EU greenlights Activision-Vivendi merger

by Alexander Sliwinski { Apr 16th 2008 at 1:00PM }

The European Commission has given permission to the games division of French telecom and media group, Vivendi, to run free into the arms of Activision. This is one of the final loose ends left in the $9.85 billion deal spawning the behemoth known as Activision Blizzard (or by its street name: Actilizzard? Blizzavision?). Vivendi will procure a 52% stake in the EA rival and is expected to have annual revenue of $3.8 billion.

The Commission essentially needed to approve that there weren't any antitrust issues in the mega-merger. In its report the group stated that there are several effective competitors in the market, such as EA and the game console manufacturers. Guess it's time to start ordering the office stationary.

Tags: activision, activision-blizzard, merger, vivendi

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

tc @ Apr 16th 2008 1:11PM

good on the EU.now if they could only get rid of Michael O'Leary...

koehler83 @ Apr 16th 2008 1:11PM

It's 'Actiblizzard"

PojoMofo @ Apr 16th 2008 1:18PM

Actually, its Vivendivision or Activendi

nmezib @ Apr 16th 2008 1:52PM

Blivendivision?

nmezib @ Apr 16th 2008 1:52PM

Oh my god it's like Man-Bear-Pig!

Is it half Activizzard, half Vivendi? or half Activendi, half Blizzard?

DangerMouse @ Apr 16th 2008 2:22PM

Actiblizzardogshit

velocitystrike @ Apr 16th 2008 3:01PM

Isn't it just Activision Blizzard?

/blonde

John @ Apr 16th 2008 3:21PM

Why does the EU have to greenlight this crap?

rv @ Apr 16th 2008 4:06PM

Antitrusts, muthafucka!
Not relevant here, but if, hypothetically, there were only 2 companies who made and could make computers in the world, and they tried to merge, they would have a complete monopoly and could charge whatever they wanted, like 10,000 for a computer, and no one could do anything about it. To prevent that.