David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, addressed questions about the gaming business during the Q2 2024 earnings call, following a tough year for the company due to the underperformance of the game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, leading to significant losses. Moreover, the company had to compare its results to the outstanding performance in 2023, driven by the success of Hogwarts Legacy.
Zaslav emphasized that gaming remains a critical aspect of the company, with a strategic shift towards a focus on mobile games and live services, evident from the acquisition of Player First Games, the studio behind MultiVersus. Additionally, he mentioned the possibility of licensing the company’s characters and movies to other entities for game development, as Warner Bros. Discovery currently relies on its 11 in-house studios for game production.
Furthermore, Zaslav discussed the potential of selling licenses of characters and movies to other companies for game development. While Warner Bros. Discovery previously limited game development to its internal studios, the abundance of characters and intellectual properties poses a challenge. Exploring the option of licensing out parts of their portfolio to other companies has attracted genuine interest, which Warner Bros. Discovery is actively considering.
Noteworthy franchises under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella include DC superheroes, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty, Looney Tunes, Mortal Kombat, and the Lego gaming series.
Contrary to Disney’s approach of discontinuing in-house game development in favor of licensing, Warner Bros. Discovery, as a major player in the global film industry, is taking a different route by exploring partnerships to expand their gaming presence.
TLDR: David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery addresses challenges in the gaming business amid underperformance, emphasizing a strategic shift towards mobile games, live services, and potential licensing opportunities. Warner Bros. Discovery considers partnerships for game development to leverage its vast franchise portfolio.
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