In 2007, Activision merged with Vivendi Games to form Activision Blizzard. The deal was worth roughly $18 billion, which is a big chunk of change compared to another transaction that involved Blizzard back in 1995. President and CEO of the company, Bobby Kotick, has some interesting insight regarding how Activision’s history with Blizzard could have been very different.In our exclusive interview with Kotick, he spoke of a dinner in 1995 with Davidson & Associates in which they mention they had purchased Blizzard for $7 million. What Kotick explained afterwards was his bewilderment at the high price tag for the burgeoning developer:“That year Activision probably had 60 million in revenues. They said they paid seven million dollars for Blizzard. I’m like 'Are you out of your minds? They’re like a contract developer! They have Warcraft but what else do they have? You paid SEVEN million! That’s insane!"I was talking to [Blizzard founder] Mike Morhaime the other day and I said, 'You know, I could have bought you for seven million and instead it was seven billion.' [Laughs]He said, 'Yeah, could you imagine if I had just held out for the seven billion instead of the seven million?'”It’s difficult to imagine what the gaming landscape would be like if Kotick had been the one acquiring Blizzard way back then, rather than Vivendi doing the buying.Read the full Bobby Kotick interview in the February issue of Game Informer, available now.
Well, I hope the $6.93 billion makes him smile a little less. Doubt it though.
Well if that happened we might not have had WoW so I'm fine with how it went.
win.
if they still own the rights when the next warcraft and diablo come out im sure theyll more than make up for a 7mill hit in the pocket, hopefully now they might hit the consoles, cuz my pc is worthless for gaming (except catchin up on gamin news)
Everyone hates Kotick
Hahaha, it would of been a good investment with the diablo series coming up back then. First multiplayer if I'm correct.
well we would probably already be on starcraft 5 by now. and diablo would be a console game. =P
lol XD
Yay, he spent extra money for no reason! Let's party!!!!! <|:-)
WoW may not have been made....damnit.....so many lives could have been saved....and there would be alot less 20-40yr old virgins in dumbas's cosplay....you dropped the ball Kotick....
Dude, Bobby Kotick deserves (some) of what he gets....
If I was as filthy rich as him, I'd be smiling all the time too
Cameron, you're wrong. Kotick loves Kotick.
I'm glad he didn't buy it back then. Bobby Kotick is evil.
But then again... WoW is kind of getting on my nerves lately.
Crazy that it can go from 7 million to 7 billion.
If "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers' hands.
=/
I read this in the interview. I bet he kicked himself hard over that one.
I just want to know one thing, where does Kotick go for dinner?
I just really hope Blizzard gets to keep control of their IPs, the last thing I want is Activision and Kotick screwing up Blizzard's hits with their retardation.
thats crazy to see, but it's funny how the market works, you never know what to expect.