Activision CFO: "Blizzard is top notch"
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 21st 2008 at 7:00PM
Develop magazine got to talk to Thomas Tippl, who is Activision's CFO (we've heard a lot from CEO Bobby Kotick, but never from Tippl before) about the Activision Blizzard merger and how it will affect both companies. Tippl reiterates what we've heard before: that Activision has no plans to tell Blizzard how to do their jobs when they've been doing so well already.He does, however, say that a "portfolio review" is in order, and so employees of Sierra (Vivendi's other games division) should start working on their resumes, if they haven't started already. He also says the sales teams of each company will likely be consolidated -- they want to put an "all-star team" together, but the thing about stars is that not everyone can be one.
So the merger remains good news for Blizzard, not-so-good news for the rest of Vivendi. We're still curious to see what happens when/if Blizzard falls out of Activision's good graces. Sure, everything is peachy-keen right now, but when Blizzard's stubborn commitment to quality bumps up against Activision's almost yearly franchise releases, who'll walk away the victor?
[Via WorldofWar.net]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
milsorgen Jul 21st 2008 7:12PM
Blizzard has years of cred under their belt, it would take at least 1-2 failures before they're forced to comply with others decisions regarding release dates.
haust Jul 21st 2008 7:19PM
"We're still curious to see what happens when/if Blizzard falls out of Activision's good graces."
Millions of players will cast Instant Death on Activision :)
jay Jul 21st 2008 7:30PM
I'm sure Activision will be treating Blizzard with the utmost respect seeing as they (in my eyes) know how to make good products, know how to give them that special polish and know what people want and expect from their games.
I would rather wait another 6 months from an intended release date and get the best, rather than some 1/2 ass attempt, that's the way it has always been and is they way it should always be.
Blizzard has been nothing short of a success story almost as rich in lore as their own games are.
Jayo Jul 21st 2008 8:59PM
"...employees of Sierra (Vivendi's other games division) should start working on their resumes..."
Aw... be nice. =D Sierra has given me some of the best gaming memories of my life from back in the day.
I was always in hopes that the Quest for Glory series would be revived, or the point and click adventure in general. Kings Quest, even the Police Quest series.
I do miss those games.
supersaint Jul 22nd 2008 1:20AM
Oh man, Police Quest, that takes me back.
arcady0 Jul 22nd 2008 4:21AM
The thins about 'star teams' is that stars tend to be at least half compossed of the best butt kissers - people adept at claiming credit for other's work.
Which may very well result in a star team losing some good albeit unrecognized talent. Those people who sit quietly in their cubicles and seem to never show up at the company picnic - but who are actually driving forces behind important elements of the success.
Also, there is no such thing as a merger that lets the acquired property retain control. They always claim this, but within some fairly short duration managerial conflicts in style arise, and people get pushed out. After which, the vision of things begins to change.
No matter how successful Blizzard has been, that it has been absorbed by another entity means change is on the way.
BarkingDog Jul 23rd 2008 6:52PM
thank you for this voice of reason. Corporations are nothing if not mercenary, and no doubt the internal politics at Blizzard started up the day the merger became inevitable, if.not before.
Bastiaan Jul 22nd 2008 6:53AM
That picture is getting sooo old.
Larry-Steve Jul 22nd 2008 7:14AM
Corporate giants can cause all kinds of aggrevating problems to games they promise.
Now, I'm not saying Activision is EA, but take a look at the recent smash WAR recieved while Mythic leads claimed "EA had nothing to do with the decision" to cut 2/3 of the endgame and 4 classes so the game could meet some contrived release date.
Pray that Activision respects Vivendi/Blizzard as a partner and NOT a subordinate...
Blizz is successful because they make games and release them when they feel its time to play, NOT to meet something completely unrelated release date.
IMO, Vivendi should have just stuck and rode with Blizzard's success and not gotten greedy.
John Jul 22nd 2008 10:30AM
"IMO, Vivendi should have just stuck and rode with Blizzard's success and not gotten greedy."
IMO Blizzard should have stuck to being their own company way back when and not gotten greedy and sold to whomever they first sold to, let's hope the guys at the top (of blizzard) are rich enough to buy Blizz from Activision when the shit eventually (and inevitably) hits the fan over Blizzard's obstinate refusal to release something before it's done.
Thander Jul 22nd 2008 3:23PM
Publishing and marketing costs are so high individual companies can never afford it starting out.
Brian Jul 22nd 2008 11:50AM
From what I have heard Activision didn't have the clout to buy Blizzard themselves. Vivendi bought a 40% share in Activision so they aren't exactly out of it. Ultimately they are just the publishers and they won't have that much control. Blizzard have so many players that they don't really need any financial help it's probably more to do with publishing logistics.
Don't forget Blizzard have always been owned by a parent company so it's not like it's a change of situation.
Woshiernog Jul 22nd 2008 12:34PM
Blizzard takes nothing from no one, and it will stay that way.
magicswordking Jul 23rd 2008 5:25AM
Answer: When over ten million people stop paying $15 a month on top of retail sales, StarCraft is no longer the national sport of South Korea, and pigs fly.
Here's the deal, World of Warcraft alone is responsible for most of Activision's profits. The reason it is called Activision Blizzard is because while Activision is a historic publisher, Blizzard is actually the big boy in the room, Activision is just handling the business end of things for Vivendi, the ultimate masters of all domains.
To put it crudely, Bobby Kotick is a hired thug, a mid-level gangster that Don Vivendi brought in to head up the games trade and rough up Don Riccitello if given the chance.