Warner Bros Games Is Splitting Up
Warner Bros Games, known for its games and publisher Warner Bros., is undergoing a strange transformation as the games are split up as part of the parent company’s merger. That’s a pretty surprising move, given that AT & T has taken the sale of the games off the table until September 2020. It is a strange move, as WB Game, known for its games, and the publisher’s WB Studios and WB Entertainment will separate after the merger of the parent companies. The renegotiated split is perhaps the most significant change in WarnerMedia’s history in recent years, but it will unravel as AT & T sells Warner Media and merges with Discovery, according to a Wall Street Journal.
The sale will include WB Games, WB Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. There are 11 studios for WB games, including WB Studios, Warner Media, DC Comics, Justice League, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Gotham Knights, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We expect to hear more about the game Batman vs. Superman, as well as more Batman games from the WB studios, including more Gotham Knight and Suicide Squad. LEGO games developed by TT Games include Batman: Arkham Origins, Arkham Asylum, and Arkham City: The Dark Knight rises. Killing Justice, the League of Hogwarts Legacy, as well as the upcoming Batman V Superman and LEGO Batman series.
Given that AT & T reportedly tried to sell the games division last year, it seems likely that it will try to take over Warner Bros. Games in some capacity. Why would they want to offload what is essentially one of the most successful gaming companies in the US?
The idea of splitting Warner Bros. Interactive is odd, especially since much of the production is focused on the WB’s IP address. It would leave and take away some of its most successful franchises, but there is no sign that it would be taken over by a company other than AT & T or a third party.
Of course, the main question here is what this means for Warner Bros. Interactive. DC Comics “IP is still highly relevant in multimedia, but selling the studio would create a problem of licensing the IP to a new publisher that could produce lower-quality games. This would expand the negotiating position of the publishers, many of whom would be interested in the next title, which is rumored to be a Suicide Squad game, as the WB games are almost always games of the year. It also opens the door to open-ended licensing agreements, as the intellectual property is fully owned by the Batman-led DC properties.
While we can certainly hope that none of the major projects will be canceled or significantly affected by the merger, WB Games still holds the rights to some of the industry’s largest entertainment properties. Getting rid of Warner Bros. real estate and licenses used by big names in gambling for just over $4 billion makes no sense. There are a lot of great games, like “Batman: Arkham Asylum” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” but it would be pointless to let the whole game division go, as it just makes stuff out of Warner’s catalog. WB Games will still hold the right to the largest entertainment property in the industry for the foreseeable future.
We are confident that the studios currently working on licensed WB projects will not be part of this merger, as Warner Bros. Entertainment and WB Studios are.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is one of the largest game companies in the United States with annual sales of more than $1 billion. Warner Interactive, which owns the best franchise – the sale of Mortal Kombat – and develops games based on Warner’s IP, is the latest gaming division to stand between the Hollywood giants. Almost every game from Warner Bros. is tied to a major television, film, or comic book franchise, so it could be a big advantage for the new company. Some of their games are singles, but they could be a nice addition to our current table.