He will, not immediately but I doubt he sticks around, not only have very reputable business newspapers reported that he is planning on leaving after the acquisition closes, the way Bobby has spoken in the past indicates he won't be around for long "I've committed to MS for as long or as little as they need me to help with the integration" Note that he only says to help with the integration, not anything about staying any longer.

They won't need Bobby anymore, Activision has a President (Rob Kostich) and Blizzard has a President (Mike Ybarra), they both report to Bobby right now but after acquisition, Bobby will report to Phil, Bobby becomes an overpaid middleman, skip the middleman and have Kostich/Ybarra report directly to Phil. Having said that, I just realised I made a point where hiring Shawn would be pointless too, Lol. Meh.

Bobby ain't going to get away with the same type of shit he does at Activision as he will at Microsoft, he won't have as much free reign to be a dickhead, he won't have as much free reign to give himself ridiculous bonuses. He's going to be on a much tighter leash. I think frankly that someone like Bobby simply wouldn't like reporting to Phil, Bobby doesn't strike me as the type of person who would be happy being someone's subordinate.

He's an egotistical dickhead, he will hate Phil being his boss, Imo. The dude is now 60 years old and he is about to get a massive retirement fund, he doesn't need to work for the rest of his life, he has more than enough money now, I believe one of the reasons he sought out an acquisition was so he could retire and get away from all the drama, half his company hates him, Lol.

I'd be surprised if he stays longer than a year, I'm betting around 6 months.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick previously stated that he doesn't agree with "the idea of a multi-game subscription service as a business proposition."

While that may seem like a roadblock, Spencer laughed when we asked how he'd handle their different ideologies when the deal closes. "Well, there's a different person making the decisions," Spencer laughed.

Bobby Imo will hate stuff like this, Lmao. Not the individual topic but the overall message, the fact of Phil being his boss and telling him what to do, already they will disagree on a huge business model before the acquisition has even closed. Bobby Imo will hate having someone constantly overriding him which is what Phil will do and it begins with Game Pass.

Phil doesn't seem to care much either what Bobby's thoughts are on the matter, Lol. Day one is happening whether Bobby likes it or not. Bobby simply doesn't strike me as the type of dude who would like this, other CEOs would maybe suck it up but Bobby's ego is massive and has been his own boss for most of his life, who made all the decisions, until now, that would be a shock to the system for anyone, especially one as big as Bobby Kotick.

Like we aren't just talking a random but large independent studio. We're talking the boss of the biggest 3rd party publisher in the industry. It's similar to reports that EA was looking for a buyer but only if Andrew Wilson can remain an independent CEO making all the decisions, these guys don't want to lose power but Bobby ultimately will, immediately on day one.

I don't think it's a coincidence he only speaks about sticking around for "the integration" and nothing longer. So combined the above with his age, a massive retirement fund, the controversy surrounding him, half his company hating him and it being a bit silly to have Rob/Mike report to Bobby who then reports to Phil instead of having Rob/Mike report directly to Phil, I don't think Bobby stays around for long.

From Todd Howard, Director of Starfield:

I knocked on Robert Altman’s door. “Got a few minutes?”

“Sure.”

It was early 2013, we were developing Fallout 4, and Skyrim was still enjoying enormous success. I was there to pitch him on our next game. It would not be a sequel to our current games, (he looked concerned), but a grand space RPG and our first new IP in over 25 years (looks curious). It would delve into creation and the search for our place in the universe (slight twinkle). You would explore the galaxy in ways only video games can do. And it would be called - Starfield. (Smile)

“Sounds fantastic.”

Robert would be the very first to believe in us, no matter the situation. Our path to creating Starfield would be a long and winding one where we made other games along the way (Fallout 4, Skyrim SE, Fallout Shelter, Skyrim VR, Fallout 76, Skyrim again…). The core development from 2020 to 2023 saw enormous changes in our lives. A global pandemic, Robert’s passing, and becoming part of Xbox.

It’s incredible to be at the moment where Starfield is finally launching this week. It only exists because everyone else believed as well. We’ve been supported for decades by everyone at ZeniMax, all doing their best work yet. Special thanks to our publishing teams who aimed to create not just another release, but something that would capture the minds and inspire gamers everywhere. And to our partners in QA who had the difficult task of testing a game where anything can (and will) happen. And thanks to Jamie Leder and our Admin/HR teams who supported everyone during the most challenging years any of us have faced.

And of course, there is Phil Spencer. His support of every game and every player has been unwavering and fierce. Joining Xbox brought us closer to so many we had worked with for over 20 years. I cannot imagine a better place to create games, where the diversity of studios, creators, and games are allowed to flourish. This support came from the entire Xbox leadership team and all areas of publishing and dev support. Special thanks to the magicians at ATG whose spells and incantations helped make this our best performing game.

Most importantly, is the team I work with at Bethesda Game Studios. It’s an incredible blessing to be surrounded by so many talented and inspirational people every day. Moments like this make you reflect back. Some of us have been together for decades, some joined more recently, but everyone has the same passion. I could not be prouder of their continued dedication to create something truly special.

Lastly, a huge thanks to all of you within the Xbox and Bethesda family. Your enthusiasm and encouragement have meant the world to us. Creating this game has been one of the most challenging and thrilling experiences of our careers - a journey we'll never forget. And as we come to the end of this chapter, we pass it along to you. Each of you is receiving the game with Early Access, and can begin playing this Friday Sep 1st, but since it’s one global time you can actually play Thursday evening (Thanks New Zealand!).

We hope you get a chance to play, and that your journey is as rewarding as ours.

All our best,

Todd

Exclusive: Read The Internal Memo 'Starfield' Director Todd Howard Just Shared Across Microsoft, Xbox, and Bethesda | Windows Central

Bobby is going to be around for quite a while, trust me on this. What gamers believe and what corporations like MS believe are very different things. Whether you like it or not Bobby has made ABK one of the most successful game publishers in the world today. I am sure Bobby will have a new role at MS and it will be up to him when and where he wants to make his exit. Right now I would not be he will be leaving anytime soon but he is getting a big paycheck since he has the most stock as a individual in ABK then anyone else.

Sounds more like wishful thinking to me. 

The Beauty of Bethesda's Worlds - YouTube

I can't wait for The Elder Scrolls VI

TOMORROW'S THE BIG DAY!!!

@Ryuu96 I expect my name in the title of this thread when I win my bet!

Oh yeah.... a whole year of 

Is it coming to PS? Followed by trashing the game on the dumbest shit. "Game is small compared to Starfield." etc. 

Kinda hope it come to PS to avoid all that.