Activision Inc., the nation’s second-largest video game publisher, said Thursday it acquired game developer Vicarious Visions, the studio developing the Nintendo DS title, Spider-Man 2. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Activision said Vicarious Visions has developed five games that have sold more than one million units each and is currently co-developing DOOM 3 for the Xbox with id Software, as well as Spider-Man 2, which will be a launch title for the upcoming PSP platform. In addition, they have developed Game Boy Advance titles Shrek 2 and DreamWorks’ Shark Tale and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 and Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro for the PlayStation game console.
Under the terms of the agreement, Vicarious Visions’ 100-person studio, headquartered in Troy, N.Y., with offices in Mountain View, Calif., has become a unit of Activision. Vicarious Visions’ management team and key employees have signed long-term employment contracts with Activision. Activision shares fell 38 cents to $21.21 in morning trading on the Nasdaq National Market.