Microsoft To Acquire Activision Blizzard

[moilami]

That was rather the point the poster was making.

Yeah, ok, thanks of the link, was interesting reading.

[Paradigm Shifter]

Do you think MS care of some old games? Not a bit.

That was rather the point the poster was making.

[moilami]

Found an interesting commentary about the potential of this acquisition (or lack of it).

Do you think MS care of some old games? Not a bit. But MS game pass whatever will get tons of more creditability. It may even become a big boy.

[Paradigm Shifter]

Found an interesting commentary about the potential of this acquisition (or lack of it).

[STiAT]

I suspect that Bobby won't have a say within month, and that microsoft will buy him out of the contract.

Anyway, good for the game studios, Microsoft is a platform owner, they have a high interest in sustained brands and binding players in a different way than Activision had to. Due to the game pass - they literally do not care what you play as long as you pay the fee. They do not have the same need to put time killers in there just to keep you on one game.

That said, the concentration in the gaming market toward Microsoft is alarming. That will be hard to counter by Sony. Started last year with Zenimax and Berthesta, now Activision, probably not getting CoD timely on the PS is a huge hit, since that's a buying incentive for players.

Will be interesting to see if that actually shifts the console market a bit towards Microsoft, I certainly expect that.

[mSparks]

I've never tried VR. I'm just now to the point to where I'm a generation behind VR -- I just got all the stuff to hack together a TrackIR system -- a TrackIR Pro clip, a generic Wii controller, and this AA battery wall-plug thingy to power the controller. I've yet to set it up (all my flight sim stuff is put away until I finish remodeling the house and build a gaming desk).

For the longest time I tried to use screenshots and descriptions to explain what VR is like.

Then I discovered the only way to really explain it is to link to videos of people trying VR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CWSjopNjms

[skeevy420]

Linux VR Xplane 11 beats pretty much everything visually. The MSFS implementation is reportedly dire.

Fun fact I learnt while watching the stats for that. Last year occulus sold more quest 2 headsets at around the same price each than Microsoft sold xbox consoles. And they weren't even the biggest selling VR headset (that went to reverb G2).

I've never tried VR. I'm just now to the point to where I'm a generation behind VR -- I just got all the stuff to hack together a TrackIR system -- a TrackIR Pro clip, a generic Wii controller, and this AA battery wall-plug thingy to power the controller. I've yet to set it up (all my flight sim stuff is put away until I finish remodeling the house and build a gaming desk).

[oiaohm]

This is exactly right. Based on Phil Spencer's statement on the intended acquisition, he specifically mentions studio culture and holding managers accountable.

"As a company, Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players. We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard."
Source: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/01/18/welcoming-activision-blizzard-to-microsoft-gaming/

That is definitely a "tell me you're booting the creeps, without saying you're booting out the creeps" type of statement. Kotick will come out fine financially (if not a full golden parachute), but he will certainly be gone.

Microsoft likes being able to fire over half the staff in the first year of acquired companies. Having creeps to get rid of makes that process a lot simpler.

So no matter what was going on being acquired by Microsoft equals lots firing unless you can break your company back away in under 12 months.

The realty here Microsoft is unlikely to stop the firing once they have removed all the creeps as well. Microsoft acquirement process is quite brutal.

[nranger]

Bobby Kotick is 100% gone as soon as this deal closes, or almost immediately after. You can tell by the way everyone is so quiet about exactly what his role will be in the new company, and everyone is confirming it unofficially already....

This is exactly right. Based on Phil Spencer's statement on the intended acquisition, he specifically mentions studio culture and holding managers accountable.

"As a company, Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players. We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard."
Source: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/01/18/welcoming-activision-blizzard-to-microsoft-gaming/

That is definitely a "tell me you're booting the creeps, without saying you're booting out the creeps" type of statement. Kotick will come out fine financially (if not a full golden parachute), but he will certainly be gone.

[nranger]

69 billion dollar deal to buy up a company that recently got in the news for a major sexual harassment scandal.
Alright then

Without the scandals and the accompanying lawsuits and drop in stock price, this buyout would've been a lot more expensive, if not impossible.