Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#91

Post by southwesterly » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

Night_Thastus wrote: post #79

mrweasel wrote: post #70

And what is Microsoft going to do with this purchase? Seriously, Microsoft is buy all these game studios and fail to utilize them probably. They own all the IP required to do a followup to Fallout New Vegas and NOTHING.

Microsoft will likely just let them keep operating as they do now, providing money and reaping any profits. They'll only step in directly if the studios are having problems they can't handle themselves, or performing very poorly. They want the profit, not as much to direct everything on a micro-level. EDIT: They will of course make more titles Windows/XBox exclusive too, which makes sense considering the investment.

Until enshittification. And then they’ll be hollowed out.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#92

Post by xinayder » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

echelon wrote: post #85

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

Focusing on one asshole getting undeserved rewards is one thing, but it distracts from the real story. What hurts way more at scale is the increasing monopolistic power of Microsoft Games. That should be the primary focus of everyone's attention. This weakens Sony, Nintendo, Steam, Epic. The consumer. Everyone but Microsoft. Microsoft can give away "experiences" under-cost and sink a lot of human attention into it. T…

I don't know how the authorities were convinced that they won't make ActiBlizz games exclusive.

When they acquired Bethesda, a similar concern was brought up. Fast-forward to today, new Bethesda games aren't releasing on Sony consoles. It started with Starfield. TES6 won't release on PS either.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#93

Post by e63f67dd-065b » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

He's being rewarded for growing net income roughly a hundred fold between 2010 and now. I think it's fair that he gets a huge chunk of the value he's created for investors.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#94

Post by huytersd » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

I’m reading this as he was a regular guy that may have asked some women out a few times given the hyperbole and dissembling around this entire thing.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#95

Post by hipadev23 » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:29 PM UTC

AirMax98 wrote: post #72

God damn man. How is this not an antitrust violation? The only answer is that we live in truly corrupt times. What is our answer to this?

Microsoft produces video games. They acquired another company that produces video games. How is this antitrust?

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#96

Post by darklycan51 » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:29 PM UTC

paradoxyl wrote: post #74

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

[flagged]

I always get surprised reading hn and seeing comments defending the indefensible, like you could not take 3 seconds out of your time to google all the scandals he's been in?

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#97

Post by logicchains » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:29 PM UTC

AirMax98 wrote: post #72

God damn man. How is this not an antitrust violation? The only answer is that we live in truly corrupt times. What is our answer to this?

Microsoft doesn't have anything close to a monopoly on games. In terms of sales and reviewer scores, most of the top games weren't produced by Activision or other Microsoft studios. The only recent release I'm aware of was Starfield, and that was panned for failing to meet expectations, achieving under 88 on Metacritic.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#98

Post by xinayder » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:29 PM UTC

benced wrote: post #75

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

He won’t continue working after this year, like you said. Microsoft can’t magically make his equity disappear.

They said he will keep his job until the end of the year, where he will probably be moved to another job role.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#99

Post by deprecative » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:30 PM UTC

huytersd wrote: post #94

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

I’m reading this as he was a regular guy that may have asked some women out a few times given the hyperbole and dissembling around this entire thing.

Bobby is the same dude who left a voicemail threatening to kill an employee.

Re: Microsoft completes $69B deal to buy Activision Blizzard

#100

Post by xinayder » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 4:31 PM UTC

e63f67dd-065b wrote: post #93

xinayder wrote: post #71

Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO until the end of 2023 and get a huge check for this purchase. He's getting rewarded for building a toxic, fratboy workspace, sexually and psycologically harassing women. I wonder if Microsoft can be held accountable for allowing a sex predator like him to continue working.

He's being rewarded for growing net income roughly a hundred fold between 2010 and now. I think it's fair that he gets a huge chunk of the value he's created for investors.

He also got a $200mi bonus shortly after he laid off 200 employees: https://frontofficesports.com/activision-blizzard-ceo-bonus-...