GamesBeat Interview with Bobby Kotick Explains Motives for Selling Activision Blizzard to Microsoft

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick discusses his company’s sale to Microsoft, the growing opportunities in esports and why Activision is investing heavily into Bungie.

The “bobby kotick interview” is an interview that GameSpot did with Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. In the interview, he talks about his motives for selling Activision to Microsoft.

Beyond the allegations reported by the Wall Street Journal and the state of California’s sexual discrimination lawsuit, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick explained his motivation for selling the company to Microsoft in an interview with GamesBeat, citing the delay of Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 as having a primary effect on Activision’s declining stock price.

via Gamesbeat, Bobby Kotick

GamesBeat: Did the sexual harassment inquiry play a role in this, since it appeared to have an impact on the stock price?

Kotick: I believe that pushing out Overwatch and Diablo had a greater impact on the stock price. Then, I believe, people began to notice that this year’s Call of Duty wasn’t doing as well as previous editions. So, although I believe the filing and the Wall Street Journal story had a role, equities fluctuate for a number of reasons. I believe our position was that at $95 a share in pure cash, it was a fantastic deal for our stockholders. As a result, that was a simple and autonomous decision. It’s a fantastic offer.

Antitrust problems and greater rivalry within big-name games are also discussed in the piece, as trillion-dollar firms like Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Netflix have all boosted work on their own projects. Kotick argues that the need for larger production teams and greater resources made Microsoft the right partner, while the offer of a 45 percent premium over the existing stock price made selling a simple option and a fair bargain for shareholders.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has challenged Kotick’s comments, calling it a show of vanity and an effort to shift responsibility to development teams rather than Kotick’s own leadership failure in failing to address workplace concerns.

Both of these possibilities are possible. While the continuous news of the discrimination lawsuit likely damaged ATVI’s stock price, the decline after Activision’s third quarter results conference call and the resulting postponement of Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 was similarly significant and much more immediate. The complaint was announced on July 21st of last year, when the stock was trading at slightly over $91. That story dominated everything linked to Activision Blizzard for the following four months, as the stock price fluctuated wildly, plummeting over 13% to $79 by November 1st. The next day, the third quarter results revealed that Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 will be delayed, causing the stock to plunge by 14% overnight – a greater decline than the preceding four months combined.

The postponement of Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 had a greater influence on the stock price in one day than it did in the four months since California’s lawsuit was made public.

While there are a number of variables at play, such as the Wall Street Journal piece causing the stock to fall more just as it began to rise again, the importance of those delays should not be overlooked. The reality is that for dedicated investors, the possibility for future profits, as well as the falling expectations induced by delays, is a very important concern.

The publishing of a critical piece by the Wall Street Journal dealt the third body blow to ATVI’s stock price.

AutomaticJak, the author of our Priest guide and presenter of Mythic Dungeon International, has also created a video on the topic of Activision Blizzard’s sale, in which he delves into the financial implications of Microsoft’s record-breaking purchase. Jak has been a professional caster/streamer for the last four years and has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from George Mason University. “Buy what you know” is a fantastic investment cliché, so Jak keeps a careful eye on Activision’s finances, explaining his transactions and assisting others in understanding the company’s financial picture. While many see Bobby Kotick’s departure as a victory for those who want him held accountable for Activision Blizzard’s legal woes, this latest installment of Jak’s financial series explains how Kotick turned a downward trend into a golden opportunity to profit while keeping his distance from the company’s legal woes.

Bobby Kotick is the CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he has recently sold his company to Microsoft. In an interview with GamesBeat, Bobby Kotick explained why he decided to sell the company. He also talked about how he felt about the sale and what it means for Activision Blizzard going forward. Reference: bobby kotick ethnicity.