombinedentitywillthenoffertobuybacksharesfromActivisionshareholders,raisingVivendi'sstakeintheresultingfirmtoasmuchas68%.Activisio
3、n'sboss,BobbyKotick,willremainatthehelmofthenewcompany,tobeknownasActivisionBlizzardinrecognitionofVivendi'smaingamingasset:itssubsidiaryBlizzardEntertainment,thefirmbehind“WorldofWarcraft”,anonlineswords-and-sorcerygamewith9.3msubscribers.Thedealwasunexpected
4、,butmakesexcellentstrategicsense,saysPiersHarding-RollsofScreenDigest,aconsultancy.Activisionhaslongcoveted“WorldofWarcraft”,andVivendigetsabiggergamesdivisionandActivision'stalentedmanagementteamtorunit.Aswellasmakingsenseforbothparties,the$18.9billiondeal—th
5、ebiggesteverinthevideo-gamesindustry—saysalotaboutthetrendsnowshapingthebusiness.Thefirstisapushintonewmarkets,especiallyonlinemultiplayergames,whichareparticularlypopularinAsia,and“casual”gamesthatappealtopeoplewhodonotregardthemselvesasgamers.“WorldofWarcraf
6、t”istheworld'smostpopularonlinesubscription-basedgameandishugelylucrative.Blizzardwillhaverevenuesof$1.1billionthisyearandoperatingprofitsof$520m.“WorldofWarcraft”isreally“asocialnetworkwithmanyentertainmentcomponents,”saysMrKotick.Similarly,heargues,“GuitarHe
7、ro”andothergamesthatusenewkindsofcontroller,ratherthantheusualbuttonsandjoysticks,arebroadeningtheappealofgamingbyemphasisingitssocialaspects,sincetheyareeasytopickupandcanbeplayedwithfriends.Socialgaming,saysMrKotick,is“themostpowerfultrend”buildingnewaudienc
8、esfortheindustry.HeisclearlyexcitedattheprospectofusingBlizzard'sexpertisetolaunchanonlineversionof“GuitarHero”forAsianmarkets.Onlinemusicgamessuchas“AuditionOnline”,whichstartedin
