It is also a challenge to regulators in Washington, as Democrats and Republicans alike have pushed to limit the power of technology giants.
In buying Activision, which faced accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination that senior executives ignored, Microsoft appears to be rebuffing a controversy about the game maker’s workplace culture. The allegations have weighed on Activision, with its shares falling 27 percent since California sued the company in July over the matter. The game maker’s shares are up nearly 40 percent in premarket trading. Microsoft’s shares fell by 1 percent after the announcement.
The transaction may be seen as a victory for Bobby Kotick, Activision’s longtime chief executive, whom some critics had sought to oust over the controversy. Mr. Kotick negotiated a big premium for investors — Microsoft is paying $95 a share, roughly 45 percent above his company’s stock price before the announcement — and will continue running the company.
RogueSix wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 18:10:
Are you referring to Kotick? He's been the CEO of Activision since 1991. His "weakened" company is now making annual revenues of over $8 billion. Kotick is responsible for a near 100% revenue increase over the last ten years. Going back all the way to 2005, we are talking about a 1000% increase (10 fold increase from $780 million to over $8 billion). Like it or not, but the company has been immensely successful under Kotick's long tenure.
Dacron wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 22:26:
With Bethesda being bought out isn't Starfield confirmed to be xbox/PC only? I can imagine Elder Scrolls 6 following suit, at least at launch.
The Half Elf wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 17:07:
As for "the squeeze".... eh... I doubt that COD will be a system exclusive (maybe a timed one), but Sony's in house exclusives pretty much dominate anything that Microsoft has put out exclusive wise since the Xbox 360.
RogueSix wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 18:10:milspecmonkey wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 16:24:
Hired for long term company health: Wreck company with short sighted policy, make a bunch of money for self selling off said weakend company....task failed successfully?
Are you referring to Kotick? He's been the CEO of Activision since 1991. His "weakened" company is now making annual revenues of over $8 billion. Kotick is responsible for a near 100% revenue increase over the last ten years. Going back all the way to 2005, we are talking about a 1000% increase (10 fold increase from $780 million to over $8 billion). Like it or not, but the company has been immensely successful under Kotick's long tenure.
Kosumo wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 16:32:It's a zero for most people.RogueSix wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 14:27:MoreLuckThanSkill wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 14:14:
Ugh, I had forgotten Tencent somehow. So Tencent, Microsoft, Ubisoft, then lesser players Sony, Valve, EA, Epic, etc.
UbiSoft? Ubi is a dwarf compared to Tencent, Microsoft, Sony, EA and Actiblizz. Ubi is probably smaller than Valve even (given revenue estimates of at least $4bn/year for Valve). UbiSoft's annual revenue last year was something like $2.5 billion. That's nothing. They are a small garage studio in comparison to Tencent, Sony, MS, EA, Actiblizz, Take Two and many others... in FY 2019/2020 Ubi was in 13th place according to Wikipedia:
1) Sony
2) Tencent
3) Nintendo
4) Microsoft
5) NetEase (yeah, who? )
6) Actiblizz
7) EA
8) Take Two
9) Bandai Namco
10) Square Enix
11) Nexon
12) Netmarble
13) UbiSoft
...
Surly CIG/RSI is the biggest. It should be at 0 on that list.
Jim wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 18:12:
I am betting Kotic probably gets a billion dollar payday. Life is good when you are the king
milspecmonkey wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 16:24:
Hired for long term company health: Wreck company with short sighted policy, make a bunch of money for self selling off said weakend company....task failed successfully?
Verno wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 11:57:
One company throwing this much capital around and obtaining a dominant market position through mergers/acquisitions is never a good thing for consumers in the long run. Sony is going to get slowly squeezed when this deal completes in 2023 and Microsoft makes CoD and etc exclusive to their platforms. Microsoft has been playing nice under Phil Spencer but eventually they will turn the screws on consumers in the name of shareholder profits. I wonder when we'll start hearing antitrust noise, I guess politicians don't care much about the gaming industry unless someone puts a naked woman in a game.
RogueSix wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 14:27:MoreLuckThanSkill wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 14:14:
Ugh, I had forgotten Tencent somehow. So Tencent, Microsoft, Ubisoft, then lesser players Sony, Valve, EA, Epic, etc.
UbiSoft? Ubi is a dwarf compared to Tencent, Microsoft, Sony, EA and Actiblizz. Ubi is probably smaller than Valve even (given revenue estimates of at least $4bn/year for Valve). UbiSoft's annual revenue last year was something like $2.5 billion. That's nothing. They are a small garage studio in comparison to Tencent, Sony, MS, EA, Actiblizz, Take Two and many others... in FY 2019/2020 Ubi was in 13th place according to Wikipedia:
1) Sony
2) Tencent
3) Nintendo
4) Microsoft
5) NetEase (yeah, who? )
6) Actiblizz
7) EA
8) Take Two
9) Bandai Namco
10) Square Enix
11) Nexon
12) Netmarble
13) UbiSoft
...
RogueSix wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 15:55:Verno wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 15:52:
Sony having a greater marketshare of gaming revenue doesn't mean much either. Microsoft has market cap of 3 trillion and throws its full weight around when financing acquisitions, it's not limited to what the "Xbox division" generates.
Microsoft market cap, as I posted down below, is $2.3 trillion. The one with $3 trillion is Apple and they are (so far) the only corp which has exceeded that $3tn threshold.
Verno wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 15:52:
Sony having a greater marketshare of gaming revenue doesn't mean much either. Microsoft has market cap of 3 trillion and throws its full weight around when financing acquisitions, it's not limited to what the "Xbox division" generates.
Bent wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 15:06:The big three are now, in order, Tencent, Sony, Microsoft
Actually, that's only for gaming revenue. Supposedly Microsoft dwarfs Sony otherwise.
RogueSix wrote on Jan 18, 2022, 14:27:
1) Sony
2) Tencent
3) Nintendo
4) Microsoft
5) NetEase (yeah, who? )
6) Actiblizz
7) EA
8) Take Two
9) Bandai Namco
10) Square Enix
11) Nexon
12) Netmarble
13) UbiSoft