Default Activision restructures, adds new exec to Blizzard

[Thyroid]

From the LA Times:

Mike Griffith, who formerly oversaw all of Activison's publishing business outside of Blizzard, has been named vice chairman, a role in which he serves as advisor to company Chief Executive Bobby Kotick. Thomas Tippl, formerly chief financial officer and chief corporate officer, has been named to the newly created role of chief operating officer. He is now the only executive reporting directly to Kotick and oversees Blizzard President Mike Morhaime and the head of Activision publishing, a role he is also filling on an interim basis.

The changes come as Activision Blizzard is coming off the blockbuster success of November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which has generated more than $1 billion in sales, but has seen sales of its music franchise Guitar Hero plummet. It's the first major shakeup for the company since Activision merged with Vivendi Games in 2008 to create Activision Blizzard.

Later:

"We realigned our structure to better reflect our slate and marketing opportunities and direct our resources against the largest most profitable business segments," said spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif

"This is an important change as it will allow me, with Thomas, to become more deeply involved in areas of the business where I believe we can capture great potential and opportunity," Kotick said in the employee memo.

This doesn't affect me directly, as I've been boycotting Activision for a while, now. Still, it's interesting and probably shitty. I don't want Activision and their sales affecting the industry as a whole.

Edit: Fixed title. Sorry for mix-up.

Edited April 1, 2010 by Kroms

[spindrift]

How did they restructure blizzard? It looks like they restructured everything except blizzard.

[Murdoc]

How did they restructure blizzard? It looks like they restructured everything except blizzard.

Thomas Tippl, formerly chief financial officer and chief corporate officer, has been named to the newly created role of chief operating officer. He is now the only executive reporting directly to Kotick and oversees Blizzard President Mike Morhaime

Not really restructuring Blizzard, just putting someone in charge of the president of Blizzard... which is kind of like a restructure. This may mean nothing or a lot, time will tell.

[dpp]

I would think that Blizzard has very particular perks that are written in blood in their contract when they merged. Also, I hope that Kotick knows full well not to make drastic changes to an extremely successful company

[Chris]

Not really restructuring Blizzard, just putting someone in charge of the president of Blizzard... which is kind of like a restructure. This may mean nothing or a lot, time will tell.

Blizzard has been a subsidiary of various companies for a long, long time. They've always reported to somebody. No company would buy another company and have absolutely no oversight of it. Now Morhaime just reports to Tippl, rather than whoever he reported to before. That's a change to Tippl's role, not Blizzard's.

[Grippage]

I would think that Blizzard has very particular perks that are written in blood in their contract when they merged.

Also, I hope that Kotick knows full well not to make dr

xxx

[brkl]

I would think that Blizzard has very particular perks that are written in blood in their contract when they merged. Also, I hope that Kotick knows full well not to make drastic changes to an extremely successful company

The guy who just fired the people in charge of the company that gave them MW2?

[AndrewArmstrong]

Exactly, brkl hit the nail on the head. Looks like future changes will be "easier" with "management oversight" to check they won't "break any contracts" or be "insubordinate" which might lead to "Blizzard management changes"...

Ho hum...history goes in a discreetly small circle when it comes to corporations. Man this is fast though

[Hermie]

[Thyroid]

I messed-up the thread title. Sorry. Thought I'd fixed it.

Anyone here with the power to do so, feel free to change it.

Blizzard has been a subsidiary of various companies for a long, long time. They've always reported to somebody. No company would buy another company and have absolutely no oversight of it. Now Morhaime just reports to Tippl, rather than whoever he reported to before. That's a change to Tippl's role, not Blizzard's.

It's still interesting, because of what happened to Infinity Ward. Although it's not an entirely accurate example, as Blizzard is higher-up the chain, it's still worth noting.

[Jabronie]

A well known community manager of WoW just quit, Eonyix. It's probably a coincidence but would you think they're related in any way?

/tinfoilhat

[Forbin]

A well known community manager of WoW just quit, Eonyix. It's probably a coincidence but would you think they're related in any way?

/tinfoilhat

Sounds like he just got a new job somewhere else.