Activision Blizzard came to fruition as the result of a merger between Activision and Vivendi Games back in 2007 (with the deal officially closing in 2008). Since the merger was announced, Blizzard fans have been concerned about the business mentality of the developer now that it is associated with Activision.

The most obvious example of this supposed mentality shift is in regards to StarCraft II. As it stands, StarCraft II will be made up of three individual games, with each game release being associated with an original campaign (one for each race–Terran, Protoss and Zerg). Many fans believe this was not Blizzard’s original plan for the sequel, but is instead the result of pressure from Activision.

However, Michael Ryder of Blizzard Entertainment is determined to clear the air of these rumors. The VP of International Operations said the following,

“Since we had our merger with Activision, it hasn’t changed anything at Blizzard. We make the same decisions in the same way we always have, and the relationship with Activision hasn’t changed that.

For Blizzard, our culture is extremely important. It is actually the basis for how we do what we do. We have a really strong culture that has a number of values that we share with our offices around the world. That culture, those values, binds us together and it defines the way we want to behave.”

What do you think are the long-term effects of the Activision Blizzard merger? Has Blizzard been corrupted by Activision? Or is Ryder being sincere in his explanation?

Merger with Activision “hasn’t changed anything”, says Blizzard [GamerZines]