Microsoft is buying Activison-Blizzard

[Cosmic Janitor]

No it doesn't lol. Imagine their franchises still have potential. There's millions of Wow players on standby ready to come back if it's worth it. These games can without a doubt be turned around on a upward trajectory.

A multi billion dollar company doesn't just "go under" in the conventional sense is my point. They always get bought out, unless their product is stuck 2 centuries ago, I guess.

[Hawg]

Gaming consolidation will lead to only one thing. Think 'the Matrix'.

All this metaverse stuff is just the tip of the iceBERG.

This is the right answer

[MasterOfNone]

I doubt effing Microsoft is going to care about player complaints about how class balance feels wonky or about the length of daily rep grinds or thoughts about legiondaries or whatever.


If anything, I really see this resulting in little more than more integration of cash-shop features, more micromanagement of timelines and overhead rush, and an even greater disconnect between the game development team and the higher-ups.

no less than the devs now though right? i mean if wow is the money maker, then they better care to SOME degree. the devs now are just as guilty.

[m4Zzo928]

A multi billion dollar company doesn't just "go under" in the conventional sense is my point. They always get bought out, unless their product is stuck 2 centuries ago, I guess.

Well, it's interesting to think. What was the better decision. Activision buying Blizzard at that time, or MS acquiring Act/Blizz right now. I'm thinking MS's acquisition will be more profitable.

[Lahis]

Yep, but with this much money rolling I don't expect the regulators having something to say about it.

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Or maybe they already talked to some regulators?

Usually when they announce big acquisitions like this they'd also want to get it through. I'm sure there has been closed doors talks with relevant regulators before the big press release announcement.

Now it is just matter to let the slow wheels of bureaucracy turn.

[Edge-]

Fuck everything about this purchase. Fuck Microsoft, fuck Phil Spencer, and fuck all of the ATVI leadership.

Guess there will be no proper accountability. I don't even give a shit about the whole exclusivity shit for ATVI's titles moving forward and shit, I'm just fuckin mad that after decades of overseeing a toxic, awful workplace that included sexual assaults, rapes, and suicide, that Kotick and co. aren't just getting golden parachutes expected, but platinum parachutes provided by Microsoft who appear more than happy to use another companies internal problems to pad their bottom line.

https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/1483431182029111297

Yo Microsoft, you really committed? Fire Kotick and ATVI leadership, today. Stop fighting the Better AKB group that Activision was doing previously.

But it won't happen, this is just Microsoft looking to boost their bottom line/revenue market position to continue to try to gain back territory lost the past few gens. All off the backs of the folks who suffered under the ATVI leadership, who will likely get little to nothing out of this.

Wonderful.

Looking forward to where we have 4 mega-publishers and like 3 mid-sized companies making all the mid/big budget games moving forward. I love creative consolidation so much.

[Hawg]

I'm going to assume the MS legal department might know a thing or two about large scale acquisitions, and have done their homework regarding this purchase. I also thing Act/Blizz wants to sell at this point lol. I doubt regulations block this.

I'm not the only one with that question mark: https://www.reuters.com/technology/m...on-2022-01-18/

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https://twitter.com/devolore/status/1483435560349802498

Looks like no employees were told this was happening, good guy Activision.

MS and Activision Blizzard are both publicly traded companies... you cant tell people who don't have a "need to know" about a potential deal that could impact stock prices before it becomes public (otherwise they would have all invested in stock yesterday to make the huge gains Activision had today).

[Kaleredar]

no less than the devs now though right? i mean if wow is the money maker, then they better care to SOME degree. the devs now are just as guilty.

I assume Microsoft expects them to make them money within a certain time frame. Blizzard is known for their delays which usually lead to better games (think of them scrapping titan to make overwatch,) or at least better than if they had to rush and release unfinished things.

The question is whether or not Microsoft will respect that. But the general track record of mega corporations and the creative process does not favor the latter.

[Sluvs]

To be fair, FF14 does have a GCD that's 2.5 seconds at it's baseline, and at that with where all the serious content have 8 players max in a group.

That helps massively with what that game does for it's controller setups. There's a good chance WoW would have to lengthen that up from it's 1.5 and adjust approach to content design to become reasonably playable on a controller with the amount of buttons MMOs make use of.

It is 2.5 seconds but you have so many abilities of the GCD that it does not make much of a difference.

The party size is a better argument though. When in a group of 14 and with as much heal intensive mechanics wow has, it gets tricky. But honestly not impossible.

[Lahis]

Fuck everything about this purchase. Fuck Microsoft, fuck Phil Spencer, and fuck all of the ATVI leadership.

Guess there will be no proper accountability. I don't even give a shit about the whole exclusivity shit for ATVI's titles moving forward and shit, I'm just fuckin mad that after decades of overseeing a toxic, awful workplace that included sexual assaults, rapes, and suicide, that Kotick and co. aren't just getting golden parachutes expected, but platinum parachutes provided by Microsoft who appear more than happy to use another companies internal problems to pad their bottom line.

https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/1483431182029111297

Yo Microsoft, you really committed? Fire Kotick and ATVI leadership, today. Stop fighting the Better AKB group that Activision was doing previously.

But it won't happen, this is just Microsoft looking to boost their bottom line/revenue market position to continue to try to gain back territory lost the past few gens. All off the backs of the folks who suffered under the ATVI leadership, who will likely get little to nothing out of this.

Wonderful.

Looking forward to where we have 4 mega-publishers and like 3 mid-sized companies making all the mid/big budget games moving forward. I love creative consolidation so much.

The big suits were never going to be hurt by any of that.

[Sluvs]

Usually when they announce big acquisitions like this they'd also want to get it through. I'm sure there has been closed doors talks with relevant regulators before the big press release announcement.

Now it is just matter to let the slow wheels of bureaucracy turn.

Yeah, that is what I figured at least.

I mean, if Disney buying fox wasnt blocked, I cant really see the argument for Microsoft and Blizz

[MasterOfNone]

I assume Microsoft expects them to make them money within a certain time frame. Blizzard is known for their delays which usually lead to better games (think of them scrapping titan to make overwatch,) or at least better than if they had to rush and release unfinished things.

The question is whether or not Microsoft will respect that. But the general track record of mega corporations and the creative process does not favor the latter.

oh for sure, but im not really sure the last two expansions speak to the quality of the development team that gave the last two expansions. if the last two expansions were home runs, i would totally agree. i just dont see much downside considering how bad some of the main features of BFA and SL.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Why is he reacting like a child? Posting in caps, boasting about being drunk and behaving as if he should have been clued in. Maybe he forgot he's a "content creator relationship manager" and being clued in on shit like this isn't part of his remit. He needs to shut up and behave like an adult. Embarrassing.

You’ve never worked at a business that has been sold and not told employees until after have you?

Posting in caps in nothing compared to what many people do when they find out there job is at risk with no notice.

[Gaidax]

Going under means getting bought out in this league.

copium

Puhlease...

[Bigbazz]

This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Microsoft makes good games while Blizzard has been a laughing stock for years but it looks like Bobby still has a job and when you look at the long-medium term it's probably not good for competition if Microsoft is owning every large publisher and game studio.

So that leak about WoW on Xbox could be more believable now? I have always been a Playstation guy, but if WoW comes exclusively on Xbox I will change sides in a second.

Why, if you already play it on PC why would you change what console you play based on a game that has never been on consoles to begin with? I'm literally the opposite, if I was going to buy a console it'd be a Playstation because I can already play the Xbox ones on PC.

[beanman12345]

This strikes me as a little bit copium. I'm not saying I'm not hoping for it, but that's a vast misinterpretation of the financial strength the Warcraft IP has these days. It would be great overestimation to say they're going to simply make the game perfect because they believe the IP will carry them sufficiently—Microsoft is a big company, so unless they have a real profit maximization plan, they won't make any money. We'll see how this proceeds and how they make money off of this.

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The copium is strong in this thread. Again, this is not an assurance of anything. Just because they're buying the company doesn't mean they'll do restructuring of employees. More likely, we'll see a more efficient money-making system. I think the game ought to improve because of it, but this isn't like they're a bunch of superheroes here to save us. Microsoft is as much a company as Activision-Blizzard, if not more so. They are a massive company that would surely only do what would maximize profit margins.

I don't see any copium. Maybe some hopium, not copium.

[Jtbrig7390]

People close to the deal expect Bobby to leave after the deal is final.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/microso...es-11642512435

Bobby Kotick, Activision’s longtime CEO, is expected to leave after the deal closes, according to people familiar with those plans. Microsoft had said in its announcement Tuesday that Mr. Kotick “will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard,” and that after the deal closes “the Activision Blizzard business will report to Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer. ” But the companies have agreed that he will depart once the deal closes, the people said.

There is no way he doesn't leave, the man is a walking PR shit show.

[Edge-]

People close to the deal expect Bobby to leave after the deal is final.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/microso...es-11642512435


There is no way he doesn't leave.

Sure, he gets to jump out with his platinum parachute rather than be fired in disgrace, which he deserves. But hey, he delivered a ton of value for ATVI shareholders and really, does anything else matter at the end of the day?

I need to look around to see how the Better AKB group and ATVI folks are taking this, but even knowing that Kotick and his ilk would never see actual consequences, this still pisses me way the fuck off.

[Xath]

Why is he reacting like a child? Posting in caps, boasting about being drunk and behaving as if he should have been clued in. Maybe he forgot he's a "content creator relationship manager" and being clued in on shit like this isn't part of his remit. He needs to shut up and behave like an adult. Embarrassing.

Does Lore think this happened overnight? This has been in the works for a year or more easily. With any Luck M$ will take the long term approach and actually look to hire more people like Ybarra who love the game and remove those who either no longer love it or want to use it to push politics over focusing on game design. Also please please get rid of the endless grind style of crap.

[DarkAmbient]

You’ve never worked at a business that has been sold and not told employees until after have you?

Posting in caps in nothing compared to what many people do when they find out there job is at risk with no notice.

No, but that's irrelevant.

Anyway...

Gamepass in UK is £7.99, so I really wonder if they'll take the hit and have the WoW sub in Gamepass. No more 6-month deals for mounts etc.