Yeah, I don’t see Kotick sticking around for long. Wouldn’t be a good look for Spencer.
Exactly. “Bobby looks forward to spending more time ignoring the way his grandkids harass one another.”
I’m impressed not even a whisper about this leaked out. Well done there, MS and Activision.
Yeah, I can’t see Kotick sticking around. He reports to Phil who reports to Satya. He’s not even a direct report to the CEO. That seems like it would sting.
(Although those billions would salve that).
That’s true, he may not want to stick around reporting up a chain, Kotick is very much accustomed to being the king of all he surveys. So he may be gone after a year and a day.
Guess the Sony Game Pass competitor rumor got them a bit nervous. Feel like only a matter of time until something ends up Game Pass exclusive (or at least Game Pass launch exclusive). Microsoft isn’t spending this kind of money to be a mulit-platform publisher, they want to lock down the value on the subscription service and make it a must have, they want that Netflix recurring revenue, and we know they were behind internal estimates of where they wanted to be.
So far MS hasn’t signalled they plan to make anything Game Pass exclusive. Xbox and Windows exclusive, yes, absolutely, no Activision game will ever be released for Playstation ever again, but not Game Pass exclusive.
I figure a lot of times these mega-mergers leak because companies have to bring in bankers to help find the cash. MS is like, “no need, just gonna reach into the couch cushion here.”
It’s not that. Phil Spencer publicly criticized ATVI’s handling of things after the recent news on Kotick’s own behaviour. If he keeps Kotick around now for longer, it’s not gonna look good.
I know. That’s why I lol’ed.
Kotick negotiated the sale, he may have protected himself. We just don’t know yet. Certainly MS would enforce corporate behavior standards upon Activision regardless.
I tend to agree that he won’t want to report up two levels and will quit after a year and a day, or whatever the mandated minimum is.
So… Diablo 4, Day 1 Gamepass? Wooooot!
Yeah I’m sure there are a few errors. It’s a not very used wikipedia page…
In any case, let’s be honest, Microsoft wasn’t going to do anything with freaking Lords of the Realm IP, same as with Police Quest or Zork. 95% of the value of this transaction is Call of Duty, Candy Crush and the Blizzard ips.
That’s still pretty far out but yes, if MS continues their current strategy it will absolutely be on Game Pass day 1.
Holy bazongas
This type of consolidation never ends well.
But hey, at least now there’s a chance Kotick will be defenestrated, so there’s that.
Activision’s Spider-Man license expired back in 2014.
I would think this guarantees a hell of a golden parachute.
Crash Bandicoot, a Microsoft franchise! Lol.
So this could be the best thing to happen in Blizzard in a long time? The merger with ATVI was unhealthy for them. Not saying that there won’t be pressure under MS, but MS isn’t going to sweat if, say, Diablo needs a bit more time in the oven.