AT&T looking to sell WB Interactive (includes Rocksteady and NRS)

[Pizza]

AT&T Looking to Sell WB Interactive, Includes Studios Like Rocksteady and NetherRealm
AT&T is reportedly looking to sell the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment gaming division, which includes studios like NetherRealm, Avalanche, and Rocksteady. The deal could be valued at $4 billion and there’s reported interest from companies like Take-Two, EA, and Activision Blizzard.


In a report from CNBC, telecom company AT&T, which purchased Warner Media in 2018, is looking to divest some assets to help pay off $200 billion in debt. This includes WB Interactive, which has already picked up interest from some of the game industry’s largest companies. Though sources say a deal is neither in place nor imminent

Any company that does purchase WB Interactive will not gain the rights to IP like Batman or Harry Potter, which is owned by Warner Bros. Instead, any deal will likely include a “commercial licensing agreement where AT&T can continue to get revenue from its IP.”

A potential purchase will, however, include studios that belong to WB Interactive like NetherRealm and Rocksteady, the developers behind Mortal Kombat, and the Batman Arkham series respectively.

AT&T purchased Time Warner for $109 billion in 2018 and amassed $200 billion in debt. Investors have called on AT&T to sell “non-core assets” such as DirecTV and, now, WB Interactive.

There are multiple projects rumored to be in development under Warner Bros. Interactive including a new game from Rocksteady, and a new Harry Potter RPG. There’s also a new Batman game in the works at WB Montreal.

Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/rocksteady-netherrealm-wb-sale-att-batman-mortal-kombat?sf123971932=1


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That was unexpected.

I wouldn't like NRS to be near EA or Activison Blizzard (AKA Tencent), so I don't know how to feel about this.

 

[Courante]

I'm sure everything will be fine. WB makes plenty of money from NRS so I doubt NRS would be one of the things lost in the fire (assuming there even is one).

 

[Marlow]

Ideally, nothing really changes, right? NRS is still given the budget and discretion to make the game they want to make.

 

[Courante]

Ideally, nothing really changes, right? NRS is still given the budget and discretion to make the game they want to make.

I'd like to think so. It's not like they would completely obliterate NRS as a result of being bought out.

 

[Pizza]

I mean... what's going on?

HITMAN 3 was announced yesterday and to the surprise of many people, it's being self published by IOI without WB involvement. Something's going on.

 

[Courante]

I mean... what's going on?

HITMAN 3 was announced yesterday and to the surprise of many people, it's being self published by IOI without WB involvement. Something's going on.

Based on the article a deal isn't even on the table. And even if it were to happen tomorrow these kinds of integrations take months. I would not fret over this.

 

[chud_munson]

EA, huh? Does that mean I can start hoping for Marshawn Lynch as a guest character?

 

[Pizza]

Ideally, nothing really changes, right? NRS is still given the budget and discretion to make the game they want to make.

I guess it depends. Probably under EA's or Activision's management they will make nothing but Mortal Kombat games. Don't know what might happen to Injustice since the DC property is not being selled apparently.

 

[Gamer68]

If y'all thought the pre-order characters, bulky $40 season passes, and microtransactions were bad, just wait until any of these companies become a part of the picture.

Activision Blizzard, EA, or even Take-Two would ruin this franchise, IMHO.

No company is going to buy all of WB Games' shit for 4 Billion and not get any say-so in terms of game development. They will absolutely make NRS do shit like cut corners and add less content at launch while increasing the amount of microtransactions. I know this because all of those companies are known to do that.

 

[PapaRegadetho]

This is baaaad news. Ea and Activision getting their filthy hands on MK would be the biggest, depressing thing ever..

 

[PapaRegadetho]

What big publisher that isnt Sony or Microsoft wouldn't ruin MK? On top of my head, I can only think of Bandai Namco, Capcom used to be bad but they learned alot, but I think they don't have really the funds to buy anything..

 

[Jynks]

I'll believe it when it happens... every year there is a rumor like this about the big companies major assets.. it is part of how big business works. 90% of these deals never happen.

(90% of all statistics are made up on the spot)

 

[xenogorgeous]

This is baaaad news. Ea and Activision getting their filthy hands on MK would be the biggest, depressing thing ever..

yep, only Take-Two is the good option .... if EA or Activision do it, you can expect next MK to be a fucking MTX party hell .... kinda, "do you wanna do a special move with Scorpion ? Ok, just go in the store and buy the special move pack for only 15 USD $ fine bucks !" .... oh my !

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

EA, huh? Does that mean I can start hoping for Marshawn Lynch as a guest character?

As long as he has an outro that's just him at the press conference saying "I'm only here so I don't get fined."

I hate the idea of EA owning MK, but I do NOT hate the idea of Isaac Clarke as a guest in MK12.

 

[PapaRegadetho]

yep, only Take-Two is the good option .... if EA or Activision do it, you can expect next MK to be a fucking MTX party hell .... kinda, "do you wanna do a special move with Scorpion ? Ok, just go in the store and buy the special move pack for only 15 USD $ fine bucks !" .... oh my !

I haven't bought anything from these scums for years, they wont get any money from me, even if they do get their hands on MK.

 

[chud_munson]

As long as he has an outro that's just him at the press conference saying "I'm only here so I don't get fined."

I hate the idea of EA owning MK, but I do NOT hate the idea of Isaac Clarke as a guest in MK12.

There's just so much opportunity with Marshawn.

Gear - Helmet (examples include regular football helmet, Beast Mode hat and glasses, maskless with grills), Football, Skittles dispenser
Skins - Regular Seahawks uniform, super-oldschool early 1900s football uniform, Beast Mode street clothes, cyber-Marshawn
Moveset - Beast Mode buff obviously, crotch grab dropkick overhead, beast quake, Skittle ground trap, special effect when breaking tack...I mean teching throws, offensive linemen assist as a shield
Fatalities - 1. Running through the opponent as they explode into a mist of meat, culminating in a handshake with a fellow Seahawk, 2. force-feeding the opponent Skittles until they burst
Friendship - Pouring a round of tequila shots

This is now my most wanted guest character.

 

[Hebrew Negro]

Capcom used to be bad but they learned alot

I mean if they get it we'll get some mk remakes

But I doubt this is true. It doesn't really make sense either.

 

[Rice]

Please no EA, Activision or Microsoft.

 

[BarakaTile]

aw fuck, don't go to EA.

EA is terrible.

 

[Kiss the Missile]

Every one of these companies are scummy, but so is WB. We're just lucky enough that WB monetizes MK in pointless ways like the Fatality Tokens that nobody buys.

What worries me the worst is the idea of EA or Activision grabbing onto NRS and dissolving them. We also have to think about if NRS will have the same budget moving to a different company. They were already on a pretty rough schedule before, so I doubt they'll crunch NRS any harder than WB was.

 

[Lt. Boxy Angelman]

There's just so much opportunity with Marshawn.

Gear - Helmet (examples include regular football helmet, Beast Mode hat and glasses, maskless with grills), Football, Skittles dispenser
Skins - Regular Seahawks uniform, super-oldschool early 1900s football uniform, Beast Mode street clothes, cyber-Marshawn
Moveset - Beast Mode buff obviously, crotch grab dropkick overhead, beast quake, Skittle ground trap, special effect when breaking tack...I mean teching throws, offensive linemen assist as a shield
Fatalities - 1. Running through the opponent as they explode into a mist of meat, culminating in a handshake with a fellow Seahawk, 2. force-feeding the opponent Skittles until they burst
Friendship - Pouring a round of tequila shots

This is now my most wanted guest character.

KOMBAT THE RAINBOW
TASTE THE RAINBOW

 

[Marinjuana]

That would mean that NRS wouldn't be making Injustice, which would be a great injustice

 

[Kiss the Missile]

That would mean that NRS wouldn't be making Injustice, which would be a great injustice

I completely forgot about that. Now I'm imagining EA buying NRS and having them make a wack ass Star Wars fighting game that they milk for years

 

[Rice]

I completely forgot about that. Now I'm imagining EA buying NRS and having them make a wack ass Star Wars fighting game that they milk for years

If somebody like EA or Microsoft would buy them we would be happy if we would get a "remember MK? like us!"- game every 15 years if they dont destroy the studio after letting them make only mobile and Kinect games.

 

[ismael4790]

Everybody hating on EA, yet Battlefront 2 dlcs are all free, and one of their last titles (Jedi Fallen Order) will never have a single dlc. Companies change.

Speaking about changes, the abusive dlc policy has only gotten worse and worse in mk title after title since Warner controls the saga (I don't even want to think about the obscene amount of money all the dlc content in 11 will cost to the user that doesn't wait for the complete). I think a change would be a blessing indeed.