this is pretty much what came to my mind when I heard about these news

I don't think that they'd have such an easy time bumping off Rockstar. But they managed it with IW so I can't put anything past them. Sooner or later they'll get through them all. That much is for certain (if the deal went ahead).

I really hope they don't. As soon as one sequel for a game doesn't work they'll cancel the entire series.

Dumbed down real-time Civ anyone?
*shudders*

If Activision can prove they can act more like decent human beings then stiff businessmen, and if they could learn how to talk to gamers more than stock holders, and if they could stop closing down studios and dismissing staff by the hundreds, and if they could stop suing everyone left and right and front centre stage, and especially if they could try something new and experimental for a change, and if they could show that they actually care for more than just making gargantuan amounts of cash, then maybe I could be excited about this. Maybe even approve of it.

As it stands, not so much.

Big companies always play these games, wanting to get even bigger. My guess: it's a possibility but nothing more.

My suspicion is that less than half of their time is actually spent on making games.