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Ex-staffer’s Guilty Plea Tightens Spotlight on Newsom DOJ Probes
politics20 days ago

Ex-staffer’s Guilty Plea Tightens Spotlight on Newsom DOJ Probes

Federal probes into Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife widen as ex-chief of staff Dana Williamson pleads guilty to conspiracy to loot a campaign account tied to Xavier Becerra, plus false tax returns and FBI lies regarding Activision Blizzard. Williamson’s case, still under sentencing, puts Newsom’s circle under scrutiny while he maintains no wrongdoing and frames the inquiries as politically motivated. Legal experts say the investigations could be embarrassing but aren’t proof of misconduct by Newsom, though they keep open the possibility of broader implications if more links emerge; no charges have been filed against Newsom or Siebel Newsom.

via New York Post|
#activision-blizzard#dana-williamson#doj-investigations
Xbox Studio Shakeup: Spin-Offs and Layoffs Rumored as Microsoft Reshapes its Gaming Arm
business23 days ago

Xbox Studio Shakeup: Spin-Offs and Layoffs Rumored as Microsoft Reshapes its Gaming Arm

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier says more Xbox Studios beyond Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion are in trouble, with talks under way to spin off studios or sell them to other publishers. A broader “bloodbath” of layoffs is anticipated over the next two weeks as Microsoft navigates Activision Blizzard integration and the pressure to grow Game Pass, with potential ripple effects across PlayStation as studios renegotiate futures before the June 30 fiscal year-end.

via Push Square|
#activision-blizzard#business#layoffs
Call of Duty: Xbox's High-Stakes Gamble Behind a Game Pass Dream
business28 days ago

Call of Duty: Xbox's High-Stakes Gamble Behind a Game Pass Dream

Kotaku argues that Call of Duty’s outsized influence on Activision’s Microsoft acquisition now shapes Xbox’s financial and strategic choices, but recent CoD releases underperformed and its inclusion in Game Pass backfired by driving subscriber churn. Microsoft has since adjusted by moving CoD launches off Game Pass, trimming prices, and signaling a need to rebalance investment between exclusives, new IP, and major franchises to avoid financial strain and potential layoffs ahead of Modern Warfare 4.

via Kotaku|
#activision-blizzard#business#call-of-duty
Kotick alleges the Activision-Microsoft lawsuit was meant to aid Embracer’s California foothold
business1 month ago

Kotick alleges the Activision-Microsoft lawsuit was meant to aid Embracer’s California foothold

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick claims the 2022 Delaware Court of Chancery lawsuit opposing Microsoft’s $67.8 billion Activision deal was allegedly designed to help Embracer increase its foothold in California at Activision’s expense, a claim he made in his response to the AP7 suit; Embracer denies the accusation and Kotick has previously described other lawsuits as fake amid scrutiny of Activision Blizzard’s past misconduct allegations.

via Eurogamer|
#activision-blizzard#business#delaware-court
Microsoft Gaming Returns to Xbox Branding to Focus on Players and Affordable Gaming
business2 months ago

Microsoft Gaming Returns to Xbox Branding to Focus on Players and Affordable Gaming

Microsoft Gaming reverts to the Xbox brand under a new mission centered on daily active players as the north star, a sustainable Game Pass model, and a flexible stance on exclusivity and AI, while expanding into new markets and preparing next-gen hardware (Project Helix) with AMD; price cuts for the Game Pass top tier were announced.

via GamesIndustry.biz|
#activision-blizzard#ai#business
Microsoft Restores Xbox as its Gaming Identity, Drops Microsoft Gaming
tech2 months ago

Microsoft Restores Xbox as its Gaming Identity, Drops Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft is reverting its gaming division branding from Microsoft Gaming back to Xbox, with CEO Asha Sharma stating that Xbox should be the company's identity. The move undoes the 2022 pivot tied to the Activision Blizzard deal and Phil Spencer’s Microsoft Gaming leadership, as Sharma pushes a “return of Xbox” strategy that includes scrapping plans to add future Call of Duty titles to Game Pass. The company has begun displaying a new Xbox-focused messaging and even a refreshed logo on campus ahead of a June showcase, while also teasing a Discord partnership and continuing Game Pass reforms.

via The Verge|
#activision-blizzard#game-pass#gaming
Ex-Bethesda Exec Says Microsoft Ownership Makes Bethesda Feel Inauthentic
business3 months ago

Ex-Bethesda Exec Says Microsoft Ownership Makes Bethesda Feel Inauthentic

Former Bethesda VP Pete Hines, after 24 years at the studio, says Microsoft’s ownership has made Bethesda feel inauthentic and that he was powerless to run the place properly, a critique he voiced after his retirement and amid Starfield delays, Redfall fallout, and Bethesda’s shifting multiplatform strategy discussed during the FTC/Activision Blizzard case.

via Kotaku|
#acquisition#activision-blizzard#bethesda
Ex-Overwatch Director Reveals Profit-Driven Exit From Blizzard
news4 months ago

Ex-Overwatch Director Reveals Profit-Driven Exit From Blizzard

Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan says Blizzard’s profit-first push, including an overhyped Overwatch League and CFO-driven revenue demands, pulled his team away from new content and toward esports monetization, contributing to his 2021 resignation. He describes the league as a “house of cards” that never delivered, and notes it folded in 2023, leaving him emotionally broken and urging developers to value themselves instead of handing the company’s ‘golden goose’ to people who don’t deserve it.

via Kotaku|
#activision-blizzard#blizzard#jeff-kaplan
Infinity Ward co-founder alleges Activision pressed for Iran–Israel invasion in Call of Duty
technology4 months ago

Infinity Ward co-founder alleges Activision pressed for Iran–Israel invasion in Call of Duty

Chance Glasco, a co-founder of Infinity Ward, claims Activision pressured the studio to make a Call of Duty game depicting Iran invading Israel, viewing it as political propaganda; he and other developers reportedly resisted, arguing that the series’ early missions already highlighted war’s ugliness and were not intended as propaganda.

via Eurogamer|
#activision-blizzard#call-of-duty#infinity-ward
Xbox at a Crossroads: Billions Spent, Brand Unclear After Leadership Shake-Up
technology4 months ago

Xbox at a Crossroads: Billions Spent, Brand Unclear After Leadership Shake-Up

Microsoft’s Xbox strategy under Phil Spencer—massive investments in Game Pass, cloud gaming, and acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard—has been accompanied by layoffs, studio closures, and muddled branding. With Spencer retiring and a leadership reshuffle (Asha Sharma to lead, Sarah Bond leaving), the future direction remains murky: is Xbox a console, a platform across devices, or something else entirely?

via The Verge|
#activision-blizzard#bethesda#game-pass
UK Regulator Bans CoD Ad for Trivializing Sexual Violence
business4 months ago

UK Regulator Bans CoD Ad for Trivializing Sexual Violence

Britain’s ASA has banned Activision Blizzard UK’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 advert for trivialising sexual violence, citing a spoof airport security scene in which a male passenger is humiliated. Activision argued the 18-rated ad used a comedic, implausible tone and was restricted in timing, but the ASA upheld the complaints and barred the ad from running in its current form; two drug-use complaints were not upheld.

via GamesIndustry.biz|
#activision-blizzard#advertising-ban#asa
Warzone Mobile to go offline in April after Activision cites underwhelming mobile-first reception
gaming4 months ago

Warzone Mobile to go offline in April after Activision cites underwhelming mobile-first reception

Activision Blizzard will shut down Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile on April 17, 2026, saying the mobile version did not meet its expectations for mobile‑first players; the game has not received new content since its app store removal in May 2025, guest accounts will no longer work, and players with unspent CoD points should spend them before the shutdown, while some unlockables can transfer to other Warzone titles and Activision accounts can still access other platforms.

via Eurogamer|
#activision-blizzard#call-of-duty#gaming