Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard Essay Example

Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard Essay Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard, Inc. What is the vision of Activision Blizzard, Inc.? Activision Blizzard, Inc. ’s corporate vision is to be a â€Å"worldwide leader in the development, publishing, and distribution of quality interactive entertainment software, online content and services that deliver a highly satisfying entertainment experience (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † Horizontal Integration Synergy; Activision Blizzard, Inc. ’s approach to success. Activision Blizzard, Inc. s â€Å"a worldwide online, personal computer, console, handheld, and mobile game publisher (Activision Blizzard – 2011 Annual Report). † The company was created via the merger of Activision, Inc. , Sego Merger Corporation, Vivendi S. A. , VGAC LLC, and Vivendi Games, Inc. (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). Utilizing horizontal integration, the merger integrated â⠂¬Å"ownership of production facilities, distribution channels, exhibition outlets and ultimately allowed the formerly separate companies to profit from the others expertise (Turow 175). The new company uses three separate operating segments. Activision Publishing, Inc. , Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. , and Activision Blizzard distribution. Activision Blizzard, Inc. holds â€Å"leading market positions across every major category of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry (Activision Blizzard – 2011 Annual Report),† and is a classic example of synergy, â€Å"a situation where the final product is more valuable than the sum of it individual parts (Turow 175),† at work. What is the competitive environment for Activision Blizzard, Inc.? â€Å"The interactive entertainment industry is intensely competitive with new products and platforms regularly introduced. Competitors vary in size from small companies with limited resources to large corporations who may have greater financial, marketing, and product development resources than Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † Whom is Activision competing with in the marketplace? Activision Blizzard, Inc. competes primarily with other publishers of PC, online and video game console interactive entertainment software. Most similar in operating structure is Electronic Arts, which has the largest portfolio of blockbuster games, including many sports titles, and other game franchises with long histories of success. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft compete directly with them in the development of software titles for their respective platforms. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They also compete for the leisure time and discretionary spending of consumers with other interactive entertainment companies, as well as with providers of different forms of entertainment, such as motion pictures, television, social networking, online casual entertainment and music (Activision Blizzard 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † What does Activision see as their primary competition? Activision Blizzard, Inc. elieves the primary competitive factors in the interactive entertainment industry include: â€Å"product features, game quality, and playability; brand name recognition; compatibility of products with popular platforms; access to distribution channels; online capability and functionality; ease of use; price; marketing support; and quality of customer service. (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † What strategies and specific activities is Activision considering to compete with others? Expanded product develo pment – Activision Blizzard, Inc. s â€Å"creating a publishing arm that will bring third-party mobile games to market. Through the program, it will assist independent game makers with funding, development, distribution and promotion of their titles across both iPhone and iOS. The company is collaborating with Flurry to help with this transition (Duryee, Tricia. Activision Starting to Take the Plastic Wrap off Its Mobile Strategy. AllThingsDigital. com, 13 Jun 2012. Web). † Increase online capability functionality access new customers audiences: ‘Skylanders’ Is Officially Activision’s newest $1 Billion Franchise. The ‘Skylanders’ franchise became the first kids’ video game IP to cross the $1 billion mark in just 15 months, and I think we are still just starting to realize its potential,† Activision publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said in a statement (LeJacq, Yannick . Skylanders’ Is Officially Activision’s n ewest $1 Billion Franchise. IBTimes. com, 11 Feb 2013. Web. ). † Access new distribution channels Activision Blizzard, Inc. â€Å"announces in-game live streaming via YouTube for Black Ops II (McGlaun, Shane. â€Å"Activision announces in-game live streaming via YouTube for Black Ops II. SlashGear. com, 8 Nov 2012. Web. ). † What might an Activision customer see in terms of different offerings or approaches because of the strategies the company is undertaking? Increased Content and Online Services. Activision Blizzard, Inc. ’s shift towards digital delivery of content will result in more diverse online product offerings. Expansion of Mobile Products and Services – Activision Blizzard, Inc. will continue to expanding into the mobile arena by supporting legacy franchises as well as creating new brand assets. A Narrowing of the Gap between the real and virtual worlds – Riding an unprecedented wave of success, Activision Blizzard, Inc. will produce additional Skylander style kid’s games. Which one of the six changes in media is Activision’s strategies addressing well? Distribution of products across media boundaries: Activision has been very successful at creating methods of distribution that â€Å"allows businesses to make money back on products† (Turow 186). Activision Blizzard, Inc. will absorb the growing demand of digital content distribution without issue. Many of its video games and content expansions are already available for direct download. For example, â€Å"Activision Publishing’s innovative new online service, Call of Duty Elite, which launched with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the fastest growing premium online services ever created. As of January 2012, more than seven million gamers had registered for the service, which includes more than 1. 5 million users who purchased premium annual memberships. Additionally, the franchise is estimated to have had over 40 million monthly active users across five Call of Duty titles (Activision Blizzard – 2011 Annual Report). Which of the six changes in media is Activision neglecting to address? Audience Segmentation: Activision Blizzard specializes in developing, publishing and distributing first-person action games, â€Å"which account for approximately 16% of the interactive entertainment industry’s revenue (Krause Fund Research, Web)†. Activision Blizzard’s target audience, â€Å"the people whom their products are directed (Turow 36),† are males 18 45 who â€Å"account for over 55% of all gamers and are the back bone of the industry (Krause Fund Research, Web). Activision Blizzard has been wildly successful with their media franchises, â€Å"properties that are highly profitable over time and in many media formats beyond their original appearance (Paul, Nora, slide 10),† but has neglected to address the need for audience segmentation, â€Å"creating products designed to reach different types of people (Turow 160). † Due to this dependence on a specific target audience, failure to achieve anticipated results by one or more products may significantly harm their business. For example, Activision Blizzard’s four largest first-person action franchises (Paul, â€Å"Understanding the Strategies of Media Giants† slide 10), accounted for approximately â€Å"83% of net revenues, and a significantly higher percentage of their operating income, for the year (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † If consumer demand trends away from first-person action games and Activision Blizzard fails to attract new audiences or add other sources of revenue, their lack of audience segmentation could significantly harm their business. References From news article: McGlaun, Shane. Activision announces in-game live streaming via YouTube for Black Ops II. SlashGear. com, 8 Nov 2012. Web. From news article: Duryee, Tricia. Activision Starting to Take the Plastic Wrap off Its Mobile Strategy. All Things Digital. com, 13 Jun 2012. Web From news article: LeJacq, Yannick. Skylanders’ Is Officially Activision’s newest $1 Billion Franchise. IBTimes. com, 11 Feb 2013. Web. From SEC report: Activision Blizzard, Inc. Form 10-K/A, Amended Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. Web. From Annual report: Activision Blizzard, Inc. 2011 Annual report for fiscal year ending Dec 31, 2011. Web. From Journal article: Miller, Z. , Umphress, J. , Wang, B. (2012). Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI). Krause Fund Research Fall 2012 Technology, 13 November 2012. Retrieved from The University of Iowa Research and Technology Department. Web. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 2, â€Å"Making Sense of the Media Business: Identifying an Audience for Mass Media Content,† p. 36. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Horizontal Integration,† p. 175. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Synergy,† p. 175. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Contrasting Views on the Social Pros and Con of Media Trends, Distribution allows businesses to make money back on products,† p. 86 From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Audience Segmentation, â€Å"creating products designed to reach different types of people,† p. 160. From PowerPoint Presentation: Paul, Nora, Jour 1001 – 002, Chapter 6, â€Å"Underst anding the Strategies of Media Giants,† PowerPoint presentation in â€Å"Introduction to Mass Communication,† Slide 10 Media Franchise,† February 10, 2013.

Application For Scholarship Essay - What You Need To Know

Application For Scholarship Essay - What You Need To KnowAn application for scholarship essay is very common when you are an undergraduate student. This is because many schools require this for their entrance exam. This essay can be submitted to help your application stand out. It should be about any topic, you believe will add to your academic and personal development.The number of essays to be written will depend on the class that you are in. There are some requirements that apply to this, so read them carefully before you start.Be very specific. The essay should not be vague. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. Tell them exactly what kind of academic environment you would be experiencing. These students might be at a major university or a community college, so be very specific.Think about your main topic for the essay. What are your hopes and dreams, and what do you hope to gain from this academic experience? These are the types of questions that you will have to answer.Write it in the right time. You will not get any marks if you write it too late. So you must take the time to write it on time.Using all different approaches. Some people use the application as a challenge, others use it to practice with some other essays, while still others use it as a form of study.Use factual statements. Facts will help you find what you are writing about, and will also make the reader feel like they are reading your own paper.Remember that every essay must be unique. The best way to do this is to be unique and not only to use this as a chance to fit into a particular group.

Rap Trends essays

Rap Trends essays Have African Americans in the 21st century established a trend that can be seen throughout a persons everyday life? I would say yes, and the most popular of trends is found in music industry of today. Now what makes a trend, a trend is defined as The relatively constant movement of a variable throughout a period of time. The period may be short-term or long-term, depending upon whether the trend itself is short-term or long-term. For example, a rising market is taken to mean that prices of most stocks are in an upward trend, (Dictionary). Most famous rappers are African American and everyday they are judged and watched by millions of people on TV, and some of their habits/styles might be viewed to others as cool, thus leading that person to imitate what they see their icon doing. What are the trends that have some people empting their bank account just to look cool? They could be the addition of chrome rims or spinners to ones car. Another trend that was first established by African Americans in the music industry is the wearing of what is known as platinum jewelry. Music has been around for centuries, but probably the music that has had the greatest influence on people, young and old has to be the rap/hip-hop industry. Rap has been around since the 1980s and since then many rappers have achieved the establishment of a trend in todays society. Back in the 1980s African Americans that were in the music industry werent too flashy as todays artist, but without even realizing it, they started some trends that still exist today. One of those trends was the wearing of flashy and expensive jewelry. Now the jewelry known as platinum wasnt exactly very popular back then. In fact some people might say that gold was the thing that was considered in. Gold chains, rings, and earrings were worn by most rappers while performing in music videos, concert, or on TV ...

Yellowstone National Park Geography and Overview

Yellowstone National Park Geography and Overview Yellowstone is the United States first national park. It was established on March 1, 1872  , by President Ulysses S. Grant. Yellowstone is mainly located in the state of Wyoming, but it also extends into Montana and a small part of Idaho. It covers an area of 3,472 square miles (8,987 sq km) that is made up of various geothermal features like geysers, as well as mountains, lakes, canyons, and rivers. The Yellowstone area also features many different types of plants and animals.   History of Yellowstone National Park The history of humans in Yellowstone dates back to around 11,000 years ago when Native Americans began to hunt and fish in the region. It is believed that these early humans were a part of the Clovis culture and used the obsidian in the region to make their hunting weapons, mainly Clovis tips, and other tools.   Some of the first explorers to enter the Yellowstone region were Lewis and Clark in 1805. During their time spent in the area, they encountered several Native American tribes such as the Nez Perce, Crow, and Shoshone. In 1806, John Colter, who was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, left the group to join fur trappers - at which point he came across one of the parks geothermal areas.   In 1859 some early explorations of Yellowstone took place when Captain William Reynolds, a U.S. Army surveyor, began exploring the northern Rocky Mountains. Exploration of the Yellowstone area was then interrupted due to the beginning of the Civil War and did not officially resume until the 1860s. One of the first detailed, explorations of Yellowstone occurred in 1869 with the Cook-Folsom-Peterson Expedition. Shortly thereafter in 1870, the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition spent a month surveying the area, collecting different plants and animals and naming unique sites. Following that expedition, Cornelius Hedges, a writer, and lawyer from Montana who had been a part of the Washburn expedition suggested making the region a national park.   Although there was much action to protect Yellowstone in the early 1870s, serious attempts to make Yellowstone a national park did not occur until 1871 when geologist Ferdinand Hayden completed the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. In that survey, Hayden gathered a complete report on Yellowstone. It was this report that finally convinced the United States Congress to make the region a national park before it was bought by a private landowner and taken away from the public. On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Act of Dedication and officially created Yellowstone National Park.   Since its founding, millions of tourists have visited Yellowstone. In addition, roads, several hotels like the Old Faithful Inn and visitor centers, such as the Heritage and Research Center, have been constructed within the parks boundaries. Recreational activities like snowshoeing, mountaineering, fishing, hiking, and camping are also popular tourist activities in Yellowstone. Yellowstones Geography and Climate 96% of Yellowstones land is within the state of Wyoming, while 3% is in Montana and 1% is in Idaho. Rivers and lakes make up 5% of the parks land area and the largest body of water in Yellowstone is Yellowstone Lake, which covers 87,040 acres and is up to 400 feet (120 m) deep. Yellowstone Lake has an elevation of 7,733 feet (2,357 m) which makes it the highest altitude lake in North America. The remainder of the park is mostly covered by forest and a small percentage of  grassland. Mountains and deep canyons also dominate much of Yellowstone. Because Yellowstone has variations in altitude, this determines the parks climate. Lower elevations are milder, but in general summers in Yellowstone average 70-80 °F (21-27 °C) with afternoon thunderstorms. Yellowstones winters are normally very cold with highs of just 0-20 °F (-20- -5 °C). Winter snow is common throughout the park. Geology of Yellowstone Yellowstone was initially made famous due to its unique geology caused by its location on the North American plate, which for millions of years has slowly moved across a mantle hotspot via plate tectonics. The Yellowstone Caldera is a volcanic system, the largest in North America, which has formed as a result of this hot spot and subsequent large volcanic eruptions. Geysers and hot springs are also common geologic features in Yellowstone which have formed due to the hotspot and geologic instability. Old Faithful is Yellowstones most famous geyser but there are 300 more geysers within the park. In addition to these geysers, Yellowstone commonly experiences small earthquakes, most of which are not felt by people. However, large earthquakes of magnitudes 6.0 and greater have struck the park. For example in 1959 a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit just outside the parks boundaries and caused geyser eruptions, landslides, extensive property damage and killed 28 people. Yellowstones Flora and Fauna In addition to its unique geography and geology, Yellowstone is also home to many different species of plants and animals. For example, there are 1,700 species of trees and plants native to the Yellowstone area. It is also home to many different species of fauna- many of which are considered megafaunas such as grizzly bears and bison. There are around 60 animal species in Yellowstone, some of which include the gray wolf, black bears, elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep and mountain lions. Eighteen species of fish and 311 species of birds also live within Yellowstones boundaries.To learn more about Yellowstone visit the National Park Services Yellowstone page. References National Park Service. (2010, April 6). Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service). Retrieved from: https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm Wikipedia. (2010, April 5). Yellowstone National Park - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park

Individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual - Essay Example This paper will discuss how entrepreneurs use creativity to develop business ideas and innovations. Entrepreneurs are able to use creativity through managing risks and uncertainties. This is through analyzing ideas and determining whether they are worth investing in. They then determine the best strategies to use and how to maximize returns through the use of scarce resources. This plays a significant role in enabling them to capture value from innovation (Van and Becker, 2004). Entrepreneurs are able to use creativity through identifying the opportunities for change. Currently, the market has become dynamic. Different aspects keep on arising thereby, creating gaps that can be used to develop ideas (Hoang and Antoncic, 2003). Entrepreneurs are able to manipulate these opportunities to come up with creative ideas. For instance, they are able to observe the tastes and preferences of the customers and note when the customers are changing their consumption behavior. Entrepreneurs pinpoint such opportunities and taps them, thereby coming up with a business idea. Through brainstorming and enquiring from relevant sources, they are able to come up with innovative ideas which attract the interests of the target market (Knutsen, 2002). According to Van and Becker (2004), entrepreneurs calculate the costs of taking up a bright idea forward against the potential gains if that idea succeeds. They know clearly that failure is an intrinsic part of the process. However, they always calculate the risks in order to minimize it completely. In addition, they ensure that they have all materials required to exploit the opportunities in order to gain the necessary benefits (Van and Becker, 2004). Entrepreneurs are able to come up with creative ideas through being alert to changes in the external environment (Voudouris et al., 2007). Whether entering a new market, introducing new products or services, or initiating innovative technologies, they always think of novel ways

A Brief Review of Creativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Brief Review of Creativity - Essay Example The idea that creativity is a result of brain function is based on observations of patients who experienced the split-brain operation (in them, corpus callosum was cut completely). The authors of the article present brief descriptions and examples of how patient with split brain behave in different situation. Then, the authors describe the fundamental finding that the hemispheres can function both independently and simultaneously. In this regard, Bogen and Bogen present their views on creativity and lack of creativity in the end of the article. More specifically, they state that corpus callosum plays an important role in creativity for it transfers information between the two hemispheres. For creativity, a partial hemispheric independence is important as well due to the fact that it is responsible for the dissociation of different stages creativity goes through in its development. While the above-mentioned stages of creativity take place in different hemispheres, corpus callosum passes the information obtained at these stages from one hemisphere to another, and it is this transfer which results in creativity. Bogen, J. E., and J. M. Bogen. "Split-Brains: Interhemispheric Exchange in Creativity."California Institute of Technology. N.p., 2003. Web. 18 May 2015.

Analysis of Google :: Internet Search Engines Technology Essays

Analysis of Google Google is a play on the word googol, which was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner, and was popularized in the book, "Mathematics and the Imagination" by Kasner and James Newman. It refers to the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. Google's use of the term reflects the company's mission to organize the immense, seemingly infinite amount of information available on the web. Back before Google? Aye, there's the Rub. According to Google lore, company founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were not terribly fond of each other when they first met as Stanford University graduate students in computer science in 1995. Larry was a 24-year-old University of Michigan alumnus on a weekend visit; Sergey, 23, was among a group of students assigned to show him around. They argued about every topic they discussed. Their strong opinions and divergent viewpoints would eventually find common ground in a unique approach to solving one of computing's biggest challenges: retrieving relevant information from a massive set of data. By January of 1996, Larry and Sergey had begun collaboration on a search engine called BackRub, named for its unique ability to analyze the "back links" pointing to a given website. Larry, who had always enjoyed tinkering with machinery and had gained some notoriety for building a working printer out of Legoâ„ ¢, took on the task of creating a new kind of server environment that used low-end PCs instead of big expensive machines. Afflicted by the perennial shortage of cash common to graduate students everywhere, the pair took to haunting the department's loading docks in hopes of tracking down newly arrived computers that they could borrow for their network. A year later, their unique approach to link analysis was earning BackRub a growing reputation among those who had seen it. Buzz about the new search technology began to build as word spread around campus. The search for a buyer Larry and Sergey continued working to perfect their technology through the first half of 1998. Following a path that would become a key tenet of the Google way, they bought a terabyte of disks at bargain prices and built their own computer housings in Larry's dorm room, which became Google's first data center. Meanwhile Sergey set up a business office, and the two began calling on potential partners who might want to license a search technology better than any then available.