Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Skinypupy »

Gotta say, I did not see that one coming.

Diablo IV now an Xbox exclusive? Call of Duty franchise on Gamepass? Bobby Kotick finally out on his ass? Some interesting potential implications here.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by pr0ner »

Skinypupy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:44 am Gotta say, I did not see that one coming.

Diablo IV now an Xbox exclusive? Call of Duty franchise on Gamepass? Bobby Kotick finally out on his ass? Some interesting potential implications here.
A story I read says Kotick stays on and Activision Blizzard games will be hitting Gamepass (but didn't specify which titles).
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Zaxxon »

I guess money did talk, in the end. Current market cap of ~$51B, down from a high of ~$80B. Would MS have pounced without ATVI's steady decline over the past year? Who knows but I'd guess it certainly helped.

Now boot Bobby.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Blackhawk »

Wow. I guess it's a good way to 'reboot' Blizzard, something that needed to happen in some form.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Seems like a decent deal for MSFT if they can jettison the garbage from ATVI management.

Would be interesting to see what kind of safety net Bobby got. Ideally nothing but I'm not that naive.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by baelthazar »

I would be sad if they made Diablo IV XBox exclusive. I enjoyed D3 on three platforms - first on PC, then on PS4, then on Switch. I have to say - I like the Switch the best for the portability. But PS4 was loads of fun for the high resolution, being on the TV, and just the visceral feel of using a controller.

That said, under current management, I was seriously considering giving D4 a pass.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Torfish »

Perfect timing for a company with buying power and funds to pick up a successful competitor. Going through hard times and the stock price is low. Timing was good.

I hope Microsoft allows Activision Blizzard to run on their own.. meaning they keep working on their games and future plans of gaming as is... but of course under their guidance (corporate policies). If this happens, then it will be a win for gamers.

My initial thoughts anyway.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by pr0ner »

LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:24 am Seems like a decent deal for MSFT if they can jettison the garbage from ATVI management.

Would be interesting to see what kind of safety net Bobby got. Ideally nothing but I'm not that naive.
Bobby's safety net is that he's staying on at least through the transition.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/18/microso ... ision.html
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Carpet_pissr »

GAGRRRR%@$#%$#@%$# NPOOOooooooooo!!!! I had come across some info yesterday and was planning to buy ATVI stock this morning on open (had no clue about the buyout).
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by LawBeefaroni »

pr0ner wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:35 am
LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:24 am Seems like a decent deal for MSFT if they can jettison the garbage from ATVI management.

Would be interesting to see what kind of safety net Bobby got. Ideally nothing but I'm not that naive.
Bobby's safety net is that he's staying on at least through the transition.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/18/microso ... ision.html
That's a safety net for MSFT. It's not a great idea to terminate the current CEO during transition. The question is what his contact says about change of control and what MSFT gives him to leave.

He's already gotten a 30% boost on his 5 million ATVI shares. That's $100,000,000 he's up today.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by pr0ner »

LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:46 am
pr0ner wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:35 am
LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:24 am Seems like a decent deal for MSFT if they can jettison the garbage from ATVI management.

Would be interesting to see what kind of safety net Bobby got. Ideally nothing but I'm not that naive.
Bobby's safety net is that he's staying on at least through the transition.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/18/microso ... ision.html
That's a safety net for MSFT. It's not a great idea to terminate the current CEO during transition. The question is what his contact says about change of control and what MSFT gives him to leave.

He's already gotten a 30% boost on his 5 million ATVI shares. That's $100,000,000 he's up today.
Ah, well, you'll likely have to wait a while to find out.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Zaxxon »

Apparently this isn't finalizing until June of 2023, so if Kotick is safe for the transition, that sure seems like a de-facto extension to me. No way he was going to make it that long prior.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Zaxxon wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:12 am Apparently this isn't finalizing until June of 2023, so if Kotick is safe for the transition, that sure seems like a de-facto extension to me. No way he was going to make it that long prior.
It can certainly change. Like I said it is far from ideal to axe leadership during the transition but if MSFT gets under the hood and determine it's best, it could happen. But then Bobby would probably get a big payout.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Torfish »

It would be in Microsoft's best interest to eradicate all leadership/management that had a hand or visibility of the issues.

Won't happen of course until the actual transaction takes place.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Scraper »

As the owner of a Series X I like this deal, but honestly I don't see how the continued buying up of large developers is a good thing in the long run for gaming. Activision/Blizzard was one of the last few large developers left that was independent. We still have Capcom, Ubisoft and EA, but it seems like the rest are either shrinking in dominance (Sega and Konami) or being bought by Sony of Microsoft.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Facebook/Meta is probably looking to buy as well.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Daehawk »

I think they got a bad deal. With all the shit in the company, the way the view of gaming and the companies are right now, and the downturn I think is happening I dont think they can make their money back that easy. Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by rittchard »

I heard Diablo 4 will now feature Bill Gates as the end boss.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Jag »

Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:48 pm I think they got a bad deal. With all the shit in the company, the way the view of gaming and the companies are right now, and the downturn I think is happening I dont think they can make their money back that easy. Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
It's everything and all the issues were factored into the price. Acti/Blizz price already took a massive hit from the scandals. This deal wouldn't have happened without it.

MS is going to globally monetize the shit out of it. Mobile gaming, cloud gaming, hardware, etc. They know exactly what they are buying.

Latest emails shows they expect this to close around mid 2023 pending regulatory approvals.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gilraen »

Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:48 pm Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
Having Call of Duty on Xbox is a competitive move against Playstation. The CoD franchise had $27b in revenue just last year, Microsoft can literally ignore the rest of the ActiBlizzard library and still make a killing on this deal.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Torfish wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:21 pm It would be in Microsoft's best interest to eradicate all leadership/management that had a hand or visibility of the issues.

Won't happen of course until the actual transaction takes place.
ATVI was apparently cleaning up for the sale. They just couldn't get rid of the top execs without incurring contractual payouts. So it's now in MSFTs hands.
Activision Blizzard Inc. has fired or pushed out more than three dozen employees and disciplined about 40 others since July as part of efforts to address allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct at the videogame giant, according to people familiar with the situation.

A summary of those personnel actions was scheduled to be released by Activision before the winter holidays, but Chief Executive Bobby Kotick held it back, telling some people it could make the company’s workplace problems seem bigger than is already...
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gbasden »

MS definitely does not let sexual harassment slide, so I'm pretty confident that cleaning will occur.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Jag wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:12 pm
Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:48 pm I think they got a bad deal. With all the shit in the company, the way the view of gaming and the companies are right now, and the downturn I think is happening I dont think they can make their money back that easy. Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
It's everything and all the issues were factored into the price. Acti/Blizz price already took a massive hit from the scandals. This deal wouldn't have happened without it.

MS is going to globally monetize the shit out of it. Mobile gaming, cloud gaming, hardware, etc. They know exactly what they are buying.

Latest emails shows they expect this to close around mid 2023 pending regulatory approvals.
My view of MS and PC gaming is they hate it and try their best to kill it at ever opportunity. Over the years ive seen them have AAA companies and amazing games then just fire everyone and can the companies they acquire or form. Everytime they claim to do something for PC gaming they destroy it instead. I wont hold my breath.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Carpet_pissr »

Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:49 pm
Jag wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:12 pm
Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:48 pm I think they got a bad deal. With all the shit in the company, the way the view of gaming and the companies are right now, and the downturn I think is happening I dont think they can make their money back that easy. Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
It's everything and all the issues were factored into the price. Acti/Blizz price already took a massive hit from the scandals. This deal wouldn't have happened without it.

MS is going to globally monetize the shit out of it. Mobile gaming, cloud gaming, hardware, etc. They know exactly what they are buying.

Latest emails shows they expect this to close around mid 2023 pending regulatory approvals.
My view of MS and PC gaming is they hate it and try their best to kill it at ever opportunity. Over the years ive seen them have AAA companies and amazing games then just fire everyone and can the companies they acquire or form. Everytime they claim to do something for PC gaming they destroy it instead. I wont hold my breath.
That boggles my mind. I can think of several, recent, awesome titles from them just off the top of my head. Not to mention some amazing ones that were bought out, or created years ago, that still have support and updates. If they are actively trying to kill PC gaming, they're doing it wrong.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gbasden »

Carpet_pissr wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:54 pm
Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:49 pm
Jag wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:12 pm
Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:48 pm I think they got a bad deal. With all the shit in the company, the way the view of gaming and the companies are right now, and the downturn I think is happening I dont think they can make their money back that easy. Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
It's everything and all the issues were factored into the price. Acti/Blizz price already took a massive hit from the scandals. This deal wouldn't have happened without it.

MS is going to globally monetize the shit out of it. Mobile gaming, cloud gaming, hardware, etc. They know exactly what they are buying.

Latest emails shows they expect this to close around mid 2023 pending regulatory approvals.
My view of MS and PC gaming is they hate it and try their best to kill it at ever opportunity. Over the years ive seen them have AAA companies and amazing games then just fire everyone and can the companies they acquire or form. Everytime they claim to do something for PC gaming they destroy it instead. I wont hold my breath.
That boggles my mind. I can think of several, recent, awesome titles from them just off the top of my head. Not to mention some amazing ones that were bought out, or created years ago, that still have support and updates. If they are actively trying to kill PC gaming, they're doing it wrong.
And given that they were in front of the push to make sure that XBOX games also not only run on PC, but that when you purchase one they publish the license is good on both PC and XBOX that seems like a misguided take. They are very invested in PC gaming.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Carpet_pissr »

Good point. JUST Gamepass for PC alone is an argument against that line of thinking.

They are constantly running promotions where you can get 3 months or more of GP for PC for like $3 total. It's bonkers.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Jag »

As a PC gamer I am concerned about the chilling effect this may have on PC gaming and gaming in general. Unfortunately what we think doesn't matter as we are such a small piece of the massive global gaming industry. I suspect there will be both good and bad that comes from this.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Zaxxon »

I saw on the tweety app that Microsoft spent a Nintendo on this purchase.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Carpet_pissr »

Jag wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:23 pm As a PC gamer I am concerned about the chilling effect this may have on PC gaming and gaming in general. Unfortunately what we think doesn't matter as we are such a small piece of the massive global gaming industry. I suspect there will be both good and bad that comes from this.
One real danger, if you want to call it that, is that prices will go up over time as a result of this (but that's usually true with any kind of sector consolidation).
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Jag »

Carpet_pissr wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:06 pm Good point. JUST Gamepass for PC alone is an argument against that line of thinking.

They are constantly running promotions where you can get 3 months or more of GP for PC for like $3 total. It's bonkers.
So I just got 3 years of Gamepass Ultimate (PC) for $93 about a week ago. That's about $2.50/month. It requires a bit of VPN fuckery and an active deal, but the deals are constantly being offered.

Link for current deal is here if you are adventurous, but you have to follow it exactly and not be currently subbed to Gamepass to get the 3 years.
https://slickdeals.net/f/15565897-conve ... rchV2Algo1
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Daehawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:48 pm I think they got a bad deal. With all the shit in the company, the way the view of gaming and the companies are right now, and the downturn I think is happening I dont think they can make their money back that easy. Im also surprised Activision sold them....unless Activision is part of the whole deal. Which I guess they are. Still 65b is a big number.
Activision and Blizzard were parts of the same company. ActiBlizz is both Activision and Blizzard. And King. And the Blizzard film studio.

The way I see it, The ActiBlizz execs just jumped a sinking ship and are set for life, while Microsoft just acquired one of the biggest developers, whose products are household names, while their negative reputation is still fresh enough that people are thinking about it. To many, this will 'cleanse' Blizzard, as the problem people will be seen as gone (whether they are or not) and the problem corporate policies will cease to exist.

I don't know whether it's good or bad for gamers (it's great for MS, and bad for Sony, plus bad for people who play CoD on the Playstation), but Blizzard was in a bad, bad spot. This may have been inevitable - this or a collapse.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Rumpy »

Torfish wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:31 am Perfect timing for a company with buying power and funds to pick up a successful competitor. Going through hard times and the stock price is low. Timing was good.

I hope Microsoft allows Activision Blizzard to run on their own.. meaning they keep working on their games and future plans of gaming as is... but of course under their guidance (corporate policies). If this happens, then it will be a win for gamers.

My initial thoughts anyway.

Not sure if I'd say perfect timing. In fact, the hot water that Activision is currently in via the harrassment and sexual assault allegations make me seriously question the intent of the timing. Whatever MS is buying, they're buying the company culture along with it, unless they seriously intent a cleanse from top to bottom. Part of the shock for me in this is seeing a company such as MS willingly wade into that cesspool, even if the stock price is low. The water's been tainted for a long time now.

As such, I strongly suspect this was mainly an IP buy. I seriously doubt they want to keep the company around with the problems they've been having. They'll shutter them and move everyone internally, perhaps get many of them working at other studios MS have bought recently, like say, Obsidian or Bethesda. I see the IPs moving around, with COD and Destiny going to some of their FPS devs (Yay more FPSes from MS :roll:), Warcraft and Diablo going to Obsidian and Bethesda. In fact, new blood might be a good thing with some of these IPs. For instance, could anyone imagine an isometric Obsidian-style Warcraft RPG? These IPs have stayed fairly stagnant for a while now and new blood might bring about inspiration on moving forward with them with new games.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by LordMortis »

I dunno. Blizzard, once (if?) purged of its misogyny branding has the resources in place to make a major impact on the unicorn known as "the MetaVerse" everyone seems to be chasing.

How far away is World of Warcraft from being a "Meta" platform? UO, Everquest, and then WoW were the precursors that led us to where the business world thinks we're going. WoW may not be there, but it has the guts and presumably some of the team that made them.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Skinypupy »

Rumpy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:49 pm As such, I strongly suspect this was mainly an IP buy. I seriously doubt they want to keep the company around with the problems they've been having. They'll shutter them and move everyone internally, perhaps get many of them working at other studios MS have bought recently, like say, Obsidian or Bethesda. I see the IPs moving around, with COD and Destiny going to some of their FPS devs (Yay more FPSes from MS :roll:), Warcraft and Diablo going to Obsidian and Bethesda. In fact, new blood might be a good thing with some of these IPs. For instance, could anyone imagine an isometric Obsidian-style Warcraft RPG? These IPs have stayed fairly stagnant for a while now and new blood might bring about inspiration on moving forward with them with new games.
That's a pretty interesting idea. While still top of the heap in playerbase (I think), WoW is obviously stagnating and was seeing a pretty significant exodus over the past year. Partly due to the game itself and partly due to Blizzard's overall shittiness.

It would be a good excuse and opportunity to refresh some of these cool IP's that have a ton of potential that have mostly clunked over the past little while.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Blackhawk »

I don't know. Most people don't think that deeply. The impression will be that Bad Blizzard is gone and Microsoft's Blizzard has taken its place, and most of the bad reputation will fade. Blizzard Fans want an excuse to remain Blizzard fans, and MS has given them one. That said, I do still expect MS to clean house. Keep on (some of) the dev teams, get rid of management (loudly and publicly), and then fill in the gaps. They keep the newly cleansed brand name, all the IPS, and people forget what happened with that previous company.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Zaxxon »

Boy, Kotick's letter sure is something.


Emphases mine:
Spoiler:
Team,

Today is an incredibly exciting day. As we continue our journey to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment, we will eventually do so as part of Microsoft. I am certain that our incredible talent and extraordinary games combined with our shared commitment to the very best workplace will enable us to grow in an increasingly more competitive race for leadership as gaming through the metaverse evolves.

How we got here and where we’re going

When you reflect on what we’ve built together, we have so much to be proud of. For the last 31 years, we’ve continuously shaped gaming through our commitment to deliver joy, fun, and the thrill of accomplishment.

We’ve transformed games into social experiences and enabled players to find purpose and meaning through the most engaging form of entertainment – our games. By doing so, we’ve created and entertained communities of hundreds of millions of players.

Connecting these communities together is the next step. Facebook, Google, Tencent, NetEase, Amazon, Apple, Sony, Disney – and many more – have ambitions for their own gaming and metaverse initiatives. Established and emerging competitors see opportunity for virtual worlds filled with professionally produced content, user generated content and rich social connections.

Our talent and our games are important components of the construction of a rich metaverse. We have always attracted the very best game makers and built the very best games, seizing opportunity with passion, inspiration, focus, and determination.

A partnership to define the future

As investments in cloud computing, AI and machine learning, data analytics, and user interface and experience capabilities are becoming more competitive, we believe this partnership will better enable our ambitions.

In considering possible partners, all roads ultimately lead to Microsoft. Like us, they have been making games for a long time. Microsoft has already distributed games to hundreds of millions of the world’s computers and computing devices and has technologies and innovation that will support the next generation of games.

Microsoft also will support our journey to further strengthen our culture. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has been a passionate advocate for caring as the currency of leadership. Inspiring people through empathy is a powerful motivator, and one we embrace as we renew our resolve – and in the work we are now doing – to set a new standard for a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture.

Importantly, Microsoft wants you – your talent, your creativity, and your dedication to each other. Activision Blizzard’s success throughout the years can be directly attributed to each of you. Microsoft recognizes the commitment to excellence and creative independence that sets us apart, and we anticipate minimal changes for our workforce following the close of the transaction. Microsoft’s diverse operations will give us access to valuable expertise, technology, and tools and provide even greater opportunities for learning and development.

No organization’s culture, including ours, is without need for improvement, and thanks to your input, we are making strides in improving ours. My commitment is to continue evolving our culture so that come closing, Microsoft is acquiring an exemplary workplace.

What’s next

Transactions like these can take a long time to complete. Until we receive all the necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions are satisfied, which we expect to be sometime in Microsoft’s fiscal 2023 year ending June 30, 2023, we will continue to operate completely autonomously. I will continue as our CEO with the same passion and enthusiasm I had when I began this amazing journey in 1991.

Of course, this announcement will give rise to so many questions. We will host numerous forums and events to make certain we address your concerns.

I am incredibly proud of this company, you, and the work we have done together. Now it’s on to our next chapter and the endless possibilities this transaction represents for us. I couldn’t be more appreciative of your efforts, focus, and the dedication to connecting the world through joy and fun.

With gratitude,

Bobby
I spot multiple metaverse references, absurd comments on ActiBlizz's commitment to an amazing workplace--which will, ahem, evolve into an exemplary workplace come deal close--and some bonus user-generated content shout-outs.
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Carpet_pissr
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Carpet_pissr »

I think you guys are overestimating how many gamers (that would typically buy Blizzard games) even consider a qualifier in front of Blizzard's name: good or bad. Less "bad (or good) Blizzard", more "bad (or good) game?", and then buy accordingly (or not).
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gilraen
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gilraen »

Blackhawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:04 pm I don't know. Most people don't think that deeply. The impression will be that Bad Blizzard is gone and Microsoft's Blizzard has taken its place, and most of the bad reputation will fade. Blizzard Fans want an excuse to remain Blizzard fans, and MS has given them one. That said, I do still expect MS to clean house. Keep on (some of) the dev teams, get rid of management (loudly and publicly), and then fill in the gaps. They keep the newly cleansed brand name, all the IPS, and people forget what happened with that previous company.
There's not much management left to get rid of... Most higher-ups are either already gone or will pretty much be guaranteed to leave once the transition is done. Kotick isn't being very public about the most recent round of layoffs, and there are probably more that were already in the works even before the acquisition announcement.
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Zaxxon
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Zaxxon »

LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:24 am
Zaxxon wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:12 am Apparently this isn't finalizing until June of 2023, so if Kotick is safe for the transition, that sure seems like a de-facto extension to me. No way he was going to make it that long prior.
It can certainly change. Like I said it is far from ideal to axe leadership during the transition but if MSFT gets under the hood and determine it's best, it could happen. But then Bobby would probably get a big payout.
What happens to Bobby Kotick?

tl;dr - lots and lots of money, however this plays out.
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