Warner Bros. Interactive up for sale (NetherRealm, Avalanche & Rocksteady included)

[Foggy]

Perhaps a surprising bit of news, AT&T is putting Warner Bros. Interactive up for sale.

https://www.ign.com/articles/rockste...-mortal-kombat

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.

Quite surprising considering the number rumoured huge titles on the horizon for the studio, wonder what this will mean for those titles and the studios themselves moving forward.

[Batman90]

I hope Take-Two buys NetherRealm. We would probably finally get a good MK game.

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by Batman90

I hope Take-Two buys NetherRealm. We would probably finally get a good MK game.

I think MK is as good as it ever has been.
Besides, the makers of the original are still there. Not sure how selling it would improve it.

Besides F**k ATT

[Batman90]

Originally Posted by JayTL

I think MK is as good as it ever has been.
Besides, the makers of the original are still there. Not sure how selling it would improve it.

Besides F**k ATT

For starters we may get more MK characters then guest characters. I wish they would make an MK game that included all MK fighters.

[Lum]

WB has a bunch of assets. Monolith Productions and Traveler's Tales for other studios.

If they decide to sell game IPs, there's much of the Midway library of course. I think some stuff from labels like Tengen/Time Warner Interactive as well.

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by Batman90

For starters we may get more MK characters then guest characters. I wish they would make an MK game that included all MK fighters.

I don't get that argument, because ever since there was optional DLC, there was a guest character. And most of the time they're fun to play as. Especially since they're always optional.

(P.S. we never got more guest characters than MK characters, so not sure where that argument is)

And let's also not pretend an EA or Activision MK.game would be better in any way

[R3P0]

Hope Sony makes a play for Rocksteady

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Hope Sony makes a play for Rocksteady

I'd rather keep these titles non-exclusive.

But I also just want the companies (rocksteady, netherrealm etc) to be able to keep true to themselves too, that's my priority

[SteelbookCat]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Hope Sony makes a play for Rocksteady

then we can get a spiderman and batman team up exclusive game

[JayTL]

Heres another point I didn't think of. AT&T would sell off the gaming division of WB. So let's say Rocksteady. AT&T won't sell off any properties though, so how much is RS worth without Batman? WB owns Mortal Kombat. Is that studio worth it without the brand?

[Batman90]

Originally Posted by SteelbookCat

then we can get a spiderman and batman team up exclusive game

Yeah that won’t happen WB will still own the rights to Batman. I don’t see WB selling any of the Batman IP’s.

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by Batman90

Yeah that won’t happen WB will still own the rights to Batman. I don’t see WB selling any of the Batman IP’s.

They will not sell, they can lease.

[tcripe]

Can only imagine the bidding war that's going to happen. Especially for rocksteady and netherrealm

[Batman90]

Originally Posted by mwynn

They will not sell, they can lease.

But I don’t see them allowing Batman or any other their super hero’s to show up in a Marvel game.

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by tcripe

Can only imagine the bidding war that's going to happen. Especially for rocksteady and netherrealm

But what if those studios can't use Mortal Kombat or Batman?

[tcripe]

Originally Posted by JayTL

But what if those studios can't use Mortal Kombat or Batman?

They're still AAA studios. That type of talent doesn't go up for sale often.

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by tcripe

They're still AAA studios. That type of talent doesn't go up for sale often.

Oh I'm not denying their talent, just saying the studios without those properties aren't worth as much is if they had them

[CrazyBlu-RayFan]

If this means Lollipop Chainsaw can finally get out of WB's grasp and get re-released, I'm all for this.

[Poya]

Never mind!