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World of Warcraft: Bobby Kotick Leads Buyout of Activision-Blizzard

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

CEO Bobby Kotick has led an investor buyout of Activision-Blizzard from Vivendi. Under the terms of the buyout, Kotick and an investment group have purchased nearly $9 billion worth of stock shares from Vivendi. Activision-Blizzard will become an independently held company after the purchase is finalized.

With Vivendi no longer a major stakeholder, Activision Blizzard becomes an independent company led by Kotick and Kelly, whose investment group also includes Chinese operator Tencent, Davis Advisors and Leonard Green & Partners.

"These transactions together represent a tremendous opportunity for Activision Blizzard and all its shareholders, including Vivendi," said Kotick.

"We should emerge even stronger-an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value and expand our leadership position as one of the world's most important entertainment companies. The transactions announced today will allow us to take advantage of attractive financing markets while still retaining more than $3 billion cash on hand to preserve financial stability."

During the quarterly investor's call, it was also revealed that World of Warcraft subscriptions have fallen to 7.7 million, down from the last report.

Read more at GamesIndustry.biz.

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Comments

  • expressoexpresso Member UncommonPosts: 2,218

    He's such a happy chappy.

    Sad thing is this will likey but AB into debt, hope blizzard don't abondon their "done when it's done" attitude.  But on the plus side there is now one less cook in the kitchen.

  • Aldous.HuxleyAldous.Huxley Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 418
    This picture makes my "e-peen" shrivel.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Good, but Blizzard really should buy themselves out from Activision as well.
  • ChrisboxChrisbox Member UncommonPosts: 1,729
    Originally posted by Loke666
    Good, but Blizzard really should buy themselves out from Activision as well.

    This ^

    Played-Everything
    Playing-LoL

  • KaeriganKaerigan Member Posts: 689
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Great news for Blizzard. I was worried about their future considering the plans of their current owners.

    Kotick's pretty much Satan himself so I doubt it'll get any better from here on out.

    <childish, provocative and highly speculative banner about your favorite game goes here>

  • aspekxaspekx Member UncommonPosts: 2,167
    i thought most of the early Blizz founders had already bailed with their cash just recently.

    "There are at least two kinds of games.
    One could be called finite, the other infinite.
    A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
    an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
    Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse

  • LawlmonsterLawlmonster Member UncommonPosts: 1,085
    Effin' Kotick.

    "This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)

  • WarlyxWarlyx Member EpicPosts: 3,361
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Originally posted by Kaerigan
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Great news for Blizzard. I was worried about their future considering the plans of their current owners.

    Kotick's pretty much Satan himself so I doubt it'll get any better from here on out.

    Lesser of two evils. In this scenario, they will at least have enough funds to keep developing triple A games.

    like D3? , the new Card game? or Titan?

     

  • jesteralwaysjesteralways Member RarePosts: 2,560
    Originally posted by Chrisbox
    Originally posted by Loke666
    Good, but Blizzard really should buy themselves out from Activision as well.

    This ^

    i think the same. but now the majority of the shares will be owned by public so it can be a bit better than the way it is now. i hope it will be better. but for some reason i think we will see pay2win items in wow in game store even after keeping the game p2p. just a hunch.

    Boobs are LIFE, Boobs are LOVE, Boobs are JUSTICE, Boobs are mankind's HOPES and DREAMS. People who complain about boobs have lost their humanity.

  • koljanekoljane Member UncommonPosts: 171
    What a happy face. He just hit 90 with his Troll Rogue o/
  • sodade21sodade21 Member UncommonPosts: 349
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Originally posted by Skuall
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Originally posted by Kaerigan
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Great news for Blizzard. I was worried about their future considering the plans of their current owners.

    Kotick's pretty much Satan himself so I doubt it'll get any better from here on out.

    Lesser of two evils. In this scenario, they will at least have enough funds to keep developing triple A games.

    like D3? , the new Card game? or Titan?

     

    What are you implying here...that you do not like their games?

    Well this is not about you. I am talking about Blizzard as a company.

    D3 sold how many...10m+ copies? I did not really check the numbers for the card game, so I cannot comment on that.

    From financial point of view, the AAA games they produce generate enough profit for them to meet the "going concern" and keep existing as a profitable company.

    Whether you or me like their games is not really relevant in this case.

     

    No he means that D3 was a crappy Game not an AAA game at all. the fact that it sold many doesnt make it a good game. From a financial POV it was success. But in the Gamers POV was the Fail of the century. and that will effect the future releases aka the financial as well.

    The Card game is just that.....

    The Titan is the major Vaporwave....

    Yes they have and always had Money to burn.

     
  • SpeakzzzSpeakzzz Member UncommonPosts: 29
    I agree until Blizzard buys out Activision now I don't see things improving at all.
  • ace5572ace5572 Member Posts: 113
    Activision is the same thing as a con man who will do anything to get your money.
  • expressoexpresso Member UncommonPosts: 2,218

    ...

  • expressoexpresso Member UncommonPosts: 2,218
    Originally posted by expresso

    "But in the Gamers POV was the Fail of the century"

    In the vocal minority's POV it was a fail - those of us with realistic expectations were thoroughly entertained for many dozens of hours.

     

     

  • sketocafesketocafe Member UncommonPosts: 950
    Originally posted by expresso

    He's such a happy chappy.

    Sad thing is this will likey but AB into debt, hope blizzard don't abondon their "done when it's done" attitude.  But on the plus side there is now one less cook in the kitchen.

    They were going into debt anyways with Vivendi at the helm and piling debt onto them. At least this way, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. 

  • BetaguyBetaguy Member UncommonPosts: 2,627
    Originally posted by Skuall
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Originally posted by Kaerigan
    Originally posted by coretex666
    Great news for Blizzard. I was worried about their future considering the plans of their current owners.

    Kotick's pretty much Satan himself so I doubt it'll get any better from here on out.

    Lesser of two evils. In this scenario, they will at least have enough funds to keep developing triple A games.

    like D3? , the new Card game? or Titan?

     

    I am excited for Hearthstone... it's great fun.

    "The King and the Pawn return to the same box at the end of the game"

  • FusionFusion Member UncommonPosts: 1,398
    Name one dev-company that has delivered a superior game (compared to their previous great games), after been absorbed by a multi-billion publishing company with knowledge only about financial stuff, instead of the actual product-quality.
    http://neocron-game.com/ - now totally F2P no cash-shops or micro transactions at all.
  • BadSpockBadSpock Member UncommonPosts: 7,979

    Maybe we'll actually hear about Titan now.

    And maybe the next WoW expansion won't continue the downward spiral.

    I don't have faith in any of those outcomes, however.

  • YukmarcYukmarc Member UncommonPosts: 165
    Kotick doesn't give a shit about video games or gamers, only money. He'll push something down your throat until you're sick of it and move on to the next venture like he did with the Guitar Hero franchise. (DJ Hero anyone?) The guy is a tool. If anyone thinks that he has their best interest at heart, he doesn't!
  • AysonoAysono Member Posts: 164
    Originally posted by zymurgeist
    Originally posted by sketocafe
    Originally posted by expresso

    He's such a happy chappy.

    Sad thing is this will likey but AB into debt, hope blizzard don't abondon their "done when it's done" attitude.  But on the plus side there is now one less cook in the kitchen.

    They were going into debt anyways with Vivendi at the helm and piling debt onto them. At least this way, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. 

    Nope Actiblizz will retain 3 Billion, That's Billion with a "B", in cash reserves.

    Nope. $1.2B will be drained from the reserve with a new debt $4.6B added to facilitate for the deal. That means a net of +$1.8B cash will be saved from Vivendi's $3B special dividend proposal.

     

    Still, a lot of working capital will be drained from ATVI's balance sheet and current and future projects will be affected.

     

    One point of note is now ATVI is in the good hands of venture capitalists including Tencent. That should buy them a some time from going under.

  • LowcaianLowcaian Member Posts: 265

    ""We should emerge even stronger-an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value..."

     

    Bla bla...

    I only see the same old tired corporate bullshit as we have seen a million times before.

    image
  • NoizMchnNoizMchn Member UncommonPosts: 29
    You fools!!  You are missing the whole point!  What about the movie?!!!
  • ChrisboxChrisbox Member UncommonPosts: 1,729
    Originally posted by BadSpock

    Maybe we'll actually hear about Titan now.

    And maybe the next WoW expansion won't continue the downward spiral.

    I don't have faith in any of those outcomes, however.

    We won't hear about Titan until WoW dies, its only best for business.

    WoW's next expansion however is something we will have to wait and see.  

    Played-Everything
    Playing-LoL

  • JaedorJaedor Member UncommonPosts: 1,173
    Glad to see this news this morning.
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