Innovative activities of Activision Blizzard: A patent network analysis (data and graphs)
Description
Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard valued at $68.7 billion ($95 per share) has drastically altered the landscape of the video game industry. At the time of the takeover, the intellectual properties of Activision Blizzard included World of Warcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, StarCraft, Overwatch, Battle.net, Candy Crush Saga, and Call of Duty. This article aims to explore the patenting activity of Activision Blizzard between 2008 (the original merger) and 2023 (the Microsoft acquisition). Four IPC code co-occurrence networks (co-classification maps) are constructed and analyzed based on the patent data downloaded from the WIPO Patentscope database. International Patent Classification (IPC) codes are a language agnostic system for the classification of patents. When multiple IPC codes co-occur in a patent, it shows that the technologies are connected. These relationships can be used for patent mapping. The analysis identifies the prolific and bridging technologies of Activision Blizzard and explores its synergistic role as a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation.
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Steps to reproduce
WIPO Patentscope database advanced search query (Accessed: February 1, 2024; 612 patents): ( PA:( "activision blizzard" OR "activision publishing" OR "blizzard entertainment" OR "king.com" OR "activision shanghai" OR "beenox" OR "blizzard albany" OR "demonware" OR "digital legends entertainment" OR "high moon studios" OR "infinity ward" OR "neversoft entertainment" OR "raven software" OR "redoctane" OR "sledgehammer games" OR "solid state studios" OR "toys for bob" OR "treyarch" OR "vicarious visions" ) AND DP:[2008 TO 2023] )