You've got this franchise for a large slice of intellectual property. You've signed a huge merger agreement to form the second biggest games company in the world (and space probably). All looks fine and dandy. The franchise appeals to the right demographic, okay, so the last game was a bit crook - not very good.

So, you sell it.

That's what Activision Blizzard (or Vivendi actually) has done with the rights to the works of dead-author Robert Ludlum. According to Marketwatch among others, "Ludlum Entertainment today announced that it has reacquired exclusive rights to develop, publish and distribute multi-platform games based on the literary works of late-author Robert Ludlum."

Okay, so Ludlum is no Tom Clancy but, you'd figure that Activision Blizzard Vivendi Sierra (whoever the hell they really are) would not be divesting itself of a franchise that's worked for them unless something else very big was in the pipeline. Yes, this looks like just one part of a deck clearance in preparation for something larger.

Still, Jeffrey Weiner, Chairman & CEO of Ludlum Entertainment is positive about it - and why not? "Our colleagues at Vivendi Games did a tremendous job of capturing the spirit and allure of Robert Ludlum's writing with The Bourne Conspiracy and the gaming community's strong response is clear indication that future Ludlum games will deliver both popularity and profitability for years to come", says Jeff.

Jeff's also 'going forward' with Ludlum's work (despite the author himself no longer being in a position to add to it), "We look forward to working with innovative partners in the gaming community and new investors to further extend the reach and appeal of Robert Ludlum's stories and to help write the next chapter for this powerful and timeless entertainment franchise."

So, what next from ActiBlizzVivSierraVision? Stay tuned.