EA Passed On Chances To Buy Guitar Hero, Call Of Duty, And Blizzard
Although Activision Blizzard is now owned by Microsoft's gaming division, its rise to become one of the top video game publishers was inadvertently helped by EA's decision to turn down opportunities that could have been transformative. During a recent podcast appearance, former EA Chief Creative Officer Bing Gordon noted that EA had a chance to buy Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and even Blizzard itself before Activision closed deals for all three.
"Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and Blizzard, EA saw all those first and passed on all of them," said Gordon while appearing on Grit alongside Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard. Gordon went on to praise Kotick for keeping many of the original Blizzard team members in place after the company came under Activision's control.
Gordon told Kotick that he has "double high respect" for him for realizing that those properties were valuable to own "and then you kept the people around. I'm pretty sure that... the creative leaders would not have stuck around in another company. So you did some kind of a miracle of keeping them productive for long periods of time and probably biting your tongue from time to time."
Continue Reading at GameSpot
Read more at GameSpot
-
Sam Altman Dismisses Elon Musk’s Bid to Buy OpenAI in Letter to Staff
OpenAI’s CEO claims the company has yet to receive an official offer from Elon Musk’s team, sources say.Wired - 1h -
Jasson Dominguez will get 'every chance' to be Yankees' starting left fielder, says manager Aaron Boone
Dominguez will still have to earn the gig, Boone said Tuesday as spring training opened in TampaCBS Sports - 1h -
Bracketology Bubble Watch: Indiana, Texas, Georgia have chance at helping NCAA Tournament résumés
It's a busy night for teams on the bubble to make the NCAA TournamentCBS Sports - 2h -
Ex-Activision Blizzard Boss Thought Warcraft Was One Of The Worst Movies Ever Made
In 2016, Universal and Activision Blizzard brought World of Warcraft to the big screen in Warcraft . The film only earned $47.4 million in the United States, but its worldwide total was $439.1 ...GameSpot - 4h -
Canada’s Liberal party was left for dead, but Trump might have just given it a second chance
Experts say the US president’s takeover threat will shift election priorities to who seems best suited to face Trump. Until just a few weeks ago, it was an exhilarating time to be a Conservative in ...The Guardian - 9h -
Merck In Talks to Buy Cancer Drugmaker Springworks
After a slow 2024, dealmaking in the U.S. healthcare sector is picking up.Inc. - 1d -
More Dems join with Republicans to pass fentanyl crackdown bill
Politico - 4d -
We're buying more of an entertainment giant that didn't get credit for a strong quarter
The post-earnings decline, which took shares below $110 each, presents an opportunity to add to our position.CNBC - 2h -
Ukraine agrees to buy two Bulgarian nuclear reactors
Yahoo News - 5h -
Off-duty corrections officer killed in targeted attack, police say
Officials said Deputy Basil Powell was "targeted and ambushed while returning home."CBS News - 5h -
Off-duty corrections officer killed in 'targeted' attack: Police
An off-duty corrections officer in Florida was shot and killed in a “targeted attack,” according to police.ABC News - 10h -
Buy Nvidia’s stock ahead of earnings? This analyst makes the case.
An Evercore analyst expects an upbeat earnings report later this month and runs down why DeepSeek fears seem overdone.MarketWatch - 21h -
EA Wants Fans To Decide The Future Of Plants Vs. Zombies 3
EA has called on fans to provide feedback on the art direction of the reimagined of Plants vs. Zombies 3.. "We ran some external tests to gather insight into which art styles sparked interest among ...GameSpot - 23h -
Couple win refund after buying £32m moth-infested London mansion
Iya Patarkatsishvili and Dr Yevhen Hunyak sued property developer over infestation that ruined wine and clothes. The daughter of a Georgian billionaire and her husband have been granted a refund ...The Guardian - 1d -
Sony Passed On The Order: 1886 Sequel, Dev Claims
The Order: 1886 developer Ready at Dawn pitched a sequel to Sony but was ultimately rejected. While the reason was unclear, the developer thought that had the game's critical reception been higher, ...GameSpot - 1d -
Call Of Duty Double XP Event Extended Due To PSN Outage
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone's latest double XP event was supposed to end on February 10, but Activision is extending the promotion for 48 more hours due to the PSN outage.. In a social ...GameSpot - 1d -
Top Judge Favors a Second Chance for Those Languishing in Prison
Rowan Wilson, the chief judge of New York State’s highest court, used his State of the Judiciary address to push back against prolonged incarceration.The New York Times - 1d -
US committed to buying and owning Gaza, says Trump
There has been global condemnation of his plan to take over the strip and move its Palestinians out.BBC News - 1d -
A chance encounter took me from a New York skyscraper to a London food market – and a new life | Franco Fubini
Working in finance, I was unhappy and surrounded by greed. Then I embraced my passion for cooking, produce and nature. Franco Fubini is the founder and CEO of Natoora . As I wandered out of my ...The Guardian - 1d -
Travis Kelce Passes Jerry Rice for Most Receptions in Super Bowl History
Despite the loss, the Kansas City tight end added another accolade to his résumé.The New York Times - 1d -
'It's like being reborn': Emotional reunions and heroes' welcome for Thai hostages released by Hamas
Five Thai hostages who spent 15 months being held by Hamas arrived in Bangkok early Sunday after they were released last month.NBC News - 2d -
Trump always passes the buck
It’s a safe bet that “The Buck Stops Here” is not displayed anywhere in President Donald Trump’s White House.The Hill - 2d -
Will Taylor Swift be at Super Bowl 2025? Chances of singer attending big game to cheer on Chiefs vs. Eagles
Swift attended the Super Bowl last year and watched the Chiefs take home another Lombardi TrophyCBS Sports - 2d -
‘I’m in my early 20s most of the time… totally up for it!’: Tamsin Greig on ageing, caring and learning bass guitar
The stage and screen actor on her two, vastly different new roles – with Celia Imrie in a radical play about a woman caring for her mother after a stroke, and in a Sally Wainwright TV drama about ...The Guardian - 2d -
Elon Musk Does Not Want to Buy TikTok
The mogul says acquiring already-established companies like TikTok is not really his style.Inc. - 2d -
Musk says he has no plans to buy TikTok
Tech billionaire Elon Musk said he is not interested in acquiring the video-sharing app TikTok, and has no plans regarding what he would do if he owned it. Musk made the remarks during a virtual ...The Hill - 2d -
Democrats call stop work order at CFPB 'illegal'
Democrats are calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cancel his stop work order for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) after employees with Elon Musk’s Department of Government ...The Hill - 3d -
Sanders if passed at 1: 'Why would I be mad?'
Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders isn't worried about whether he is selected first overall in the NFL draft, saying he's more concerned with landing with a team with the right scheme fit.ESPN - 3d -
UFC 312: Tatiana Suarez gets the chance to erase the 'what if' stigma after years of battling injuries
Suarez was seen as a can't-miss prospect after exploding onto the scene nearly a decade agoCBS Sports - 3d -
Trump says Nippon Steel has dropped plan to buy US Steel
US president warns he could hit Japan with tariffs after vowing to place levies on imports from Canada and MexicoFinancial Times - 3d -
Will Andy Reid haunt himself? Eagles' best chance vs. KC looks familiar
If the Eagles win Sunday, expect their investment in the trenches to haunt the Chiefs — and Reid, whose fingerprints are all over his opponent's roster strategy.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
Call Of Duty Players Could Make “Great” Drone Pilots, Ukrainian Military Says
A member of the Ukrainian Special Forces UAV (uncrewed aerial vehicles) unit, Typhoon, says that gamers might be better-equipped to pilot drones in real-life conflict than you’d first think. The ...GameSpot - 4d -
Directors’ Deals: US deal sparks Fever-Tree buying
Share price rises 20 per cent as the tie-up is announcedFinancial Times - 4d -
'This is a dream come true': Five unlikely Super Bowl heroes who made history on the biggest stage
We caught up with one-hit wonders and former teammates about the Super Bowl's most unlikely, historic performances.ESPN - 4d -
At a Draft Site in Ukraine, an Anguished Wait for a Chance to Say Goodbye
The Ukrainian authorities are rounding up recruits. Relatives huddle at a center on the edge of Kyiv for a chance to see loved ones before they’re shipped to war.The New York Times - 4d -
Bears team owner Virginia Halas McCaskey passes away at age 102
The Chicago Bears and the rest of the National Football League mourn the passing of Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who lived to the extraordinary age of 102 years-old. Virginia was a ...Yahoo Sports - 5d -
The Far Right Has a New Hero: Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s takeover of the federal government has inspired adoration from far-right communities online that used to be reserved for Donald Trump.Wired - 6d
More from GameSpot
-
Apex Legends Season 24 Patch Notes Feature Major Buffs For Ash & Ballistic, Serious Armor Changes, And New Class Perks
Season 24: Takeover marks Apex Legends' six-year anniversary. Apex Legends Season 24: Takeover is now live, and although the latest season of Respawn's popular battle royale doesn't introduce ...GameSpot - 56m -
Nintendo Could Have Been Bought By This Unexpected Company, Activision Founder Says
According to Activision founder Bobby Kotick, Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger was at one point in time interested in buying Nintendo, or at least interested in exploring the idea of buying ...GameSpot - 1h -
Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana's Collectible Edition Gets Nice Discount For Switch
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana - D1 Refined Edition $48 (was $60) for Nintendo ...GameSpot - 1h -
Almost 30 Years Later, One Of The Longest-Running MMORPGs Is Getting A New Class
One of the first and longest-running MMORPGs ever made, Tibia , will receive a new class for the first time ever in its almost 30-year history, developer CipSoft has announced. The Monk class will ...GameSpot - 2h -
CoD: Black Ops 6 And Warzone Season 2 Reloaded Start Date And Details
The Season 2 Reloaded update for Call of Duty arrives in Black Ops 6 and Warzone later this month, and here you'll find everything rumored and announced so far. This includes new melee weapons, ...GameSpot - 2h
More in Tech
-
Vance, in First Foreign Speech, Tells Europe That U.S. Will Dominate A.I.
Speaking in Paris at an artificial intelligence summit, the vice president gave an America First vision of the technology — with the U.S. dominating the chips, the software and the rules.The New York Times - 30m -
An Advisor to Elon Musk’s xAI Has a Way to Make AI More Like Donald Trump
A researcher affiliated with Elon Musk’s xAI startup is researching a method to alter the politics of Grok and better align the chatbot with conservatives.Wired - 53m -
Apex Legends Season 24 Patch Notes Feature Major Buffs For Ash & Ballistic, Serious Armor Changes, And New Class Perks
Season 24: Takeover marks Apex Legends' six-year anniversary. Apex Legends Season 24: Takeover is now live, and although the latest season of Respawn's popular battle royale doesn't introduce ...GameSpot - 56m -
The 33 Best Shows on Apple TV+ Right Now (February 2025)
Severance, Silo, and Slow Horses are among the best shows on Apple TV+ this month.Wired - 57m -
Sam Altman Dismisses Elon Musk’s Bid to Buy OpenAI in Letter to Staff
OpenAI’s CEO claims the company has yet to receive an official offer from Elon Musk’s team, sources say.Wired - 1h