‘Most hated man in video games’: The scandalous reign of Call of Duty billionaire
Bobby Kotick was bursting with optimism as he told staff about his video game company’s $US69 billion ($103 billion) sale to Microsoft.
The 58-year-old Activision Blizzard boss painted the deal as a “partnership to define the future” of the industry that creates “endless possibilities for us”.
The takeover is the biggest in the gaming industry’s short history, designed both to tilt the balance in Microsoft’s war against Sony and allow it to leapfrog Facebook in conquering the “metaverse” of virtual worlds.
But for Kotick and Activision, the sale may be more like an escape hatch.
* Why Microsoft is splashing $103 billion on video games * Microsoft buys Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard for about $103 billion * Microsoft opens harassment investigation sought by investors * Riot Games agrees to pay $146.7 million in settlement of class-action gender discrimination suit
The Los Angeles-based giant behind Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and the smartphone gaming phenomenon Candy Crush Saga has suffered a brutal decline in its share price in the past year amid a string of sexual harassment allegations that has singled it out, even in a business notorious for less-than-spotless workplace cultures.
The deal may also be the final chapter for Kotick, a character who has been as divisive within the industry as Activision’s money-spinning Call of Duty franchise has been among fretful parents.
Kotick admits he does not play many games himself, and has been depicted as “the most hated man in video games” for his focus on shareholder returns rather than pleasing the outspoken online gaming community. In one case, a group of former Activision employees added a playable character with an uncanny likeness to Kotick to their free
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