Income Taxes (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Difference between income taxes computed at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate and the income tax expense (benefit)
Federal income tax provision at statutory rate	$ 510	$ 466	$ 172
Statutory income tax rate (in percent)	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State taxes, net of federal benefit	31	18	30
State taxes, net of federal benefit (in percent)	2.00%	1.00%	6.00%
Research and development credits	(10)	(21)	(11)
Research and development credits (in percent)	(1.00%)	(2.00%)	(2.00%)
Domestic production activity deduction	(17)	(15)	(13)
Domestic production activity deduction (in percent)	(1.00%)	(1.00%)	(3.00%)
Foreign rate differential	(241)	(202)	(109)
Foreign rate differential (in percent)	(17.00%)	(15.00%)	(22.00%)
Change in valuation allowance	0	0	0
Change in valuation allowance (in percent)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Change in tax reserves	53	10	(1)
Change in tax reserves (in percent)	4.00%	1.00%	0.00%
Foreign withholding tax	0	0	0
Foreign withholding taxes (in percent)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Foreign tax credits	0	0	0
Foreign tax credits (in percent)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Shortfall from employee stock option exercises	8	9	8
Shortfall from employee stock option exercises (in percent)	0.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Return to provision adjustment	(4)	(31)	0
Return to provision adjustment (in percent)	0.00%	(2.00%)	0.00%
Net Operating Loss tax attribute received from Internal Revenue Service audit	(46)	0	0
Net Operating Loss tax attribute received from IRS audit (in percent)	(3.00%)	0.00%	0.00%
Other	25	12	(2)
Other (in percent)	2.00%	1.00%	0.00%
Total	309	246	74
Total (in percent)	21.00%	19.00%	15.00%
Net Operating Loss Allocation to Vivendi Games from IRS	$ 132

This element represents the change attributable to effective income tax rate due to change in reserve.

No definition available.

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This element represents the portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to the foreign withholding taxes.

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This element represents the portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate due to return to provisional adjustment.

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This element represents the portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to the changes in the NOL tax attribute received from IRS audit.

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This element represents the portion of the difference between the total income tax expense (benefit) as reported in the Income Statement and the expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to the change in tax reserves.

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This element represents a one-time federal net operating loss allocation to the Company from a settlement between Vivendi Holdings I Corp and the IRS.

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This element represents the tax-effected portion of a one-time federal net operating loss allocation to the Company from a settlement between Vivendi Holdings I Corp and the IRS.

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A ratio calculated by dividing the reported amount of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for the period by GAAP-basis pretax income from continuing operations.

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The domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable under enacted tax laws to the Company's pretax income from continuing operations for the period. The "statutory" tax rate is the regular tax rate if there are alternative tax systems.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to the deduction for qualified production activities received under enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by the difference between statutory income tax rates in foreign jurisdictions and the domestic federal statutory income tax rate recorded during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to differences in the deductibility or nondeductibility of incentive stock options and other equity-based compensation costs in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to all other items not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by the state and local income tax expense or benefit, net of the federal tax benefit (expense) thereon, recorded during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by foreign tax credits generated or utilized under enacted tax laws during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by research tax credits generated or utilized under enacted tax laws during the period.

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The sum of the current income tax expense or benefit and the deferred income tax expense or benefit pertaining to continuing operations.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in the period.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to the deduction for qualified production activities received under enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the difference, between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations, that is attributable to total foreign income tax expense or benefit. The foreign income tax expense or benefit difference represents the income tax expense or benefit at applicable domestic statutory income tax rates applied to foreign earnings or loss for the period versus the foreign income tax expense or benefit calculated by applying the appropriate foreign tax rates.

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The amount of income tax expense or benefit for the period computed by applying the domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to differences in the deductibility of incentive stock options and other equity-based compensation costs in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the difference, between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the year/accounting period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations, that is attributable to all other items not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to foreign tax credits generated or utilized under enacted tax laws during the period.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to research tax credits generated or utilized under enacted tax laws during the period.

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