Activision
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Documents about Activision
Round the Campfire
Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to secure regulatory approval for its acquisition of Activision Blizzard are characterized by a strategic public relations campaign and a series of high-profile concessions.
- Microsoft has signed a ten-year deal to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud-streaming service, securing Nvidia’s support for the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
- Microsoft previously entered a ten-year agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms, a move intended to alleviate regulatory concerns regarding market foreclosure.
- The Activision Blizzard acquisition remains under intense regulatory scrutiny, with Microsoft attempting to frame the deal as a benefit to the broader industry while isolating Sony as a market-dominant competitor.
Enthusiast Named #1 Top Ranked Gaming Property for January by Comscore
Enthusiast Gaming Holdings achieved the top ranking for unique visitor traffic among gaming properties in the United States for January 2023, according to data from the media research firm Comscore.
- Enthusiast Gaming was ranked the #1 gaming property in the United States for January 2023 by Comscore, reaching 49.12 million unique visitors.
- The company outperformed major industry players including Roblox (44.88 million), Twitch (44.08 million), and Activision Blizzard (32.05 million) in unique visitor traffic.
- Enthusiast Gaming reported a 349% growth in its digital media property reach over the previous three-year period.
Activision Blizzard Angers Employees in 'Hostile' Meeting
Activision Blizzard recently faced significant internal backlash following a series of meetings regarding a mandatory return-to-office policy.
- Activision Blizzard has mandated a return-to-office policy requiring staff to work on-site at least three days per week, with implementation beginning in April 2023 for Activision and July 2023 for Blizzard.
- Employees reported that management meetings regarding the new policy were hostile and passive-aggressive, leading to significant internal dissatisfaction.
- Staff profit-sharing bonuses for 2022 were reduced to a fraction of expected amounts, which leadership attributed to lower year-over-year operating profit performance.
Tencent Gives Blessing to Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Tencent Holdings has signaled no objections to Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, providing a notable endorsement as the deal undergoes international regulatory scrutiny.
- Tencent Holdings has expressed no objections to Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- An undisclosed third party has filed concerns regarding the acquisition with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).
- Chinese regulators rejected Microsoft and Activision Blizzard’s request for a 'simplified procedure' review, forcing the deal to undergo a more time-consuming standard regulatory process.
The Real Danger of the Microsoft's Activision Deal
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft represents a significant shift in the gaming industry, primarily driven by the expansion of the Xbox Game Pass subscription model.
- Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard leverages the parent company's massive financial scale to subsidize Xbox Game Pass, creating an economically unviable model for pure-play gaming publishers.
- The aggressive bundling of premium titles into subscription services lowers consumer price expectations and devalues individual game sales, leading to a potential 'race to the bottom' in content valuation.
- Microsoft’s strategic shift prioritizes annual recurring revenue and consumer growth over the traditional profitability metrics that sustain independent gaming firms.
Sony and Microsoft's Agreement on Call of Duty
This analysis examines the evolving negotiations between Sony and Microsoft regarding the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, specifically focusing on the future of the Call of Duty franchise.
- Sony and Microsoft are moving toward a resolution on the Activision Blizzard acquisition, signaled by the first visit of Sony executives to Microsoft’s headquarters in 18 months.
- A CMA-commissioned survey indicates that 21 percent of PlayStation users would stop playing Call of Duty if it became an Xbox exclusive, while 15 percent would switch consoles entirely.
- The proposed regulatory solution involves a dual-remedy framework consisting of a long-term Call of Duty licensing agreement and the potential divestiture of Blizzard.
Microsoft Heads to Brussels for European Commission Merger Hearing
Microsoft is scheduled to attend a closed-door merger hearing with the European Commission in Brussels on February 21, 2023, to address antitrust concerns regarding its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- Microsoft is scheduled to attend a closed-door European Commission merger hearing on February 21, 2023, to address antitrust concerns regarding its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The hearing follows a Statement of Objections issued by the European Union, a preliminary antitrust ruling similar to the one recently provided by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
- Sony is expected to attend the hearing as an interested third party to present its objections to the merger.
Shannon's Newsletter Issue #1: Chinese Spy Balloon, Genshin Impact, World of Warcraft Refunds, the S.E.C.'s $35 Million Fine and More
This inaugural newsletter serves as a platform for independent, investigative journalism focused on the intersection of the video game industry, technology, and global politics.
- Activision Blizzard was fined $35 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to maintain adequate workplace misconduct controls and violating whistleblower protections between 2018 and 2021.
- Over one million Chinese gamers requested refunds for Blizzard titles including World of Warcraft and Overwatch following the termination of the licensing partnership between Blizzard and NetEase.
- The collapse of the Blizzard-NetEase licensing agreement highlights significant geopolitical and corporate instability within the U.S.-China gaming market.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Claims Sony is Trying to Sabotage Merger
In February 2023, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick publicly accused Sony of attempting to sabotage Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of his company.
- Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has accused Sony of attempting to sabotage Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of his company.
- Kotick claims that Sony has ceased all communication with both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard regarding the merger.
- A Sony representative publicly disputed the claim, stating that the company remains in contact with Microsoft regarding private negotiations.
Activision Q4 Earnings: How Is Candy Crush Growing 20% Annually?
The mobile gaming sector continues to demonstrate significant resilience and growth, as evidenced by the performance of King’s Candy Crush franchise within the broader Activision Blizzard portfolio.
- Activision Blizzard reported Q4 earnings on February 9, 2023, despite the pending Microsoft acquisition.
- The company opted not to host an earnings call or publish a formal earnings presentation due to the ongoing regulatory scrutiny from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Why Discounting Your Game Works: Psychology Edition
The psychological drivers behind digital game discounting serve as a primary focus for analyzing consumer behavior and platform discovery.
- Digital storefronts leverage cognitive biases like anchoring, psychological reactance, and wishlist pre-commitment to drive consumer purchasing behavior during discount events.
- Mobile gaming is a dominant revenue driver, currently accounting for 47% of Activision’s total earnings.
- The industry is shifting toward mobile-first and subscription-led models, pressuring traditional publishers to move away from niche titles in favor of larger, high-budget projects.
UK’s CMA Preliminary Ruling Opposes Activision Blizzard Acquisition
The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a preliminary ruling opposing Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a preliminary ruling opposing Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The CMA concluded that the merger could result in higher prices, reduced consumer choice, and less innovation within the UK gaming market.
- Regulators expressed concern that Microsoft would gain a competitive advantage by making Activision titles, particularly Call of Duty, exclusive to its own cloud gaming and console platforms.
Its games in the library
Halo: Combat EvolvedBungie · 200115
Call of DutyInfinity Ward · 2003563- Overwatch156
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Sledgehammer Games · 20117
Halo 3Bungie · 20074- Call of Duty: Black Ops 625
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 715
- Halo: Campaign Evolved4
Grand Theft Auto VIRockstar North · 2026197
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2Infinity Ward · 20099