Well well well.
I thought at first it was just a hoax, but since it landed on the Washington Post's and New York Times' websites, I'd say it's legit.
Microsoft is going to buy Activision Blizzard.
Alas that Bobby Kotick is going to stay as head of the new MSFT subsidiary, because if he were kicked out Microsoft could put one of their own people in charge and bring salaries in line with the rest of Microsoft. But I guess Bobby wouldn't like that, would he?
So for gamers, this is a non event. The people in charge of the Titanic are still there.
EtA: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Bobby will be officially gone after Microsoft closes the deal. Of course, that doesn't change anything until Microsoft actually does something with ActiBlizz. So I'm not exactly waiting with baited breath for WoW's content to suddenly improve; so the old line of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" still applies until proven otherwise.
Kotick will remain head of ActiBlizz while the merger is in motion. Once it is done even he is saying "Post close, I will be available as needed." That sounds like he is out the door. They certainly won't have any real use for him and he'll have made a few billion out of the deal.
ReplyDeleteLike most slimy people, he'll find a way to stick around. I have personal experience with slimy CEOs somehow managing to stick around long after they should have been shown the door. To the business community, Bobby is still a shrewd operator, and that's all that matters.
DeleteI've been a part of at least half a dozen mergers and the old leadership goes eventually. Phil Spencer who runs XBox at MSFT has been publicly critical of Kotick and team, so there is already bad blood. I wouldn't bet the house on Kotick being gone, but there doesn't seem to be a role for him in the new structure.
DeleteLooks like you're right; the WSJ is reporting that he'll be officially gone.
DeleteOdds are great he'll set up his own company, however, or that he'll end up on a gaming company's board somewhere. I honestly have no idea what self respecting developer would ever work for him, though. People like him love the adulation and the (perceived) power, and he won't be away for long.