Today Time Warner, the shockingly large founder of GameDaily and AOL, let it be known that it purchased a percentage of stock in SCI Entertainment which in it's turn is the parent group for Eidos that spawned [i]Tomb Raider[/i] and [i]Hitman[/i]. This will cost Tiem Warner 44.5 million pounds, which translates to 87.5 million dollars, but has not yet been approved by the company of the shareholders. The deal also contains an agreement where games based on certain Warner Bros. Entertainment properities will be licensed and distributed by SCI. In fact the firm of WBIE(Warner Bros . Interactive Entertainment) has allowed SCI to distribute the comic version of [i]Batman[/i], [i]Lonney Tunes[/i], certain series from [i]Hanna-Barbara[/i], [i]The OC[/i]. [i]Loonatics Unleashed[/i]. and [i]Legion of Super Heroes[/i]. Eidos will lend a hand with these newly licensed items.
In addition Warner Brothers will use their in house distribution network and merchandising abilities to the benefit of SCI/Eidos. The specifics of the deal states that Warner Brothers will store any finished product, the logistics, merchandising and purchasing of media space while Eidos will continue to handle manufacturing, sales, marketing of the particular product along with all PR work.
Kevin Tsujihara, the President of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, stated that “"This deal is consistent with our core strategy of delivering high quality entertainment based on some of the world's best-loved brands for all formats and channels. We look forward to working with SCi to build games the fans of these brands will truly enjoy."
The Chief Executive of SCI, Jane Cavanagh, offered these words on the deal “"These agreements represent a further step in SCi's development as one of the world's leading publishers of interactive entertainment. The licensed properties extend and strengthen our product portfolio through globally recognized titles such as Batman, Looney Tunes including brands such as Bugs Bunny and the classic Hanna-Barbera catalogue including brands such as Tom and Jerry."
She then added that “"The properties also include content with a broad demographic appeal. Significantly, the partnership with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group in the United States links us to the distribution network and buying power of one the world's largest media companies. The additional investment provides us with the firepower to accelerate growth initiatives such as increasing our development capacity and our new media and online strategies."
Nick McCavitt at nmccavitt@forumwizard.net