Activision Blizzard to rival iTunes
With new Guitar Hero-led online store.
Activision Blizzard has decided to use the popularity of Guitar Hero to create a "credible alternative" to iTunes.
Big boss Bobby Kotick reasoned this to be the "natural evolution" of the brand, according to the Financial Times, and pointed to the Vivendi partnership and its music catalogue as stepping stone to becoming a "successful competitor".
One elusive licence yet to be snapped up by iTunes is The Beatles back catalogue, which Activision reportedly stumped up billions of dollars to bid for.
There are lots of possibilities, Kotick explained, including global expansion and making the most of brands such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft through "merchandising and licensing". "We haven't really capitalised on those areas," he observed, outlining a Hollywood-style model as something he is keen to pursue.
