ctnovel Chapter 179 Why aren't you leaving yet?
Chapter 179 Why aren't you leaving yet?
Chapter 179 Why aren't you leaving yet?
What Lin Lixin really wanted was the legendary studio that stood behind Activision.
This refers to Raven Studios, the true creators of the Call of Duty IP series.
At this point in time, one of the founders, the Raphael brothers, is still working as an art teacher, and the other is working as a printer; they have absolutely nothing to do with games now.
In any case, taking over Activision first is always the right thing to do.
Activision's headquarters are naturally located in California, a city teeming with talent.
Santa Monica, California, Activision.
Bruce Davis, who had just taken over as CEO, dismissed David's aggressive demands for an explanation with disdain.
He tapped the table a few times, looking at David Crane, one of the legendary quartet, in front of him.
This is the last remaining member from the initial group.
But Bruce didn't give him a friendly look at all because of this.
To put it bluntly, video games are just another form of commodity; treating them as artistic creations would only waste Activision's energy.
"Do I need to remind you, David? If it weren't for my reforms, Activision would be bankrupt today. I really don't understand what you have to be dissatisfied with."
"That's because you're exploiting the developers, Bruce. Infocom can't handle any more games; you're turning them into assembly-line products!"
David's cheeks flushed red; he simply couldn't stand this bastard anymore.
"You're right, David. Video games are products on an assembly line, which is why I was able to turn Activision around after 16 consecutive quarters of losses."
Bruce didn't even glance at him.
To him, game developers are no different from assembly line workers, except that they appear glamorous sitting in front of computers.
For businesses, only profit matters.
"If you want to blame someone, you should blame the former CEO Jim. I was against the Infocom acquisition."
"you!"
David felt a lump in his throat, unable to choke on his breath, and could only point at him, his face flushed and his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Unbelievable! Bruce, if this is what you think, then fine, just wait for my resignation letter."
""
David slammed his fist on the table, turned around, and walked out of the office without looking back.
Outside the door, a large group of developers stood quietly nearby, waiting for the outcome of this crucial standoff.
When they saw David's extremely suppressed anger and his flushed face, they already knew the outcome without David needing to explain anything.
The negotiations failed.
"David, if you're leaving, then I'm quitting too!"
"Me too!"
"Let's start our own company, screw Activision, screw Bruce, we'll do it ourselves!"
"Yes! We can become a third-party developer for Nintendo, we can approach Sierra Entertainment, or Borderland, or even—we could even approach Gamenova!"
At this moment, a group of developers who had been harboring resentment for a long time finally stopped hiding their emotions.
Just then, a senior executive walked by with a gloomy face, completely ignoring the group of workers who were always causing trouble, and holding an envelope in his hand.
This is a lawsuit filed by patent troll Magnavo. Compared to these peasants, this is what their superiors are truly worried about.
He glanced coldly at the group of developers and walked straight into his office.
"Bruce, Magnavo has filed another lawsuit, this time for a $660 million fine."
"Damn it! These scoundrels! This will only make our stock price keep falling!"
Bruce slammed his fist on the table.
If they can maintain their current momentum, in at most another month, once their quarterly financial report is released and the capital market regains confidence, Activision's stock price will definitely recover.
At this point, Magnavo's lawsuit completely shattered that hope.
Bruce can only hope that Activision, which is in dire straits, can still scrape together another $660 million.
"Knock knock knock"
Hearing the knock, Bruce exchanged a glance with the administrator, then Bruce shoved the letter into the drawer before clearing his throat and saying, "Come in."
"Boss, someone has come to visit."
"Magnavo? Tell these bastards the outcome of the negotiations will be decided in court! Don't come here to disgust me."
"No—it's the chairman and president of GAMENOVA—"
"?!"
""
"Of course! Of course!! This price is perfect, I'll convene a board meeting immediately!"
Bruce agreed to the acquisition offer, which came with a 30% premium, without hesitation.
Activision is no longer a money-printing machine, but an inescapable problem.
What a damn hot potato!
If we continue to eke out a living here, filing for bankruptcy protection would be the least of our worries; being bled to death by Magnavo would be truly disastrous.
Since GAMENOVA wants it, let them have it!
A very brief board meeting approved the acquisition offer on the spot.
Having experienced the nearly $100 million acquisition of Micron, acquiring this small, near-bankrupt company was really not a big deal for Lin Lixin.
-
He plopped down in the boss's chair and quietly waited for the handover of business.
There was no need to go through any mandatory offer process; the equity transfer agreement was signed almost on the spot.
"Thank you, Mr. Lin! I wish you continued good fortune!"
Bruce chuckled and stood obsequiously in front of Lin Lixin, rubbing his hands together.
This is an attempt to secure a good position for himself and retain his post.
If we follow GAMENOVA, we'll never have to worry about food or drink again. What's a little money from this acquisition?
"Huh? What are you doing here? You can leave now."
"Well?"
"Wasn't the acquisition over? What are you still doing here?"
"Mr. Lin, Activision is currently lacking in management. I think you could try to reorganize it first to facilitate management."
Seeing that Lin Lixin was not being tactful, Bruce had no choice but to take the initiative to hint at it.
"You're right."
Lin Lixin nodded in approval and beckoned to Sam, "Sam, call Mr. David in. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Bruce. We'll meet again someday, and I wish you good fortune."
"?!"
As David pushed open the door, he bumped into Bruce, who was walking out of the office with a dark expression.
The two looked at each other, stopped in their tracks, and stood facing each other.
After a while, David suddenly grinned and laughed heartily. He then patted Bruce on the shoulder before walking into the office and meeting the legend of the gaming world.
"Oh, you've come at the perfect time, Mr. David. I've been incredibly busy these past few days. Activision needs a CEO to reintegrate these businesses, so I'll leave this to you."
Lin Lixin stood up and shoved him back into the boss's chair. "By the way, where are the other members of the legendary four? I haven't seen them."
"I'll call Larry and the others right now! With Gamenova here, the world will be at peace!"
David grabbed Lin Lixin's hand and shook it violently.
A super strong man has fallen from the sky!
How can you play a good game with a freak like Bruce around?!
"By the way, Mr. Lin, what are your plans for Infocom, a subsidiary of Activision?"
He suddenly remembered the studio that the former CEO had bought at a high price, which was almost driven to ruin by Bruce.
"Infocom? Ah, that studio that makes text adventure games, they're really good."
Lin Lixin's eyes lit up; this was an unexpected gain.
But the current Gamenova doesn't really need them.
"Okay—I understand."
He went to the phone and dialed a number randomly. "Hey? Kanheim, do you want a company? I have an adventure game developer here who doesn't need it."