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In 1995 a sprightly young Bobby Kotick discovered that some game studio known as Blizzard was acquired by educational software firm Davidson & Associates for a Tubthumping $7 million.
Fifteen years later, the Activision Blizzard CEO now admits he thought the deal was mad.
“That year Activision probably had $60 million in revenues. They said they paid seven million dollars for Blizzard. I’m like ‘Are you out of your minds? They’re like a contract developer!
“They have Warcraft but what else do they have? You paid seven million! That’s insane!”
Kotick, whose publishing empire now has complete control over the World of Warcraft franchise, told Game Informer magazine that the buyout price, in retrospect of course, was a steal.
"I was talking to [Blizzard founder] Mike Morhaime the other day and I said, ‘You know, I could have bought you for seven million and instead it was seven billion.’
“He said, ‘Yeah, could you imagine if I had just held out for the seven billion instead of the seven million?’”
Of course, Kotick isn’t in a position to look back in anger. Activision Blizzard yields $100 million per month from World of Warcraft payments.
