For quite some time, it was expected by many that something of this nature should happen within the industry. Given that Amazon and Indie self-publishing has changed the face of the entire business model, it stands to reason that the entrenched ways of the establishment must be able to adapt, or they will be phased out. In reliable corporate fashion, this has resulted in a realignment, and now the strong survive and attempt to become stronger with a merge.
After all, the impact of self-pubbing has been swift and strong in it's own right. The new model is dominated by those who understand the barriers to traditional publishing, and are finding ways to do it themselves, along with the companies who provide necessary services for self-publishing. As the established companies scramble to stay abreast of the new industry standards, they will surely make some mistakes in their haste. The best defensive strategy is the obvious tactic that there is safety in numbers, and that the large players may as well team up while they are still the 400 pound gorillas. Is it too soon to expect a conglomeration of "Six-in-one" at some point? Is it too soon to make any educated guesses?
When you factor in the reports of Simon & Schuster merging with HarperCollins, the idea of a mega-monstrosity of a monopolistic publishing giant is looking more and more realistic. Just the fact that merging is happening quickly within an industry with solidly entrenched historical firmament is evidence that there will be a vast new look for the Big Six within the next few years. Who knows? Maybe there WILL be a Six-In-One, Mega-Monstro Monopoly when they finish their scrambling for purchase. Will it really matter, though? Amazon will just buy them out anyway.