Vivendi May Be About To Squeeze Activision Blizzard For Billions

Nghtgnt

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While the news is disturbing, I think it might be a bit premature to declare it the death of Activision without seeing what the effects of paying out a dividend will be. Oh, I'm sure it'll cause some problems, but we don't know exactly how much of a problem it will be.


gigastar said:
Dr.Awkward said:
hmmm... I'm wondering if Vivendi's goal is to get all this cash, buy themselves off of Activision Blizzard, and strike out on their own? It might explain Vivendi's lack of games or announcements for the last few months...
Vivendi own Activision, its Activision whom seemingly want to get away from Vivendi.
If I remember correctly, Vivendi has actually been trying to sell off Activision for years now. The problem is that no one who could actually afford to buy it is interested.
 

carpathic

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MCerberus said:
Yar! This be great for the corporate raiders! These scurvy dogs been getting away with running a healthy profitable company! Now it be time to legally take ALL THEIR BOOTY! Logic be damned, short term profit be thars!
Sailing across the wide acountant-sea...

Sorry man, you just brought up some monty python for me!

I love the meaning of life.

Honestly though, this is just a bigger company shifting money on a balance sheet, the only reason we care is because it is a games company.
 
Jun 20, 2013
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Pandaman1911 said:
While I dislike ActiBlizz as much as the next guy, this just makes me horribly sad and fucking mad as hell at the same time. From my point of view, Vivendi is just doing the equivalent of a Yoshi double-jump, using one company's momentum to keep itself afloat a few precious seconds longer, while the other is sent to a fiery doom. Say what you will about Activision, at least they make goddamn video games.
This once happened to an organization I was once employed under (nothing to do with games, but very much similar). Despite happening often enough, I can tell you now, that this is assuredly a huge mistake and will almost certainly end in tears for Act-Bliz. Vivendi will stand on Act-Bliz to keep its head above the water which threatens the job-security of everyone employed there and of course will affect the consumers. Focus on product/service-for-profit will shift to a panicky squealing to get clear of debt and product/service will suffer as a result. The better quality that consumers tend to enjoy is borne primarily from a process of risk and experimentation. Risk and experimentation die out fast in a high-stress and large debt environment. If the debt strangles out Act-Bliz, it will go down in flames while Vivendi draws a few more labored breaths. Even if Act-Bliz sinks, Vivendi will probably continue to plow blindly-forward with poor business models and practice. It's purely conjecture ... but I rode this god-awful train once before.
 

MCerberus

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carpathic said:
Honestly though, this is just a bigger company shifting money on a balance sheet, the only reason we care is because it is a games company.
YARR! From a project management standpoint this move be a sign of a failing company. Taking long-term booty from the coffers to pay for yer wenches fills your boat with bilge. Fact is, take from the fixing budget and ye be askin for your boats to sink. Activision needs to be fighting these scalawags using minority stakeholder protections say I!
 

carpathic

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MCerberus said:
carpathic said:
Honestly though, this is just a bigger company shifting money on a balance sheet, the only reason we care is because it is a games company.
YARR! From a project management standpoint this move be a sign of a failing company. Taking long-term booty from the coffers to pay for yer wenches fills your boat with bilge. Fact is, take from the fixing budget and ye be askin for your boats to sink. Activision needs to be fighting these scalawags using minority stakeholder protections say I!
Ye be havin' no arrrrgument from mee on yer point thar.

It is a curious turn around - not sure why Vivendi sold off all the old Bronfman booze assets to become a media company. A curious choice to make. Move from high margin stuff that people ALWAYS buy into high risk, low margine products that people may or may not buy regardless of quality of product.

Guess the internet was mighty sexy earlier on in time :)
 

Furism

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I love capitalism. I love that we pushed the logic to such an extend that we can now legally kill companies that we own. We should push the logic even more, there's so much money to be made. I'm glad we live in that system. And don't dare say the opposite, you communists!
 

Antari

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No matter who ends up in control Activision or Vivendi, I can't say either outcome will cause me to look at buying games from them. The last Vivendi game I got, came in a cereal box.
 

Agayek

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Oct 23, 2008
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MCerberus said:
Yar! This be great for the corporate raiders! These scurvy dogs been getting away with running a healthy profitable company! Now it be time to legally take ALL THEIR BOOTY! Logic be damned, short term profit be thars!
To be fair to Vivendi, unless something changes drastically in the near future, they don't have a long-term to think about.
 

Lunar Templar

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you know, I kinda hope ActiBlizz does manage to break away from Vivendi, not cause I like them or anything, just cause I'm against one company crippling another like this.

but then, Blizzard has yet to make a game I can say I like so I couldn't care less if they go under, and Activision? out side Prototype 1, be hard pressed to point at any games of there's I own.

so, an irate 'meh' from me on this I guess
 

Chaos Marine

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With how Activision have acted the last few years, I couldn't care less for their welfare. Karma's a *****.
 

The Rogue Wolf

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Hey, what's with all the sqwaking and flapping? Where'd all these feathers come from?

Ohhh, I see, it's the chickens coming home to roost. You knew Vivendi would pull something like this, didn't you, Activision? I mean, all those high-priced lawyers of yours went over that contract, right?
 

direkiller

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Witty Name Here said:
I hope Acti-Blizz doesn't go under... Or if the Activision ship sinks along with Vivendi, Blizzard can sail the storm. I have a great deal of respect for Blizzard, and Chris Metzen seems like a pretty cool guy, I don't want to see such a great company go under.
They wont die, at worst they get sold off and someone else picks up the wowfair checks.
 

mirage202

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As much as this sucks I can't forget the fact that the Activision big wigs signed off on this for whatever personal compensation it took to bribe them into it.

So they are getting what the deserve in the long run for whatever gains they made in the short term. Hmm there is a lesson here for the entire industry I think, doubt any of them will figure it out though being run by the same carbon copy tools in suits.
 

orangeapples

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Hmmm... It seems as though all of the evil crap Activision was doing was in preparation of this moment.

Hate to see Blizzard fall, but they knew the risks of signing with a major publisher. All of their games have gone to crap since that decision was made.
 

Eric the Orange

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Apr 29, 2008
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No one will buy them. Fine then lets ring up a ton of debt on them so we can pocket the money, and either make them selable or run them into the ground..

But seriously I don't like the big publishers decisions, but I don't think having a bigger bully come along and beat them up is the way it should be. The little people that Activision has bullied in the past should be the ones to rise up and defeat them not just a bigger bully.