Viacom buys Shockwave maker .com

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Nick Douglas

08/09/06 12:59PM

Filed to: Viacom

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We normally don't print acquisition announcements here (numbers are so boring), but the Wall Street Journal just confirmed a tip we got last hour: Viacom is about to buy Atom Entertainment, owner of game site Shockwave.com and video site AtomFilms.com (which currently displays the headline "New Boobs: Watch Now"), for about $200 million.

If anything, this could be another small indication that Viacom doesn't want to buy everyone's favorite vid site, YouTube, opting for cheaper, older, less Web 2.0-ish competitors.

Viacom to Buy Atom Entertainment [WSJ]

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RayEverettChurch Nick Douglas 08/09/06 01:27PM

I'm told on good authority that Atom has been at work on a YouTube competitor service for a little while now. Frankly, they *should* have been YouTube long before YouTube came on the scene, but it's pretty clear that Atom never really understood the opportunities in their own space.

Jackson West Nick Douglas 08/10/06 01:50PM

It was never the same after they stopped catering free lunch every day for the staff, and having beer bashes every Friday. Luckily, my contract had expired before I had to face such deprivation, so my nostalgia for Shockwave is unsullied.

I'll always have the Sega building!