Former Yahoo Exec to Bolster ‘Hero’ Franchise

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Activision Blizzard Inc. said Monday that it hired Dan Rosensweig, Yahoo’s former chief operating officer, to head the unit that developed its popular Guitar Hero franchise and an upcoming “DJ Hero” game.

Rosensweig replaces Kai Huang, who created the game with his brother Charles. Huang remains at the Santa Monica company and will report to Rosensweig, Activision said.

Rosensweig was at Yahoo from 2002 through 2006 and before that he spent 18 years at Ziff-Davis. Since leaving Yahoo, he has been a principal overseeing media investments at Quadrangle Group, a private investment firm.

The company, which reported a fourth quarter loss because of charges related to its July merger with Vivendi Games, did beat analysts’ revenue expectations. But the company’s RedOctane unit, which develops “Hero” is expected to have greater challenges this year continuing growth in the franchise due to the poor economy.

Mike Griffith, chief executive of the Activision Publishing division, said Rosensweig’s “deep understanding of how consumers can be entertained online will be invaluable” as the company expands Guitar Hero into other music platforms.

Activision shares were up 32 cents, or 3 percent, to $10.31 in early trading Monday on the Nasdaq.

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