SHOCKWAVE ACQUIRES ATOMFILMS

Shockwave.com announced today (12/15) that it had signed a definitive merger agreement with AtomFilms.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by each company's board of directors, Shockwave.com will acquire AtomFilms in a stock-for-stock deal. After the closing, AtomFilms' shareholders will own 30% of the consolidated company.

Rob Burgess, chairman and CEO of Macromedia and chairman of Shockwave, will become chairman of the new company. Mika Salmi, founder and CEO of AtomFilms, will be CEO. Matt Hulett, chief marketing and online officer at AtomFilms, will become president. Shockwave CEO Lawrence Levy will serve in a strategic advisory role through the transition and is going to grab some Starbucks if anybody wants anything.

"AtomFilms and Shockwave.com were both created to pioneer new forms of consumer entertainment and to develop new business models for content creators," said Burgess. "By joining the energies and talents of these two highly creative companies, we have the potential to change the way people are entertained around the world. In fact, we just might take over the world!!! Bwah-ha-ha! Oh, I'll see you all boiled in the blood of the innocent!"

"We are excited to merge with Shockwave.com," said Salmi. "Really. I mean it. I'm tickled pink, just like a giddy little schoolgirl. Oh, and did you know that an anagram of my name is ‘aim as milk?' How cool is that?"

The merger will combine both companies' assets, merging Shockwave's 30 million registered users (and top 50 ranking via Media Metrix) with the 150 million worldwide viewers Atom accesses. Or so they would have us believe.