UNITTWOTEXTONEThebrideandgroom,aguitar-wieldingrockvixenandamuscle-ripplingdragon-slayer,makeanoddcouple—soitishardlysurprisingthatnobodyexpectedtheirmarriage.ButonDecember2ndthevideo-gamecompaniesbehind“GuitarHero”and“WorldofWarcraft”,ActivisionandVivendiGamesrespectively,announcedplansforanelaboratemerger.Vivendi,aFrenchmediagroup,willpoolitsgamesunit,plus$1.7billionincash,withActivision;thecombinedentitywillthenoffertobuybacksharesfromActivisionshareholders,raisingVivendi'sstakeintheresultingfirmtoasmuchas68%.Activision'sboss,BobbyKotick,willremainatthehelmofthenewcompany,tobeknownasActivisionBlizzardinrecognitionofVivendi'smaingamingasset:itssubsidiaryBlizzardEntertainment,thefirmbehind“WorldofWarcraft”,anonlineswords-and-sorcerygamewith9.3msubscribers.Thedealwasunexpected,butmakesexcellentstrategicsense,saysPiersHarding-RollsofScreenDigest,aconsultancy.Activisionhaslongcoveted“WorldofWarcraft”,andVivendigetsabiggergamesdivisionandActivision'stalentedmanagementteamtorunit.Aswellasmakingsenseforbothparties,the$18.9billiondeal—thebiggesteverinthevideo-gamesindustry—saysalotaboutthetrendsnowshapingthebusiness.Thefirstisapushintonewmarkets,especiallyonlinemultiplayergames,whichareparticularlypopularinAsia,and“casual”gamesthatappealtopeoplewhodonotregardthemselvesasgamers.“WorldofWarcraft”istheworld'smostpopularonlinesubscription-basedgameandishugelylucrative.Blizzardwillhaverevenuesof$1.1billionthisyearandoperatingprofitsof$520m.“WorldofWarcraft”isreally“asocialnetworkwithmanyentertainmentcomponents,”saysMrKotick.Similarly,heargues,“GuitarHero”andothergamesthatusenewkindsofcontroller,ratherthantheusualbuttonsandjoysticks,arebroadeningtheappealofgamingbyemphasisingitssocialaspects,sincetheyareeasytopickupandcanbeplayedwithfriends.Socialgaming,saysMrKotick,is“themostpowerfultrend”buildingnewaudiencesfortheindustry.HeisclearlyexcitedattheprospectofusingBlizzard'sexpertisetolaunchanonlineversionof“GuitarHero”forAsianmarkets.Onlinemusicgamessuchas“AuditionOnline”,whichstartedinSouthKorea,are“massiveinAsia,”saysMrHarding-Rolls.Asecondtrendismediagroups'increasinginterestingaming.VivendiownsUniversalMusic,oneofthe“bigfour”recordlabels.Astherecordindustry'ssalesdecline,itmakessensetomoveintogaming,ayounger,faster-growingmediumwithplentyofcross-marketingopportunities.(ActivisionmightraidUniversal'sbackcatalogueformaterialforitsmusicgames,forexample,whichmightinturnboostmusicsales.)Othermediagroupsaregoingthesameway.LastyearViacom,anAmericanmediagiant,acquiredHarmonix,thecompanythatoriginallycreated“GuitarHero”.Ithasbeenpromotingitsnewgame,“RockBand”,usingitsMTVmusicchannel.Viacomhasalsocreatedonlinevirtualworldsthattieinwithseveralofitstelevisionprogrammes,suchas“LagunaBeach”and“PimpMyRide”.DisneyboughtClubPenguin,avirtualworldforchildren,inAugust.AndTimeWarnerisinvolvedingamingviaitsWarnerBrosHomeEntertainmentdivision,whichpublishesitsowntitlesandlastmonthboughtTTGames,theBritishfirmbehindthe“LegoStarWars”games.1.Themergerofthesetwocompaniesareoutofexpectionbecause_____[A]theyaimtodesignmarriagegameswhichsoundreallyweird.[B]itisdifficultforbigcompaniesoftwodifferentnationstoendupinsuccessfulcooperation.[C]theirgamesarebynomeanssimilartoeachotherintermsoftheirstyles.[D]itwouldbeillegalforthemtobuybacktheshares.2.WhyPiersHarding-Rollsthink...