According to CNBC, Warner Bros. owner AT&T is looking to sell off its gaming division. This is a shocking revelation considering most of its gaming studios are actually regarded as the best in the industry. Studios like NetherRealm and Rocksteady have offered amazing games like Batman and Mortal Kombat installments throughout the last 10 years. Could this be the end of an era?
Warner Bros Owns famed Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm.
According to sources that don’t want to be named from within AT&T, publishers such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive Software are currently bidding for the chance to own the studios in question. Interestingly enough, acquiring these studios does not mean they gain ownership of the intellectual properties the studios have been working on. For example if Activision were to acquire Rocksteady, that does not mean Activision would have ownership of the Batman IP. According to CNBC, a “commercial licensing agreement” might be made so that if Activision or any other publisher chooses to buy Rocksteady then they would have the rights to make Batman games but would need to pay for the chance to develop such a game. It may sound complicated but this is exactly how Sony is making exclusive Spider-Man games, Sony is licensing the IP form Marvel.
The fate of The Batman will change forever.
Because it is not easy to craft highly capable studios such as the ones in AT&T’s possession, other bidders may take a gander at what is up for sell. Microsoft has been in a shopping spree looking for talent for years trying to catch up to the team over at PlayStation. A potential acquisition and an exclusive DC franchise could counter what Sony is doing with Spider-Man and could also land them a studio to shape up Killer Instinct into a Mortal Kombat level franchise.
We will be keeping up with any potential updates, stay tuned here at TICGN.
