Acti Blizz + Microsoft, day 3. Who wanted to buy and who to sell -apkrig
For the third day in a row, various analysts are debating whether Microsoft will actually make it to the finals of Activision Blizzard, whether the authorities will allow it, and what the consequences might be for its cross-platform production. In the meantime, more and more interesting news is constantly coming to us on the account of this planned gigantic acquisition. It is almost not only impossible for our team to cover everything with separate articles, but it is also not very practical. Therefore, in this overview we will draw your attention to the most important things that happen around this topic.
VentureBeat magazine’s Jeff Grubb writes that Activision Blizzard management and key shareholders wanted to sell the company and approached Microsoft themselves. They were to come up with the proposal in early November, and the Xbox immediately began working on it. The details were to be clarified during the holidays. The reason for Activision’s interest was the fact that, despite undeniable commercial hits and successful brands, the company is said to have problems not only with its internal culture. Another problem is the inability to find enough resources for other brands, which limits future potential growth. According to other media, however, it was Microsoft who took the initiative and took advantage of Acti-Blizz’s problems. He is said to have been interested in the company for a long time and allegedly sought it earlier.
There may even have been other potential candidates in the game beyond Microsoft. Kotick himself suggested in an interview with VentureBeat that Electronic Arts could also be one of them.
Already yesterday, there was a report that the head of Activision Blizzard giant Bobby Kotick, who has been running it for over 30 years, did not want to sell the company. Although he claims the deal has nothing to do with the company’s controversy, a Bloomberg source said his leadership position had weakened as a result of the scandals and he had not taken his own. There may even have been other potential candidates in the game beyond Microsoft. Kotick himself suggested in an interview with VentureBeat that Electronic Arts could also be one of them. But they said they needed an even bigger partner. However, it is not clear whether EA actually had a specific offer on the table or just non-binding courtships.
This does not mean, however, that Kotick does not see potential benefits in the business. He told VentureBeat magazine that brands like Guitar Hero and Skylanders could return thanks to Microsoft. He himself has reportedly wanted to make a new Guitar Hero for some time, he allegedly has a cool vision for the next episode, but he realized that they don’t have enough resources for it. According to Kotick, Microsoft has these capacities and could use them for other Skylanders as well. He thus clearly indicated that such successful brands, which require a lot of resources, could get another chance thanks to the acquisition.
Unconfirmed reports also emerged yesterday that Bobby Kotick should have bought PC gaming magazines and Kotaku to change his company’s unflattering public image.
In terms of cross-platform games and exclusivity, Activision Blizzard says it has no plans to remove existing games from PlayStation and other platforms, but that’s quite understandable. The company will meet all existing obligations. No content should disappear from platforms where it already exists today. Sony also expressed a similar opinion, saying that it expected such a procedure.
If the deal eventually came to an end, Microsoft could spend $ 2 billion and $ 3 billion on it, which it would have to pay to Activision Blizzard. Unconfirmed reports also emerged yesterday that Bobby Kotick should have bought PC gaming magazines and Kotaku to change his company’s unflattering public image. At least, The Wall Street Journal says its own source.
