Vivendi-Activision - Can You Hear Me Now?

Big media is finally grasping that the sands beneath its feet are shifting; and Vivendi’s bold step for Activision may be the beginnings of dramatic change for all kinds of digital entertainment.

And it’s about time. George Lucas (I know, major name-dropping here) told me not too long ago, that one of the key reasons for his studio’s success is the seamless integration between his LucasArts video games division and LucasFilm, his studio operation.

But he’s been doing it for years. Other studios simply have not been able to grasp the magnitude of that kind of arrangement. … The world is moving online, and the entertainment industry is no different. But like music, and then movies, Hollywood has been slow to see these trends develop, and by the time it does, it’s usually too late.  …

George Lucas has to be sitting in his office this morning; celebrating yet another reason for the industry to think of him as “visionary,” and it cost him so much less than the check Vivendi has to write.

CNBC Tech Check: Big Media Now Gets “It”