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Phil Spencer reportedly started Activision talks days after explosive Bobby Kotick report

Max_Po

Banned
Pretty stupid of Phil in my opinion.

Had he waited a month he would have saved 10 billion easily due to aggressive bad rep growing and all media going after Bobby and add ..stocks going down.

I hear he is getting death threats from green rats on Twitter for not making doody exclusive
 
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kingfey

Banned
It has to be said, Phil Spencer really did outmaneuver every other potential buyer for Activision. People thinking this man doesn't know what he's doing are kidding themselves.
If that was the case, Activision wouldn't have went to Facebook first.
Phil was lucky, Facebook weren't interested in Activision.
 

kingfey

Banned
We don't know that.
I kinda hate this. Phil got the chance by luck. Activision knocked the door of Facebook. Facebook went nah. MS come in and swoop in the deal by paying them more than their share.

That is not outmaneuvering your opponents. That is just luck aligned with your star. Same with bethesda. Both were luck.
 
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oldergamer

Member
Both MS and himself confirmed that Kotick -now Billions richer- will continue as CEO of Acivision Blizzard. But now will have Phil Spencer, CEO of the MS Gaming Division, above him/them. Same as in Sony, where the Bungie bosses will continue but now having Jimbo, CEO of SIE, above them.

Nobody said that Kotick will leave.
That's incorrect. Kotic is ceo only until the purchase is complete. He hasn't said plans after that, but everyone knows he is out.
 

oldergamer

Member
I kinda hate this. Phil got the chance by luck. Activision knocked the door of Facebook. Facebook went nah. MS come in and swoop in the deal by paying them more than their share.

That is not outmaneuvering your opponents. That is just luck aligned with your star. Same with bethesda. Both were luck.
Its not luck seeing an opportunity and taking it. Your post smells of salt man...
 

kingfey

Banned
Its not luck seeing an opportunity and taking it. Your post smells of salt man...
What do I gain from this salt? Honestly, you guys keep saying this alot. I have no dog fight in this. The matter is done. Nothing we can do, can change the outcome.
 

kingfey

Banned
Dude activision went to facebook after ms approached them with the idea. Not before.
"Kotick and the board weren't sold on Microsoft as the acquirer" and initially pursued deals with at least two other companies, one of them being Meta Platforms, according to sources privy to private conversations.
 

oldergamer

Member
What do I gain from this salt? Honestly, you guys keep saying this alot. I have no dog fight in this. The matter is done. Nothing we can do, can change the outcome.
You say that but keep getting basic information incorrect. Or try to twist it to fit a certain narrative. If you wonder why people yell "salty" in your direction i would start there.
 

oldergamer

Member
"Kotick and the board weren't sold on Microsoft as the acquirer" and initially pursued deals with at least two other companies, one of them being Meta Platforms, according to sources privy to private conversations.
You just proved my point! Thanks.
 

kingfey

Banned
You say that but keep getting basic information incorrect. Or try to twist it to fit a certain narrative. If you wonder why people yell "salty" in your direction i would start there.
What basic information are you talking?

"Kotick and the board weren't sold on Microsoft as the acquirer" and initially pursued deals with at least two other companies, one of them being Meta Platforms, according to sources privy to private conversations.
are you talking about this, because activision didnt care about MS buy out, and went directly to Facebook. How is that incorrect? They literally went a head and talked to facebook. Only after facebook said no, they listened to MS offer.
 

oldergamer

Member
What basic information are you talking?


are you talking about this, because activision didnt care about MS buy out, and went directly to Facebook. How is that incorrect? They literally went a head and talked to facebook. Only after facebook said no, they listened to MS offer.
...And you seem to think it was luck that ms were the first to make an offer? That's stupid reasoning.
 

Leyasu

Banned
I dont know man, that sounds desperate, when all your studios is working on 1 franchise.
Then you got the recent track shit of releases.
Most of their revenue as I pointed comes from their mobile division. King and COD mobile brings them alot of money. Then you got the short term benifits from mtx sales. In long term, these are not financial stable.

Also, revenue=/=profits. Revenue is the money you generate, profits is the money you get after the revenue expenses is paid. SIE made $23b revenue, yet only made $3b profits.

Activision main bread and butter right now is COD, and candy crush. There is a limit to how far these IPs will take them. WOW was big, but now its getting thin and thin. Especially with other dandies like ff14 in the play.
I can see the cod yearly cycle ending once this acquisition is done and everything is ironed out and contracts fulfilled.

Microsoft will put some studios to work on other I.Ps.
 

oldergamer

Member
It was luck that Facebook said no. If Facebook said yes, then MS wouldn't have been able to buy Activision.
That is luck.
Simply put you dont really know the order of events. So i dont see why you are trying to paint it this way. For all you knew ms had a ballpark offer on the table and kotic wanted to see if anyone would beat it.

Regardless this had nothing to do with luck. Even if facebook said yes they could have had thier offer beat.
 

yurinka

Member
That's incorrect. Kotic is ceo only until the purchase is complete. He hasn't said plans after that, but everyone knows he is out.
Dont be surprised if Kotick leaving after a determined amount of time is in the contract.
Every indication out there is that Kotick will leave as soon as the deal is concluded. You’re completely mistaken. There’s no official communication that Kotick will continue post-sale.
I linked multiple official sources from both sides in the post you'll see quoted in the bottom, all the ones that talks about his future, and all of them say he will continue as CEO of Activision Blizzard. Nohing says or implies that he will quit or that they'll fire him, or that will remove him from that position after the acquisition is closed or after certain amount of time. The messaging is clear: he will continue as CEO.

The only thing they said that could lead someone who doesn't know how these things work to think he'd leave after the acquisition is closed is when they said that once the acquisition is closed Actvisition Blizzard will report to Phil, which is obvious because he's the CEO of the MS gaming division, where they will place Activision Blizzard. With that they are saying that ABK will be placed under that division inside the MS structure, not that Phil Spencer will be the head of ABK or that him will replace the CEO of ABK. ABK will continue having its CEO, Bobby Kotick, and ABK will report to Phil.

It's the same case of any other company or studio placed there, and the same that happens in the other companies. In the case of Sony, companies placed under PS Studios report to the PS Studios boss (Hermen Hulst) and the ones placed under SIE but outside PS Studios like Bungie report to the SIE boss (Jim Ryan).

This doesn't mean they fire the boss of the acquired company, it just means that the acquired company now is owned by the one that bought it.

This are the places where they said what will happen with Kotick:
Both MS & Activision release notes: 'Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company's culture and accelerate business growth'
https://investor.activision.com/new...e-activision-blizzard-bring-joy-and-community
https://news.microsoft.com/2022/01/...ty-of-gaming-to-everyone-across-every-device/

Kotick's mail about the acquisition to his employees: ' I will continue as our CEO with the same passion and enthusiasm I had when I began this amazing journey in 1991.'
https://activisionblizzard.com/newsroom/2022/01/defining-the-future

Kotick, to Spencer on a conference call for investors about the acquisition: 'we couldn’t be more excited for the incredibly exciting future we have ahead and together':
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Inv...osoft-and-Activision-Blizzard-Conference-Call

SEC filing Q&A for investors and regulators about the acquisittion: ''Bobby will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving the company's culture change and accelerating business growth until closing. Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming.'
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000718877/000110465922005526/tm223212d10_defa14a.htm
 
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kingfey

Banned
Simply put you dont really know the order of events. So i dont see why you are trying to paint it this way. For all you knew ms had a ballpark offer on the table and kotic wanted to see if anyone would beat it.

Regardless this had nothing to do with luck. Even if facebook said yes they could have had thier offer beat.
Bored Bugs Bunny GIF by MOODMAN

You think kotick is gonna ignore MS, if he needs more money? You know the guys who are trillions? And basically have more money than Facebook?

If the guy was after that, he would have sold his company to MS first, by negotiating the price.
 

kingfey

Banned
I can see the cod yearly cycle ending once this acquisition is done and everything is ironed out and contracts fulfilled.

Microsoft will put some studios to work on other I.Ps.
They will. Right now, they need content. And these studios will provide them more contents.
 

DaGwaphics

Member
The messaging is clear: he will continue as CEO.

I feel bad for you if you honestly believe that.

The language being used currently is typical of any buyout. Even venture capitalists will sell the idea that current management will stick around and in most instances that is the case for a few months, but then the heads start to roll. Kotick's own statements about his "availability" once the deal closes is telling, not exactly a ra ra response from him.
 
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oldergamer

Member
Bored Bugs Bunny GIF by MOODMAN

You think kotick is gonna ignore MS, if he needs more money? You know the guys who are trillions? And basically have more money than Facebook?

If the guy was after that, he would have sold his company to MS first, by negotiating the price.
Im not certain where you are going with the above logic. I think he would want to get the best deal possible. Period. If you think there was no negotiations in this, i think you are nuts.
 
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oldergamer

Member
I linked multiple official sources from both sides in the post you'll see quoted in the bottom, all the ones that talks about his future, and all of them say he will continue as CEO of Activision Blizzard. Nohing says or implies that he will quit or that they'll fire him, or that will remove him from that position after the acquisition is closed or after certain amount of time. The messaging is clear: he will continue as CEO.

The only thing they said that could lead someone who doesn't know how these things work to think he'd leave after the acquisition is closed is when they said that once the acquisition is closed Actvisition Blizzard will report to Phil, which is obvious because he's the CEO of the MS gaming division, where they will place Activision Blizzard. With that they are saying that ABK will be placed under that division inside the MS structure, not that Phil Spencer will be the head of ABK or that him will replace the CEO of ABK. ABK will continue having its CEO, Bobby Kotick, and ABK will report to Phil.

It's the same case of any other company or studio placed there, and the same that happens in the other companies. In the case of Sony, companies placed under PS Studios report to the PS Studios boss (Hermen Hulst) and the ones placed under SIE but outside PS Studios like Bungie report to the SIE boss (Jim Ryan).

This doesn't mean they fire the boss of the acquired company, it just means that the acquired company now is owned by the one that bought it.

This are the places where they said what will happen with Kotick:
Kotic simply put can't be an employee of Microsoft after coming clean on the things he kept secret and its also why spencer said blizzard and activision will report directly to him.

I dont give a shit how many articles you post that seem to think he will stay on, he won't. Period.
 

kingfey

Banned
Im not certain where you are going with the above logic. I think he would want to get the best deal possible. Period. If you think there was no negotiations in this, i think you are nuts.
The best deal, which is operating on all 3 systems.
If this was money motivated deal, Kotic would have sold his business to MS, considering the situation they were in. He had the upper hand in that deal. And knew very well, that MS would not pass this deal.

MS only chance for that deal, was for Facebook to say, no. And the rest is history.

That is what we call luck.
 

yurinka

Member
Kotic simply put can't be an employee of Microsoft after coming clean on the things he kept secret and its also why spencer said blizzard and activision will report directly to him.

I dont give a shit how many articles you post that seem to think he will stay on, he won't. Period.
I feel bad for you if you honestly believe that.

The language being used currently is typical of any buyout. Even venture capitalists will sell the idea that current management will stick around and in most instances that is the case for a few months, but then the heads start to roll. Kotick's own statements about his "availability" once the deal closes is telling, not exactly a ra ra response from him.

I didn't provide articles with opinions, I posted facts: the releases notes from both MS and Activision, the legal document that is the SEC filing where the companies tell their plans to investors and regulators and the conference call where they explained the acquisition to their investors.

They all clearly say he will continue as CEO. Regarding that interview when asked if post close he will continue as CEO he said "post close I will be available as needed". Something obvious since after close even if CEO of Activision Blizzard he will also be a Microsoft employee.
 
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M16

Member
The best deal, which is operating on all 3 systems.
If this was money motivated deal, Kotic would have sold his business to MS, considering the situation they were in. He had the upper hand in that deal. And knew very well, that MS would not pass this deal.

MS only chance for that deal, was for Facebook to say, no. And the rest is history.

That is what we call luck.
lol no. when ms showed interest, Activision went to facebook and other companies to drive up the price and start a bidding war. this is also ultimately why ms ended up paying $15 more per share than what they initially proposed.
 

kingfey

Banned
lol no. when ms showed interest, Activision went to facebook and other companies to drive up the price and start a bidding war. this is also ultimately why ms ended up paying $15 more per share than what they initially proposed.
I guess I cant argue with this logic.
 

SSfox

Member
Whatever man, nobody cares about your business stuffs, just show the games, that's all what matters.
 
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DaGwaphics

Member
I didn't provide articles with opinions, I posted facts: the releases notes from both MS and Activision, the legal document that is the SEC filing where the companies tell their plans to investors and regulators and the conference call where they explained the acquisition to their investors.

They all clearly say he will continue as CEO. Regarding that interview when asked if post close he will continue as CEO he said "post close I will be available as needed". Something obvious since after close even if CEO of Activision Blizzard he will also be a Microsoft employee.

I'm quite confident that the "need" for him will dry up faster than a puddle in the Sahara post close. We can pickup this topic again in one of the threads discussing his ouster. :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Not a good look, but this is what good businessmen do. Hopefully, from now on we will take their words with a grain of salt and stop putting these execs on a pedestal. They are just businessmen.
 

oldergamer

Member
I didn't provide articles with opinions, I posted facts: the releases notes from both MS and Activision, the legal document that is the SEC filing where the companies tell their plans to investors and regulators and the conference call where they explained the acquisition to their investors.

They all clearly say he will continue as CEO. Regarding that interview when asked if post close he will continue as CEO he said "post close I will be available as needed". Something obvious since after close even if CEO of Activision Blizzard he will also be a Microsoft employee.
Again use some common sense. He is part of the problem at activision. You are going to look real stupid or simply gullible when he steps down after the acquisition is completed. He cant continue as a ms employee after the allegations that he didnt disclose when they started talking to ms.

Kotic is the highest paid ceo in gaming. You think ms will want to pay that? There also a hint in the new title given to spencer. Ive said my bit.
 
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ZehDon

Member
I kinda hate this. Phil got the chance by luck. Activision knocked the door of Facebook. Facebook went nah. MS come in and swoop in the deal by paying them more than their share.

That is not outmaneuvering your opponents. That is just luck aligned with your star. Same with bethesda. Both were luck.
What a poor attempt at narrative spin.

From console exclusive Morrowind, to timed exclusive Oblivion, to best console platform with Fallout 3 and Skyrim, Bethesda and Microsoft have been business pals since the birth of Xbox. When Fallout 76 imploded, it was Microsoft who helped them figure out how to deal with that situation and fix the game. The Bethesda purchase happened because Microsoft and Bethesda have a strong relationship. When it was time for Bethesda to sell, I doubt there was a question as to whom it should be sold. That's not luck - that's twenty years of history. The same is true of Square and Sony.

Microsoft picked up Activision because there are about six companies on Earth that can afford them, and only one of them is deep enough into games to understand their worth. Microsoft understood Activision's value in full and paid accordingly. Facebook doesn't understand anything and passed. That's not luck, that's Facebook's lack of experience costing it dearly. Facebook's idiocy is also why they are now the proud owner of the largest corporate loss in recorded history. Luck had nothing to do with it. Facebook threw the ball away because they didn't understand what it was, and Microsoft picked it up and went full court.

I'm sure Phil Spencer turning Xbox around after Mattrick burned it down is also just luck?
 

Mattyp

Gold Member
I kinda hate this. Phil got the chance by luck. Activision knocked the door of Facebook. Facebook went nah. MS come in and swoop in the deal by paying them more than their share.

That is not outmaneuvering your opponents. That is just luck aligned with your star. Same with bethesda. Both were luck.

I read this entire thread and the denial in here is fucking hilarious.
 

ToTTenTranz

Banned
So he was typing up that written statement throwing them under the bus around the same time he was typing up a proposal for nadella. Good shit.
He was actively lowering the stock value of the company he wanted to buy.


It's the corporate equivalent of negging a girl on tinder.
 

Godot25

Banned
Pretty stupid of Phil in my opinion.

Had he waited a month he would have saved 10 billion easily due to aggressive bad rep growing and all media going after Bobby and add ..stocks going down.

I hear he is getting death threats from green rats on Twitter for not making doody exclusive
Really?
However hated would Kotick be and however badly this court case for sexual harassment will go (everybody knows they will settle at the end) there is literally no reason to believe that stock price of Acti-Blizz would go lower
Why?
1. They have Modern Warfare II and Warzone II this year. Last time Infinity Ward released COD it shattered all possible records. What will happen this time after weak Vanguard?
2. Two huge Blizzard games are coming out in 2023 which will start to push stock price up after proper date announcement.

This was literally perfect time to buy them.
 

kingfey

Banned

New info.

Microsoft Approached Activision Blizzard About an Acquisition Just 3 Days After Bobby Kotick Report​

On November 16, the Wall Street Journal reported that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick knew about the sexual assault and misconduct allegations happening at the company but did not disclose that info to the company's board. Just three days later, on November 19, CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer initiated a call with Kotick that would lead to Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
These details and more were revealed in a regulatory filing that was shared via CNBC and show that Spencer had been discussing "a different topic" before telling Kotick that Microsoft wanted to talk to him about strategic opportunities between the two companies.
"On November 19, 2021, in the course of a conversation on a different topic between Mr. Spencer and Mr. Kotick, Mr. Spencer raised that Microsoft was interested in discussing strategic opportunities between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft and asked whether it would be possible to have a call with Mr. Nadella the following day. Mr. Kotick agreed to participate in such discussion," the filing reads. "In a call on November 20, 2021, between Messrs. Kotick and Nadella, Mr. Nadella indicated that Microsoft was interested in exploring a strategic combination with Activision Blizzard."


On November 18, Spencer sent an e-mail to staff saying he is "disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions" at Activision Blizzard and that he is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments."

On November 26, Microsoft presented an initial offer of $80 per share - which would have been a 32% premium of Activision Blizzard stock price on November 25 - but the two companies would negotiate and the price would rise to $95 per share.

While the deal was officially announced on January 18, the filing states that Kotick had reached out to "a handful of other companies before the announcement" and that an unnamed person had even discussed purchasing the Blizzard part of Activision Blizzard or making parts or all of Activision Blizzard private.

Elsewhere in the filing, it is also says that Microsoft would have to pay anywhere from $2 billion to $3 billion if the deal falls through due to an "injunction arising from antitrust laws." Additionally, a list of "shares of Activision Blizzard common stock beneficially owned" shows that Kotick currently owns 4,317,285 million shares. If he were to leave the company and be bought out, he could gain, according to the $95 per share price, $410,142,075.


WSJ previously noted that sources familiar with the deal say that Kotick will leave the company following the completion of the deal when it closes in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.
https://www.neogaf.com/javascript:void(0)
 
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