Business news Bethesda, Activision Blizzard Acquisition, Cyberpunk 2077… The Business News of the Week
Sales figures, studio buyouts, financial statements, developer transfer window, investments… if these topics interest you, you’ve come to the right place. We provide you with an update on the business news of the past week.
The largest internal union of American video games has just been born at Microsoft!
The momentum is up and it now seems hard to imagine it will stop there. For many months, many unions were born within the studios and publishers video games, especially in the United States. From keywords to Activision Blizzardmany employees have united under the same banner, and particularly on the part of the quality assurance teams. Little developed in video games, unionization is now a real problem in the industry. Activision-Blizzard had a dim view of the birth of these groups and tried to oppose their formation, without success. The company launched in a takeover process by Microsoft, GAFAM had to speak out.
Very quickly, Microsoft indicated that the would recognize trade unions born at Activision-Blizzard if the acquisition was validated. A matter of image, of course, but also a strategic lever to reassure the employees who will discover a whole new organization when the operation comes to an end. But in the meantime, Microsoft had to pass an initial test, this time with Zen Max (Bethesda). Bought in 2020 for $8.1 billion (7.5 billion announced), the parent company of the publisher behind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Doom Eternal of Deathloop, has just experienced birth of the largest union ever created internally in the American video game. After a vote held over several months, 300 workers of ZeniMax’s Quality Assurance Department has “by a very large majority” approved the creation of a union:
Today we, a majority of the quality assurance staff at ZeniMax, are proud to announce the launch of our union with CODE-CWA. We are the first group of Microsoft employees to officially join a union. We are able to defend our interests and build a future where we can thrive together with the company.
Because yes, this union is not only the largest ever formed in a company dedicated to making video games, but also the very first union born at Microsoft. Workers have a fundamental right to form a union, but companies are generally reluctant to allow this to happen. Microsoft had promised to remain neutral to these demands, and the Communications Workers of America have indicated that this promise has been fulfilled. Microsoft recognized the union immediatelyand is now preparing for the upcoming negotiations:
Microsoft has kept its promise to its employees and let them decide for themselves whether they want a union. Other gaming and technology giants have deliberately chosen to attack, undermine and demoralize their own employees when they banded together to form a union. Microsoft is charting a different course that will strengthen its corporate culture and ability to serve its customers and serve as an industry model and role model for regulators, said CWA Chairman Chris Shelton.
Activision Blizzard: Microsoft, FTC, CMA, Acquisition Update
The Activision Blizzard takeover process is following its course and it is in the company of the FTC, the US competition policeman, that we find Microsoft. The FTC said it wanted to block the takeover or at least slow it down in order to get concessions and therefore went to the administrative court. Early January, the FTC and Microsoft have therefore agreed to meet for a preliminary hearingturned out to be less tense than one might have imagined.
The FTC has indeed indicated that at least not planning to appeal to the Federal Court for the time being, and that she was determined to get new concessions and deals from Microsoft to make things work for the better. A softened view that does not validate the acquisition, but does show that the door is far from closed. With some sense of timing, Microsoft is finally there backtracked on his comments accusing the FTC of acting unconstitutionally. David Cuddy, GAFAM’s PR spokesperson, said Microsoft should not have used these terms:
The FTC has an important mission to protect competition and consumers, and we quickly updated our response to omit language that suggested otherwise based on the Constitution (…) We initially tabled all possible arguments internally and we had those defenses should be dropped before filing the case.
This change of position is obvious followed by Activision, who also drops this accusation. So everyone contributes, waiting for the outcome and the start of substantive discussions. This outcome could start on the part of the European Union, which will make its judgement, if all goes well, 11 April. Indeed, the CMAthe British counterpart to the FTC, announced this week postponing the publication of the conclusions to April 26. A delay of 8 weeks, dictated by the complexity of the file and the number of elements to be taken into account.
In making this decision, the Investigation Panel took into account the scope and complexity of the investigation and the need to consider a high volume of evidence and comments from key parties and third parties, the need to take sufficient time to report of the comments that will be received on the preliminary conclusions of the research group in a timely manner and to reach a fully reasoned final decision within the legal timeframe.
Complaint from investors CD Projekt against Studio settled
That was two years ago and a lot has happened since Cyberpunk 2077 was released. of CD Projekt’s investors felt cheated. A first class action lawsuit was filed by the Rosen law firm, followed by a second lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. In both cases it was the Polish studio accused of lying about the state of Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 and Xbox Oneand thus to have misled investors.
In early 2023, Games Industry reported that an agreement had been reached between the plaintiffs and CD Projekt, a deal billed for $1.85 million. The studio will therefore have to pay the amount to the investors, in exchange for which it will not have to answer the costs, not admit it publicly something. The case therefore does not go to court and remains there. We expect to talk now new appointmentsthe Rosen firm’s complaint has not yet been settled.
In the meantime, CD Projekt is doing well, it announced a 70% increase in sales for the third quarter of 2022, and which has many ongoing projects. A new The Witcher trilogy is planned with the Unreal Engine 5, accompanied by a remake of the first The Witcher and another title. As for Cyberpunk 2077, it’s waiting for its renewal, Phantom Liberty, and a sequel is already in the pipeline. In the meantime, it is still possible to watch the excellent anime cyberpunk edge runnercreated by CD Projekt and Trigger, and streamed on Netflix.
Just in the business news of the week
- The Last of Us license, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide, all versions combined. The series adaptation by HBO comes as a reminder on January 15 (where the service is available).
- After 13 years of service, Mike Uyama, founder of Games Done Quick, leave the organization. He is replaced by Matt Merkle, who is on deck from 8 to 15 January for the AGDQ 2023.
- The SELL sales chart for the penultimate week of 2022 is down and it’s God of War: Ragnarok that dominates in its PS5 version. It is followed by FIFA 23, the unwavering Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokémon Violet, and Pokémon Scarlet.
- Wizards of the Coast, holder of the rights to Dungeons & Dragons, would have canceled at least 5 games dedicated to the mythical franchise of role-playing games.
- Players of Marvel Snap, the popular free-to-play card game, have spent more than $30 million on the app.
- 44 foreign matches have been approved by the Chinese government. We find there in particular Pokémon Unite or Valorant.
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