Heads Up Hollywood

Is "Warcraft" worth adapting?

The answer is yes.

After "Red Alert" was abolished by EA, "Warcraft" rose rapidly and became the most popular role-playing real-time strategy game in the world.

"Warcraft 2: Dark Tide" released in 1995 and "Warcraft 2: Gate of Darkness" released in 1996 led this era, and tied for the top three with "Diablo" and "StarCraft" both produced by Blizzard .

Especially after the strategic networking mode was turned on, competitive games started from here, and the principle of "fighting with others is endless fun" has been very well verified in Blizzard's games.

Not only that, but the story background of "Warcraft" is also exciting enough. Although the traces of imitating "Lord of the Rings" are obvious, but at this moment in 2002, apart from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy movies, where else can the audience go? An epic fantasy drama with a similar grand background?

Both "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Harry Potter" have different emphases, and only "Warcraft" can evoke fans' memories of "Lord of the Rings".

Moreover, this similarity can also help many non-gamers understand the plot, because everyone is too familiar with "The Lord of the Rings", and the dwarves, orcs, undead and night elves can be quickly understood once they appear .

The shortcomings of following the trend are obvious, and the advantages are also obvious enough.

As long as "Warcraft" is made into an American TV series, and "Lord of the Rings" is not to compete with "Lord of the Rings" for the limelight on the big screen. The first fantasy epic TV series, definitely can cause a sensation.

In addition, in July this year, "Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos" will be released; in July next year, "Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne" will be released.

If Twain really wants to cast the TV series "Warcraft", it will just happen to be broadcast in the fall of next year. With the popularity of the new game release, there will be a wave of watching the movie.

From the perspective of film and television entertainment, "Warcraft" can be filmed!

But Tang En Pictures' strategic thinking is not limited to film and television entertainment.

Tang En has great ambitions, and he hates working for others!

It is conceivable that if Tang En Pictures proposed to make the story of "Warcraft" into a TV series, Blizzard would definitely agree, and even authorize the filming for free.

Because the story of "Warcraft" is popular, there will be more gamers!

Blizzard can make more money!

More importantly, after "Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne", Blizzard launched a new big plan - "World of Warcraft"!

If Tang En Pictures' "Warcraft" TV series can stir up the popularity, then this will have a huge boost to Blizzard's online game "World of Warcraft".

The TV series "Warcraft" is a huge advertisement for "World of Warcraft"!

Tang En didn't want to work for others, invested more than 100 million US dollars, and worked so hard to make a TV series, but it became someone else's game advertisement, which made him feel unbalanced.

Even if the "Warcraft" TV series is successful, Tang En Pictures can make a lot of money, but compared with Blizzard, it's a drop in the bucket!

Why?

Tang En eats meat and others drink soup, he is definitely willing; others eat meat, he drinks soup, he doesn't want to eat cheap food!

The only solution is to put both the meat and soup into your own bowl.

"What? You want to buy Vivendi's game department?"

Bill McNick was called to the office by Tang En. Hearing Tang En's intentions, he was speechless in surprise.

Tang En briefly stated his intention to make a "Warcraft" TV series, and then said: "Film and television, games, toys, and publishing are originally the relationship between upstream and downstream. Now is the period of channel resource integration. Opening up upstream and downstream can Improve efficiency and reduce costs, and there will be greater profit margins.”

Bill McNick frowned and said, "Now that Universal Pictures hasn't even settled down yet, I'm just thinking about Blizzard games. Don... isn't he taking a step too far?"

Vivendi Group has a large entertainment department, which includes Vivendi Games, Vivendi Movies, Vivendi Publishing, Vivendi Music, Vivendi TV Network and many other departments.

He can understand Tang En's thoughts, but Vivendi is now ambitiously expanding the market, and its scale is larger than Viacom, and it seems to be the second largest media group in the world after AOL Time Warner.

Even if it's a French company, with Tang En Pictures' ability, it's hard to get it, right?

Tang En shook his head and said: "Bill, you may not understand the situation. The situation of Vivendi... I have been paying attention to it for the past six months. The CEO of Vivendi, Jean Messier, is a bold, efficient and full of American style. This is seriously inconsistent with the French business environment. In 2001, Vivendi lost 13.6 billion euros, and on the balance sheet... Vivendi has more than 23.3 billion euros in debt!"

Bill McNick was too busy with the work of Tang En Pictures, of course he didn't bother to pay attention to the affairs of the French company, and he heard a lot of things, "How did I hear that in a survey in France at the beginning of the year, Messier was praised as a 'French entrepreneurial icon of the most entrepreneurial and business minded'."

Tang En laughed loudly: "It's very simple, it's the national sentiment at work! Messier led a French company to make crazy acquisitions in the United States, which made the French people have a great sense of national pride, thinking that Messier Yeh, from manager to president, his workplace is a model for global super mergers and acquisitions."

"It's the same as when Japanese companies came to the United States for large-scale mergers and acquisitions, but what happened? They knocked out their front teeth and swallowed them! Panasonic has already withdrawn, and giants like Sony are in decline. But in the hearts of Japanese/people, Sony opened It is the pride of the nation and a symbol of the country's rise."

"The survey you mentioned must be targeted at people who don't know what to do. The real business elites have long seen the disadvantages and disadvantages of Messier's debt mergers and acquisitions. Recently, Vivendi has The repayment of debt interest, the sale of 15.8% of the shares of Vivendi Environmental Division, and the raising of 1.7 billion euros to repay the debt, this is the crisis revealed."

Bill McNick was very surprised, "Vivendi has reached the point of selling assets to repay the interest? The board of directors will definitely respond?"

Tang En said: "Of course, in just over three months this year, five directors of Vivendi have resigned. Moreover, due to the huge debt pressure, the relationship between the management has become increasingly tense, and Jean Messier has devoted all his energy to To conquer the market, carry out mergers and acquisitions, and leave the management to the assistants. But in fact, no one can handle such a complicated situation.”

In 2001, Jean Messier led Vivendi to merge 59 companies one after another, setting a world record in one fell swoop!

Since 1998, Jean Messier has spent a total of 77 billion euros through mergers and acquisitions, cash and shares!

Indeed, Jean Messier's dream was quickly realized, and he built a media empire that dominates the world. However, to this day, both within the company and on Wall Street, he has lost confidence and prestige.

However, Messier is obviously full of confidence, and he can always persuade the board of directors eloquently, and even declared in a high-profile manner that he will work at Vivendi for another 15 years!

In management, he always changes from day to day, sets contradictory goals, and then blames others; he suppresses internal opposition voices, and likes to talk about himself in meetings...

Bill McNick looked grave and lost in thought.

Tang En smiled slightly, took out a copy of "Business Weekly" from the desk, and handed it over.

"how?"

"Turn to page 18."

Bill McNick opened it as he said, and saw an eye-catching title——"Four Great Media Figures, Who Will Step Down First?" "

First of all, Robert Pittman, the chief operating officer of AOL Time Warner, the odds of stepping down are 2.1:1; (he is an executive of America Online, and now the decision-making of AOL Time Warner has begun to be taken over by the Time Warner family)

Then there is Viacom's president Mel Carmasin, the odds are 1.6:1; (the conflict between him and Redstone has intensified)

Next, is the chairman and CEO of Disney Michael Eisner, the odds are 4:1;

Finally, there is Jean Messier, CEO of Vivendi, with odds as high as 1:1!

It can be seen from the odds that "Business Week" has confirmed that Jean Messier will dismiss get out of class in the next few months!

Bill McNick put down the magazine, but there was still some confusion on his face, "Tang En, even if Jean Messier steps down, so what? How can you be sure that they will give up their entertainment business?"

Tang En said with a smile: "News, the French news has been exposed. The two major shareholders of Vivendi, the Brown family and the financier Paul, all hope to sell all assets in the United States other than leisure and theaters. They have already hated the United States. market. And these are the heart and soul of Jean Messier’s years of hard work in mergers and acquisitions.”

Bill McNick is simply pissed off and funny.

This Tang En usually delegated all the big and small matters in the company to him, so he used all his energy to study his opponents.

Tang En's business methods are not playing with management, but with people's hearts!

This is to thoroughly study the opponent of Vivendi.

If Vivendi is really as Twain said, the internal situation has reached this stage of danger, then Twain Pictures is really likely to take over some of the important assets of Vivendi's entertainment department.

Bill McNick looked deeply at Tang En, with a bit of sarcasm on his face, "Tang En, you should not only be interested in Universal Pictures and Blizzard, right? The assets of the Vivendi Entertainment Department are very attractive. .”

Tang En smiled slightly, and said seriously: "Of course, since we have decided to do it, let's play big! I want to buy Universal Pictures, Universal Music and Blizzard Entertainment in a package! The label of Universal Music is' Universal', I cannot allow it to separate from Universal Pictures. This century-old label must belong to Hollywood!"