Just in case Black Ops 3 coming out (which is broken on PC) and the Warcraft trailer weren’t enough for you, Activision-Blizzard has announced that it is making movies based on its best known IP.
To help in this endeavour, the company has formed a new team called Activision Blizzard Studios, which will have former Disney executive Nick van Dyk as co-leader. The first project will be an animated kids show based on Skylanders, called Skylanders Academy. The project is being run by Eric Rogers of Futurama fame, with Justin Long, Ashley Tisdale and Jonathan Banks providing voicework.
They also announced that “another near-term initiative for Activision Blizzard Studios will be the development of a robust cinematic universe based on the Call of Duty franchise” as well as “the possibility of television adaptations.”
The head of the company, Bobby Kotick, said that they “intend to approach film and television development with the same unwavering commitment to excellence we are known for in game development.”
That probably means they’ll make a lot of movies and a lot of sequels, aimed at as big an audience as possible, with the intention of making as much money as possible. The news comes not long after the company acquired the makers of Candy Crush, King, for $5.9 billion. Activision-Blizzard lists itself as “the world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment company”, which when taken in the context of these moves, indicates the company has grander ambitions than just AAA game publishing.
Dean was a regular ICXM contributor between 2015–2017, publishing 39 articles across game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @SpookyWomble.