Activision Up For Sale

The publisher of the popular Call of Duty franchise has been put on the market for a potential buyer. Vivendi has stated that they are seeking a potential buyer for their 61% stake in Activision Blizzard. The controlling share is up for sale at 8.1 billion dollars. This could turn the tides of the gaming industry if Microsoft or Sony were to buy the 61% controlling share of the company since doing so could make Call of Duty a console exclusive for either company. World of Warcraft would also be under control of the buyer as well as the 10 year publishing contract that Activision has with Bungie. At 8.1 billion the price may be a little high for anyone other than Microsoft to purchase especially with the recent financial woes of Sony. If a potention buyer of the 61% stake is not found soon Vivendi will split up the stake and sell off the shares in much smaller quantities.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-29/vivendi-said-to-plan-sale-of-stake-in-activision-blizzard.html