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[midnightAI]

I see the usual suspects are trying to deflect this onto Sony somehow, well done. Warriors will war after all.

 

[BlackTron]

I see the usual suspects are trying to deflect this onto Sony somehow, well done. Warriors will war after all.

I find it hard to comprehend how anyone not getting paid could really think this is good for gaming. A huge consolidated mass of studios/IP just got annihilated all at once. You can buy IP and infinite resources but you can't buy having a good team that's experienced working together, which takes time to find and build up, all that value was just tossed away. But then again great games don't move systems (lol), so they are not trying to output master work anyway, when people say "you don't hire more people than you need" they are right, Microsoft had too much talent for their real goals of grabbing COD, churning out Gamepass filler and removing games from PS.

 

[twilo99]

Xbox is probably not overall profitable, if you break it out from everything else that MS likes to clump it into. But MS shareholders don't care, why would they when the company's numbers are going up? They aren't worth $3 trillion because they have not made a profit on Xbox for the 20+ years it has existed, they are worth that because of Windows, Office, Azure, and now all the hype around AI.

Xbox was a rounding error in MS's financials, which is why it has been tolerated for all this time, but after blowing $70 billion on a controversial acquisition that needed 2 years to gain regulatory approval which also burned a lot of political capital MS built up over the past decades they are probably under a microscope to actually start making money now. Hence why they immediately chopped 1,900 jobs right after acquiring ABK.

I’ve tried to explain this here a few times but they just won’t budge.

The issue for Phil is that, like you say, Xbox might not be irrelevant any longer, and now they actually might have to turn a profit. They must have some targets and a timeframe..

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Turns out that Phil Spencer is the best Call of Duty player of all time.

His K/D is 1900:1 right now

 

[PropellerEar]

Omg this is pure comedy now. Which one is you?

I think this one

 

[Heisenberg007]

Does anybody else think there is another bad Xbox news coming soon? Along the lines of canceled games, more layoffs, or a studio closure? Or maybe even a price hike?

Phil Spencer is too quiet right now.

When rumors of third-party first appeared, many assumed that Phil would have an interview and clear things up. But he did not even tweet because a worse thing (layoff) was on the horizon.

Now Phil still isn't saying anything. Although I don't know what could be worse / bad PR than this layoff, something just feels off.

 

[bender]

Does anybody else think there is another bad Xbox news coming soon? Along the lines of canceled games, more layoffs, or a studio closure? Or maybe even a price hike?

Phil Spencer is too quiet right now.

When rumors of third-party first appeared, many assumed that Phil would have an interview and clear things up. But he did not even tweet because a worse thing (layoff) was on the horizon.

Now Phil still isn't saying anything. Although I don't know what could be worse / bad PR than this layoff, something just feels off.

Now isn't exactly a great time for Phil to be in the public eye and promoting the brand.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I think this one

i would

 

[Heisenberg007]

Now isn't exactly a great time for Phil to be in the public eye and promoting the brand.

I can understand not being in the firing line.

But a CEO's statements can calm things down and arrest the negative momentum. A statement/interview almost always comes to calm things down. Phil's Kinda Funny interview had the same purpose after Redfall's failure.

That has been surprisingly missing, which makes me think there may be another bandaid they're waiting to rip before that inevitable statement/interview comes.

 

[bender]

I can understand not being in the firing line.

But a CEO's statements can calm things down and arrest the negative momentum. A statement/interview almost always comes to calm things down. Phil's Kinda Funny interview had the same purpose after Redfall's failure.

That has been surprisingly missing, which makes me think there may be another bandaid they're waiting to rip before that inevitable statement/interview comes.

A bad game release is one thing, but cutting 8% of the workforce of a newly acquired $70b acquisition is another. I'm not sure how you'd put a good face on the news and it would most likely come off as self serving and add to the ire.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

So buy a ton of studios and a year later start a round of mass firing? American corporate culture is strange.

 

[Skifi28]

A bad game release is one thing, but cutting 8% of the workforce of a newly acquired $70b acquisition is another. I'm not sure how you'd put a good face on the news and it would most likely come off as self serving and add to the ire.

"After trimming the excess fat, the future of Xbox is looking brighter than ever."

I'm sold.

 

[bender]

So buy a ton of studios and a year later start a round of mass firing? American corporate culture is strange.

Reductions aren't surprising, but I'd argue the proximity to the deal finalizing and the uneven depth of the cuts are indeed a little strange.

 

[Freelance Yakuza]

Phil loves this "relatable" persona he created to himself
Imagine having to explain that MS lied about how good the aquisituon would be for everyone
He can't risk that

Let the evangelists explain there was nothing he could do, that papa MS forced this decision

 

[DrFigs]

Does anybody else think there is another bad Xbox news coming soon? Along the lines of canceled games, more layoffs, or a studio closure? Or maybe even a price hike?

Gonna go w/ all the above

 

[Banjo64]

Does anybody else think there is another bad Xbox news coming soon? Along the lines of canceled games, more layoffs, or a studio closure? Or maybe even a price hike?

Phil Spencer is too quiet right now.

When rumors of third-party first appeared, many assumed that Phil would have an interview and clear things up. But he did not even tweet because a worse thing (layoff) was on the horizon.

Now Phil still isn't saying anything. Although I don't know what could be worse / bad PR than this layoff, something just feels off.

He might start speaking less and allow Sarah Bond to be the media arm with the recent shuffle. To me that would explain his recent quietness (which pre-dates the lay offs and just before the Xbox publishing in PS rumours).

 

[Banjo64]

i would

Would what exactly?

 

[jwaxeman]

Crickets from the pro merger ghouls.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

Technically this is the second round of layoffs at Bethesda in 1 year

 

[Roger Rabbit]

A bad game release is one thing, but cutting 8% of the workforce of a newly acquired $70b acquisition is another. I'm not sure how you'd put a good face on the news and it would most likely come off as self serving and add to the ire.

The usual way of putting a good face on it is something like “We got Call of Duty. Sony don’t got it”.

 

[PropellerEar]

i would

You have no standards

 

[jroc74]

Is this true?

Do better, it's not hard.

 

[Solidus_T]

Is this true?

Aside from the source being a known troll, imagine using this as console wars ammo...

 

[FunkMiller]

I find it hard to comprehend how anyone not getting paid could really think this is good for gaming. A huge consolidated mass of studios/IP just got annihilated all at once.

If you’re the type of person who can form an emotional attachment to a corporation, you’re also the type of person who will twist anything that they do into something you think is good.

 

[rickybooby87]

Big brain theory:

The Xbox division has always been rumored to not be profitable, or right on the line of profitability. Absorbing ABK meant adding instant profitability into the XBOX division as a whole, which probably helps get XBOX out of the negative/red at a division level, I imagine some of that profitability shrank though due to Xbox's current spend on all areas in their gaming division, which is probably the culprit behind these cuts, why would you want to buy a company that has a positive higher revenue stream/better net income only to end up having less net income after the merger because ABK is picking up the sagging elements of your existing business.

Don't forget to layer in the push to all digital (Axing physical media, leaked FTC all digital console refresh, etc.) which has it's own monetary reward for the platform holder.

 

[demigod]

You have no standards

I might…..

 

[reinking]

Do better, it's not hard.

You have it all wrong... ..he was just trying to confirm if it was true or not.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Lulu is also leaving Activision with her Golden Parachute





From October 2022 when she took that role at ABK, Lulu made over $5M in 15 months, not including whatever severance.

LuLu took the position in October. She gets $850K salary, 100% target bonus (paid in full for 2022, prorated), $500K signing bonus, and $2M of RSU's which were granted at about $78. Those vest in 1/8th tranches every three months, starting October 2022.

I assume hers, Kotick's, everyone's, will all vest in full immediately if the deal closes. So that not only means getting a nice 21% premium on those RSU's which wouldn't be there absent the buyout, it also means they will be paid out in as little as 10 months, instead of 1.75 years.

Even if MS don't have a place for her, that's about $4.64M in one year if the deal closes.

This is all public info.

Employment agreement

Form 4 showing first tranche

Can someone explain to me why she was worth that much? She worked there for hardly a year. Collected a massive payout, and was basically just a twitter shill for the deal. No shit she wanted it to go through as much as possible. What an absolute fucking waste. Fire the real employees making actual products, but pay her an obscene amount of money as a glorified shill/cheerleader.

Corporate america makes me sick.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Lulu is also leaving Activision with her Golden Parachute





From October 2022 when she took that role at ABK, Lulu made over $5M in 15 months, not including whatever severance.



Can someone explain to me why she was worth that much? She worked there for hardly a year. Collected a massive payout, and was basically just a twitter shill for the deal. No shit she wanted it to go through as much as possible. What an absolute fucking waste. Fire the real employees making actual products, but pay her an obscene amount of money as a glorified shill/cheerleader.

Corporate america makes me sick.

Girl's gotta eat

Respect the hustle

I would have taken the money and ran too, don't pretend you wouldn't

 

[GHG]

Lulu is also leaving Activision with her Golden Parachute





From October 2022 when she took that role at ABK, Lulu made over $5M in 15 months, not including whatever severance.



Can someone explain to me why she was worth that much? She worked there for hardly a year. Collected a massive payout, and was basically just a twitter shill for the deal. No shit she wanted it to go through as much as possible. What an absolute fucking waste. Fire the real employees making actual products, but pay her an obscene amount of money as a glorified shill/cheerleader.

Corporate america makes me sick.

She was never there for the benefit of the other employees at the company, she was literally used just to sway public opinion.

It was always going to be more palatable for the simpletons and media when it's an "attractive" minority woman. And it worked, if you were in the public eye and say anything against her behaviour or what shes saying and you risk getting labelled "anti woman" or "anti minority" (and you risk the ire of the seemingly millions of people who were simping over her). Let's be honest, if it were some old white man behaving the way that she did it wouldn't have been anywhere near as effective.

Between her and Phil Spencer, my god there are some hopelessly lost and impressionable people out there.

 

[Varteras]

Would what exactly?

Use Kurt Cobain's paint brush?

 

[Heisenberg007]

She was never there for the benefit of the other employees at the company, she was literally used just to sway public opinion.

It was always going to be more palatable for the simpletons and media when it's an "attractive" minority woman. And it worked, if you were in the public eye and say anything against her behaviour or what shes saying and you risk getting labelled "anti woman" or "anti minority" (and you risk the ire of the seemingly millions of people who were simping over her). Let's be honest, if it were some old white man behaving the way that she did it wouldn't have been anywhere near as effective.

Between her and Phil Spencer, my god there are some hopelessly lost and impressionable people out there.

I don't know what you're talking about. This woman was supposed to be "The Green Queen". /s

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

A senator in the USA is pushing the FTC after the (redundant) lay-offs from MS by Activision Blizzard to investigate the merger again and try to stop it..news at eleven.....

 

[FunkMiller]

A senator in the USA is pushing the FTC after the (redundant) lay-offs from MS by Activision Blizzard to investigate the merger again and try to stop it..news at eleven.....

Silly cunts already fucked it by believing the shit spewed from Phil's mouth. Too late to put the green rat back in the barn now.

 

[Forth]

This last twelve months has cemented my personal opinion that Microsoft are the worst thing to happen to gaming in the last forty years.
Honestly, fuck that company.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

She was never there for the benefit of the other employees at the company, she was literally used just to sway public opinion.

It was always going to be more palatable for the simpletons and media when it's an "attractive" minority woman. And it worked, if you were in the public eye and say anything against her behaviour or what shes saying and you risk getting labelled "anti woman" or "anti minority" (and you risk the ire of the seemingly millions of people who were simping over her). Let's be honest, if it were some old white man behaving the way that she did it wouldn't have been anywhere near as effective.

Between her and Phil Spencer, my god there are some hopelessly lost and impressionable people out there.

At least we'll always have Japan.

 

[ReBurn]

A senator in the USA is pushing the FTC after the (redundant) lay-offs from MS by Activision Blizzard to investigate the merger again and try to stop it..news at eleven.....

Nobody takes Elizabeth Warren seriously, though. I wouldn't expect much to come from her calls for anything.

 

[Darkness_Arises]

I don't know what you're talking about. This woman was supposed to be "The Green Queen". /s

This is an insanely absurd cringy combo of console warring and simping, cannot believe what kind of drugs these shills are on.

 

[FunkMiller]

That twat definitely runs a Tau army.

 

[Moriarty1889]

Does anybody else think there is another bad Xbox news coming soon? Along the lines of canceled games, more layoffs, or a studio closure? Or maybe even a price hike?

Phil Spencer is too quiet right now.

When rumors of third-party first appeared, many assumed that Phil would have an interview and clear things up. But he did not even tweet because a worse thing (layoff) was on the horizon.

Now Phil still isn't saying anything. Although I don't know what could be worse / bad PR than this layoff, something just feels off.

Phil is a snake and his silence only proves that more.

 

[Moriarty1889]

Lulu is also leaving Activision with her Golden Parachute





From October 2022 when she took that role at ABK, Lulu made over $5M in 15 months, not including whatever severance.



Can someone explain to me why she was worth that much? She worked there for hardly a year. Collected a massive payout, and was basically just a twitter shill for the deal. No shit she wanted it to go through as much as possible. What an absolute fucking waste. Fire the real employees making actual products, but pay her an obscene amount of money as a glorified shill/cheerleader.

Corporate america makes me sick.

Obviously a diversity hire. MS have gone all in on pronouns and diversity. What a sham either way and she walked away with who knows how much more money. Meanwhile 1900 workers got the short end of the stick. Fuck MS.

 

[Topher]

So buy a ton of studios and a year later start a round of mass firing? Microsoft corporate culture is strange.

ftfy

 

[HeWhoWalks]

This is an insanely absurd cringy combo of console warring and simping, cannot believe what kind of drugs these shills are on.

"sHoW nO mErCy tO pLaYsTaTiOn..."

Like they're fighting a nazi war or some shit. And they wonder why they get mocked and laughed at. Couple that with those "X" poses and it's not even cringey, it's just pathetic!

 

[ReBurn]

ftfy

Exactly. Microsoft buys companies for their intellectual property, not their employees. They wind down the business end of most of their acquisitions pretty quickly.

 

[Banjo64]

Idon't know what you're talking about. This woman was supposed to be "The Green Queen". /s

She’s the Queen of green alright

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Would what exactly?

have a conversation.

I don't know what you're talking about. This woman was supposed to be "The Green Queen". /s

damn, green rats where simping so damn hard for Lulu.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

This is an insanely absurd cringy combo of console warring and simping, cannot believe what kind of drugs these shills are on.

copium is one hell of a drug

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

ftfy

Can you tell me what you mean with FTFY cous for me thats abacadabra

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

Let’s just keep in mind that 8% means they have 28000 employees in gaming

So you trying to sugarcoat it...got you.....

 

[Topher]

Can you tell me what you mean with FTFY cous for me thats abacadabra

ftfy = "fixed that for your". I changed the post I quoted.