A plethora of family video game titles and franchises could be coming to a monstrous tech company that continually vies to be a top name in the business. The information reported Monday, citing “two people familiar with the situation,” who Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) “has expressed interest” in acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
That business unit, also known as WB Games, has released a series of titles, many of which are related to the intellectual property of its eponymous entertainment operation, now part of the expansion. AT&T (NYSE: T). Among many others, these games include the Batman: Arkham and Harry Potter Serie.
Image source: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (AT&T).
The article did not specify a price or range that Microsoft was willing to pay for WB Games. Historically, the company has not been shy about spending considerable amounts of capital to acquire business in many technology segments, including video game development.
Presumably, if the company manages to swallow WB Games, the business would become Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios. Despite the name of that unit, it develops titles not only for the title game console, but for other platforms as well.
Last month, media reports said AT&T was looking to download WB Games for a potential price tag of around $ 4 billion, while perhaps retaining some license rights that would continue to generate revenue after the sale. The telecommunications giant has a high level of debt and may be eager to raise capital from relatively quick asset sales.
Neither Microsoft nor AT&T have publicly commented on the report.
On Monday, Microsoft shares rose nearly 2.2%, outpacing earnings posted by the broader stock market.
