Activision-Blizzard Merger Questions Answered

Former Blizzard Entertainment community representative Michael Sacco has posted a two-part FAQ on WoW Insider concerning the Activision-Blizzard merger and some of the misconceptions floating around the Internet because of it.

Won’t this merger result in a lot of stupid cross-promotions?
Probably. Activision isn’t known for its advertising or marketing subtlety. We dealt with it a little at work — Activision sent us a ton of copies of Guitar Hero Aerosmith that none of us really cared about (but hey, extra Rock Band guitar, right?), as well as posters in the office with Activision desperately trying to equate our flagship properties with their licensed crap. Yes, Activision, clearly Zeratul is on the same level as the main character from Kung Fu Panda.
The best I can hope for is that we’ll never see World of Warcraft advertised on KFC combo meal boxes. Blizzard seems to consider the insulation of the WoW universe important, which is why we’ll likely never see in-game advertising or “Lars Umlaut ” as an NPC.
What’s your personal opinion on the merger?
From a corporate perspective, it makes sense and gives Blizzard access to more funding and assets. You can see that they’ve begun hiring a ton of designers and other WoW-relation positions, which can only increase the amount of content we get to experience and enjoy.
From a gamer’s perspective, Activision is an IP-exploiting shovelware mill run by a doddering blowhard who doesn’t play games and it hurts my heart to see Blizzard’s name attached to them.
On the bright side, if you look at your Wrath box, you won’t see Activision’s logo on it anywhere. That’s more than just literal — it’s symbolic, and I hope that it stays that way for a long, long time.

Thanks, Blue’s News.