Microsoft buy Activision-Blizzard for $68.7B

Breaking news: it has been reported that Microsoft are acquiring Activision Blizzard for a price of $68.7 billion dollars.

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Tuesday it would buy "Call of Duty"videogame maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) for $68.7 billion in cash, the largest deal in the sector making the Xbox maker the third-largest gaming company by revenue.

Microsoft's offer of $95 per share is at a premium of 45% to Activision's Friday close. Shares of Activision were up nearly 38% at $65.39 before being halted for news.

Microsoft Studios made sick games, let's not forget that. This could be a new chapter in Blizzard's long history. I'm actually quite excited.

Thoughts on how this will affect Diablo 2, WoW, etc.?

Just saw this news earlier myself. I think this might be a good thing. We will see xD

jesus imagine all the candy i could buy with those $68.7 billion

Wow, that's interesting. With as ridiculous as Activision/Blizzard's leadership has been in recent years, I feel like this could definitely be a positive. Time will tell of course.

So now it will be called Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard?

Teebling wrote: 2 years ago

Thoughts on how this will affect Diablo 2, WoW, etc.?

I can't comment on that but i'm really curious about what D4 is gonna turn out to be.

I feel the same way. I think that this is a very good thing, since then there is a new leadership. It is a positiv signal that Blizzard has a future.

crocorinho wrote: 2 years ago

So now it will be called Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard?

I hope they just call it Blizzard xD

i hope microsoft will make some good new diablo games. and maybe even diablo movie.

Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard.

this line alone makes the deal worthless.

Udyret wrote: 2 years ago

i hope microsoft will make some good new diablo games. and maybe even diablo movie.

Diablo ME and Diablo XP are on their way

Cool! Let’s hope for some sweet D2 action!

I can't imagine why Microsoft would want to buy Activision right now of all times! With the lack of new games and all the bad press blizzard especially has been getting it seems like something too toxic to touch at the moment.

With the current CEO staying in

Charge for now, I doubt much will change, but once they kick him out, then I have a little glimmer of hope for the company going forward.

annoynimous wrote: 2 years ago

Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard.

this line alone makes the deal worthless.

Haaang on a second guys

Once the acquisition is complete, Phil Spencer the CEO of Microsoft Gaming will take over.
BK will then report directly to him, once the acquisition is finished.
Doubt that in their desire to 'restructure' that they'd keep him on after that point.

WrathofMagus wrote: 2 years ago

I can't imagine why Microsoft would want to buy Activision right now of all times! With the lack of new games and all the bad press blizzard especially has been getting it seems like something too toxic to touch at the moment.

Because they own some of the most historical and prestigious IPs in the industry, and are easy to strike a deal with at the moment due to public offering situation/public relations disaster. MS acquire the rights to CoD, WoW, Diablo, Starcraft, Hearthstone, HoTS all in one go, without having to take any of the ethical taint with them. They see an opportunity to continue making great money from these IPs.

I have hope. Look at Minecraft for example - I reckon that they've actually did a pretty good job taking over Mojang. The game has continued to be massively popular, having organic revivals, regular updates etc. and they haven't milked it like a cash cow either. Minecraft players are still pretty happy with how things stand.

Teebling wrote: 2 years ago

Because they own some of the most historical and prestigious IPs in the industry, and are easy to strike a deal with at the moment due to public offering situation/public relations disaster. MS acquire the rights to CoD, WoW, Diablo, Starcraft, Hearthstone, HoTS all in one go, without having to take any of the ethical taint with them. They see an opportunity to continue making great money from these IPs.

This. Blizz is pretty bad shape right now but nonetheless it's franchises are legendary!

Those games are monuments in the history of gaming. Heck, even MOBAs which are massive those days descend from a Starcraft/Warcraft mod.

This will be literaly the biggest company acquisition of this kind in all the gaming industry, ever. Just look at that.
It's about 8 times more than what Microsoft spent to purchase Bethesda (Zenimax).
This is probably the only time in Blizzard history this could happen. Some years ago this would be just unthinkable.

Yet, i'm kind of outdated regarding Microsoft. Still waiting for those Gate experts to bring some prospects to the table

Thanks for deleting my previous post. Microsoft is a joke and their politicized agenda will ruin the good ol' Blizzard games.

Teebling wrote: 2 years ago

Microsoft are acquiring Activision Blizzard for a price of $68.7 billion dollars.

bye bye blizzcon xD welcome Softcon xD (micro is too small to show)

Krueger-HC wrote: 2 years ago

Thanks for deleting my previous post. Microsoft is a joke and their politicized agenda will ruin the good ol' Blizzard games.

It's not like they did a swell job so far...the only good thing about Lizzard was their community.

annoynimous wrote: 2 years ago

Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard.

this line alone makes the deal worthless.

For clarity:

Bobby Kotick, Activision’s longtime CEO, is expected to leave after the deal closes, according to people familiar with those plans. Microsoft had said in its announcement Tuesday that Mr. Kotick “will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard,” and that after the deal closes “the Activision Blizzard business will report to Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer. ” But the companies have agreed that he will depart once the deal closes, the people said.

Hope this brings you some optimism.

@Selexin yo

So guys what are we agreeing on here:

Blizzsoft or Microblizz