Kotick Reportedly Ignoring Activision's Problems, Employees Irritated
The video conference for Activision Blizzard employees did not go as planned. Contrary to promises, CEO Bobby Kotick did not address questions from subordinates, and the entire event was actually ended sooner than scheduled.
- Bobby Kotick held a video conference for Activision Blizzard employees to discuss the company's acquisition by Microsoft,
- The event was supposed to last 30 minutes, but ended after just 16 minutes,
- Mr. Kotick was not only late to the video conference, but also – contrary to earlier announcements – did not answer questions from employees,
- Nor did the CEO address the company's recent scandals and layoffs,
- In general, employees are disgrunted after the videoconference.
The most important event of January in the gaming industry was the announcement of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As journalists of the Washington Post found out, on this occasion the president of the latter, Bobby Kotick, held a meeting with employees. The purpose of the event was to calm fears, but it did not go as planned, and the reactions of those employed by the company are not looking good.
The meeting took the form of a video conference titled "Fireside Chat." It can well be regarded as an example of the overgrown ego of the president of Activision Blizzard, because this is how Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, called his regular radio addresses to the nation. The event was supposed to last half an hour, but it closed in 16 minutes; first Bobby Kotick was seven minutes late to start it, and then he ended it prematurely.
What IPs has Microsoft gained as a result of this acquisition? See here:
During the conference, Kotick was supposed to answer questions from employees sent to his email, so many hoped he would comment on the recent layoffs and the high-profile scandal of bullying and sexual harassment cases. In reality, the CEO did not address any questions and focused on highlighting his excitement about the prospect of his company being acquired by Microsoft.
The only specifics the employees got was a declaration that Kotick will remain as CEO until the acquisition is finalized, or longer if Microsoft needs it to ensure a smooth ownership change. The latter is unlikely to be necessary, as reports have been surfacing for several days stating that Bobby Kotick will be saying goodbye to Activision Blizzard as soon as the formal side of the acquisition is complete.
Currently, Kotick seems a major image liability for the publisher. It is hard to imagine a situation in which Microsoft will not get rid of the current CEO, especially since Phil Spencer, the head of the Xbox division, among others, is unhappy with his style and the quality of his CEOing. The Washington Post quotes one Activision employee who said that many people in the company are worried about the potential damage that Bobby Kotick may still have time to inflict before leaving.
