In the war-torn digital kingdom of online games, a new billion-dollar rivalry is brewing.
Activision Blizzard
But here comes an upstart, hoping to steal the hearts, minds, and wallets of some of those WoW players. Electronic Arts
WAR is built atop the rich mythology created for Games Workshop's Warhammer universe over the last 25 years, dressed up in the latest graphics and displayed before adoring crowds at the recent E3 gaming gala. If the prelaunch buzz is anywhere near the real attraction of this game, WAR could be a real usurper to WoW's throne. And it only takes about half of that game's subscriber count to produce $1 billion in annual subscription revenue.
Could this be the spark of inspiration that refuels EA's recently uninspiring growth? I think it's a better bet than buying Take-Two Interactive
Activision merged with Blizzard to become a legitimate challenger to EA as the world's largest pure-play game publisher. Now EA strikes back at the very heart of Blizzard's business. Great rivalries often lead to better business decisions, and they can inspire executives and employees alike to do a better job. If anybody should be worried by this clash of the titans, it'd be smaller competitors like Take-Two, Konami
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