Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard

Recently, Microsoft finalized its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a major video game publisher. Seamus Blackley, a former employee of Xbox, shared his thoughts on the news, taking a dig at Bobby Kotick, the current CEO of Activision Blizzard, who is credited with the success of popular games like Call of Duty.

In a rather ironic statement, Blackley, who played a role in the development of Xbox two decades ago, expressed, “Karma is a bitch!” This phrase, which roughly translates to “Karma can be an asshole” in Italian, alludes to a time when Kotick decided to abandon Microsoft’s Guitar Hero project.

Continuing in the same vein, Blackley recounted another anecdote where Kotick laughed off the idea when Microsoft proposed the creation of the Xbox and forayed into the world of gaming consoles.

Blackley shared part of his conversation with Kotick:

“When we pitched the Guitar Hero project to Bobby, he told us that no one would ever bring it to market, and he turned it down (only to buy it later). I then reminded him that he had told me the same thing about the Xbox project a few years earlier, and he laughed. Now it’s being bought by Xbox. At this point, I really think karma is an asshole.”

It is worth mentioning that Seamus Blackley is a renowned video game designer, known for creating Ultima Underworld and System Shock. In the late 1990s, Blackley joined Microsoft and played key roles in the development of DirectX and Xbox, including building relationships with third-party companies like Activision Blizzard.

Future of Activision Blizzard

Notably, Bobby Kotick is set to continue serving as the CEO of Activision Blizzard until the end of 2023. This decision brings an interesting dynamic to the future of the publishing house.

When we offered Bobby Guitar Hero, he told us that no one would ever sell it and turned it down (only to buy it later!) I reminded him that he literally told me that about the Xbox just a few years ago. He laughed.

Now it’s being bought by Xbox.

Karma is a bitch. https://t.co/82aaXifPFp

— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) October 13, 2023