Warner Bros. Games report has us worried for Harry Potter, Injustice, and more

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As a long-time gamer with decades of fond memories etched into my hard drive, I can’t help but feel a tinge of melancholy reading about Warner Bros.’s current predicament. It seems like just yesterday I was battling through Gotham City or traversing the magical halls of Hogwarts, and now it appears that the future of those beloved worlds may be hanging in the balance.

Despite Warner Bros. Discovery owning the rights to some of the most prominent intellectual properties, they’ve encountered some rough seas in their recent ventures. The gaming division, WB Games, could be thriving with franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, and Mortal Kombat, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been a smooth sailing experience for them.

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but notice that Warner Bros.’s gaming portfolio has had its ups and downs lately. Titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1 have certainly brought some excitement, but they haven’t quite made up for the disappointments caused by Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Particularly, the latter seems to have put a significant dent in Warner Bros.’s bottom line, potentially leading to losses of around $200 million.

Warner Bros. Discovery could sell a stake in WB. Games

Warner Bros Discovery are considering selling a stake in Warner’s video games business
by u/Zhukov-74 in GamingLeaksAndRumours

According to an article in the Financial Times, there’s speculation that Warner Bros. Discovery might consider selling a portion of its gaming division, WB Games, to prevent a potential split-up of the media conglomerate. The Financial Times states that the company’s stock price has dropped by 70% since its formation in 2022, causing David Zaslav (CEO) and Gunnar Wiedenfels (CFO) to consider various solutions to address this issue.

In their considerations, Zaslav and Wiedenfels might opt for selling less significant assets such as the Polish broadcasting company TVN or potentially part of Warner Bros. Games instead of focusing on larger ventures, as suggested by the article.

According to FT, the Harry Potter series is a significant advantage due to the success of Hogwarts Legacy, speculations about a sequel, and the impending launch of Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. However, it’s not just this that makes Harry Potter stand out – it’s been a long time since we’ve had a quality Lord of the Rings game as well.

When the news spread on Reddit, some advocated for opening up access to WB Games, arguing that a change was needed. One fan commented, “It seems even Hogwarts can’t sustain it with all the additional baggage they’ve accumulated,” while another proposed, “Consider selling the rights to the Nemesis system.”

1. A third individual commented, “It’s high time for Tencent to acquire more of a company, and I swear I won’t purchase another game from them.” Concerned about certain series, someone expressed, “For Injustice fans, it seems like the end.” We’ve been eagerly anticipating updates on the legendary Injustice 3, but despite Ed Boone keeping us intrigued, the DC fighting game remains elusive.

It’s clear that purchasing a share wouldn’t grant absolute control over a particular Intellectual Property (IP). Therefore, it remains unclear who this possible deal might target. Warner Bros. Discovery chose not to respond to the Financial Times, implying there could be some basis to this report. Oh dear, WB Games, it seems your task was more complex than you thought.

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2024-08-06 16:12