Activision-Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI ) wants to grow its Guitar Hero franchise into a monster -- so why not put a rock star of the business world in charge?
That's exactly what the video game designer has done, pulling former Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO ) COO Dan Rosensweig out of the private equity world and back into corporate action. Rosensweig is a highly respected name in the tech world, rumored at one point to be a candidate to replace Jerry Yang as Chief Yahoo. He spent nearly two decades in the upper echelons of CNet, including a stint as ZDNet CEO, before that media outlet was acquired by CBS (NYSE: CBS ) last year.
Activision CEO Bob Kotick has been looking for a leader for RedOctane, the development unit that runs the Guitar Hero show, since last summer. "We have not even reached into five percent of the installed base of gamers," Kotick said to the AllThingsD blog. "I wanted someone who could focus on this with a passion and who gets how to leverage what we have already built."
Rosensweig provides that, and he's bringing a sense of humor to the party, too. He told Hollywood Reporter that he'll figure out about piano-style keyboard games right after figuring out "how to get through the front door and find the men's room."
That's what I like to hear (and I've been wondering about a possible Synth Hero myself). This guy isn't taking himself too seriously, and he seems like a great fit for the RedOctane culture. A wealth of experience in online operations and global brand marketing should help Rosensweig expand the Guitar Hero brand and its cousins into untouched markets overseas.
The online community around the game is burgeoning nicely, but largely separated into one faction of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT ) Xbox players, a band of Sony (NYSE: SNE ) PS3 users, and a gang of Nintendo (OTC BB: NTDOY.PK) Wii fans. Those factions can talk to one another on community web sites, but a PS3 guitarist can't play along with a Wii singer or an Xbox drummer. United we stand; divided we fall. I see the merging of those communities as Rosensweig's top priority going in. And that job sits right in his wheelhouse, too.
It's obvious by now that Activision has big plans for its music games. Now let's see how far and how fast Rosensweig can push this beast.
Rock on, Fool:
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