Microsoft, Tencent among potential Activision Blizzard buyers - report

Over the past several weeks, reports have circulated the web noting that the multimedia juggernaut Vivendi is looking to sell off its majority stake in Activision Blizzard, the major game publisher behind franchises such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. Even more evidence of a sale emerged today, as Reuters reports that the corporation has entered talks with a number of potential bidders for Activision Blizzard, some of whom are already major players in the game industry. No formal processes have begun just yet, but sources have indicated that Vivendi has entered discussions with companies like Microsoft, China's Tencent, and Time Warner, along with a number of major investment firms. Regardless of whether the sale actually takes place, Vivendi actually has some real incentive to offload the division, as the corporation as a whole has wrestled with significant debt and slumping stock prices for quite some time. Despite serving as one of the largest publishers in the game industry, Activision Blizzard is in fact not considered one of Vivendi's core businesses, making it one of the easier divisions to sell off for some much-needed capital. Reuters' sources claim that if Vivendi sells off its majority stake in Activision Blizzard, it could raise as much as $10 billion. Keep an eye on Gamasutra as the story develops, as we'll have plenty more coverage as further details come to light.