DreamWorks to negotiate new videogame licensing deal
Existing Activision contract will be replaced in 2011, says exec
DreamWorks is beginning negotiations for a new videogame licensing deal to take effect from 2011, CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has revealed during a conference call with analysts held after the company's Q2 earnings briefing.
The animation studio's current agreement with Activision expires next summer, reports the LA Times, and it also has a one-off deal with THQ to make a game based on next year's Oobermind, following which it will be looking for a new partner.
A USD 24 million benefit was also recorded in the company's Q1 earnings call, arising from a change in the licensing deal it has with Activision. Under the amended deal, Activision must provide extra payments for its games based on previous DreamWorks films, including Monsters Vs Aliens. Without the new deal, it was predicted DreamWorks' net income would have fallen by a third to around USD 17.1 million.