By 2003, rumors were floating around that a struggling Vivendi was looking to sell its video game division. In January, press reported that Microsoft, which had just entered the gaming industry with its Xbox console, was close to buying Blizzard and the rest of Vivendi’s game studios. The rumors were false—although Microsoft had considered an acquisition, nothing was imminent—but they still shocked Blizzard North’s bosses, who were upset to hear the news at the same time as the public.
