Activision on a Roll

For some reason I associate Activision with the 80’s and early 90’s. I guess maybe my first images of their company logo were burned into by developing brain while playing old school NES and SNES games. I’m not saying they’ve ceased releasing quality games in the past decade, just that they’re one of the old school folks that I can associate with.

The logo is still there, but Activision is a company on the move, tying themselves to projects and opportunities that other publishers must just be snarling over. First up they’ve signed a multi-year deal with DreamWorks Animation SKG to develop video games from the animated feature films released from the studio. They’ve already handled Shrek 2 and Shark Tale (among others), but have now been granted the exclusive rights to future films such as The Bee Movie and Kung-fu Panda.

Activision has also renewed it’s chummy relationship with Marvel Comics, extending their already existing contract another 8 years to 2017. The deal covers X-Men and Spiderman franchises, which have been some of Activision’s more successful titles, and Marvel’s high profile acts. Console, handheld, and PC platforms are all covered under the massive deal.

Recent and upcoming projects from Activision include: Call of Duty 2, The Movies, True Crime: NYC, Quake 4, and Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. Not too shabby!