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Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

news.microsoft.com

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Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#101

Post by user-the-name »

pdpi wrote: post #35
salamandersauce wrote: post #13

Wow. No wonder Microsoft wasn't willing to shame Activision like Sony and others, they were in talks to buy it. Ridiculous.

If they were already in talks to buy, how much of it is a case of "wasn't willing", and how much is it "wasn't allowed"? For all the flak ActiBlizzard deserves for this situation, I'd be happier if it were illegal for Microsoft to publicly give them shit about while already in talks to buy. There's just way too many ways to abuse that for leverage.

Nobody was forcing them to buy them. They were allowed, they chose not to.

Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#102

Post by joaodlf »

sbarre wrote: post #69
1_player wrote: post #2

The most important question I have is: will they replace Bobby Kotick? EDIT: "Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard. [...] he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture." Shame on you, Microsoft.

This can't be permanent. I bet this is to keep the markets happy in the short term while this gets absorbed, and then Kotick will "retire" at some point in the next year.

I'd buy shares right now if they had gotten rid of Kotick.

Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#104

Post by user-the-name »

zamalek wrote: post #99
somehnacct3757 wrote: post #22

So now I'm boycotting Microsoft products? What a weird purchase to make. Did they not know this company is the current star of the gaming industry's long-standing workplace harassment issues?

Microsoft tries to have an inclusive culture, and generally succeeds far more than their peers. Once Kotick is out I may well end my Blizzard boycott.

"Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth."

Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#107

Post by exikyut »

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #17

Suddenly, the reason for the recent employee purge seems more clear. They never fired anybody for bad behavior before, and now, just soon to be aquired, they do.

From the link in the sibling comment:

> 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 known, the people familiar with the situation said.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#108

Post by emdowling »

freeflight wrote: post #62
Aissen wrote: post #8

> Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog. [Xbox PR] > The acquisition also bolsters Microsoft’s Game Pass portfolio with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games into Game Pass [MS PR] In case anyone still doubts that Microsoft is all-in on Game Pass.

If they want to be all-in on game pass, then they should actually go all in. As somebody who just got game pass, I feel kinda cheated for what I get; All the games offered there are the “f2p” versions, even MS first party titles like Halo only offer the “default” versions to play “for free” when paying a monthly subscription. It’s like those free versions Epic hands out; They are playable, but they usually lack any a…

You've got to be kidding. The version offered on Game Pass is the "Standard" edition, that isn't just a "free to play", "stripped down" version of the game. It is 95% of the game! The remaining 5% is almost always cosmetic items, like skins or cars, that really do not impact the core experience.

There are some exceptions, like Destiny 2 I believe, where the meaningful DLC is excluded, but that is not the rule. Game Pass is an incredible deal.

Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#109

Post by syshum »

sbarre wrote: post #83
Kelteseth wrote: post #31

Can somebody please explain to me, why is it allowed for a company like MS to buy all of their (indirect) competitors?

Even after this purchase, Microsoft's gaming division is still smaller than Sony by revenue.. There are still lots of other large publishers out there.. EA, Take Two, Embracer, Tencent, Epic, etc... I'm sure I'm forgetting some big obvious ones even. They are definitely not "buying all their competitors" as you put it.

>>Tencent, Epic,

You said Tencent twice ;)

Re: Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

#110

Post by exikyut »

koheripbal wrote: post #80
BiteCode_dev wrote: post #17

Suddenly, the reason for the recent employee purge seems more clear. They never fired anybody for bad behavior before, and now, just soon to be aquired, they do.

20 employees out of 9500 employees is not significant. You are reading too much from too little.

That answers the question "could there be enough groundswell to form a blowback," then :(
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