The head of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, is considering resigning – at least if he fails in his mission.
When reporting on the video game industry, there has been one main topic for weeks: Activision and the big scandal. CEO Bobby Kotick has come into the spotlight following recent revelations from the Wall Street Journal. Demands for his resignation have been voiced from all directions. Now he is contemplating it – should he fail in his goal.
What’s happening with Bobby Kotick? The current CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, has been facing serious allegations in recent days:
- He allegedly knew about a rape within the company but kept it quiet.
- Another allegation is that he threatened an assistant with death in 2006.
- He is said to have written the “scandal email” from Fran Townsend, which many found outrageous.
Kotick received criticism from all sides: The revelations sparked a major wave of protests. First, there was a strike at Blizzard, quickly followed by an internal petition aimed at forcing Bobby Kotick to resign – more than 1,700 employees supported this demand. Players and long-time fans also launched a petition that gained significant traction.
Moreover, many other individuals have expressed their lack of confidence in Kotick. This included some shareholders, but also people like Phil Spencer (essentially the “Xbox head”) and Jim Ryan from Sony, who expressed concern and deemed Kotick’s resignation necessary.
Kotick allegedly admits the possibility of withdrawal in internal conversation
What did Kotick say now? According to recent reports from the Wall Street Journal, Kotick did not directly offer his resignation during a conversation with other Blizzard executives last Friday, but sees it as an option should he fail to “rapidly resolve the issues with misconduct.” (via wsj.com)
For Kotick, this might be the most strategically savvy solution. Thus, the call for his resignation remains in the air, and he responds to these requests. At the same time, it gives him additional time and the opportunity to prove how serious his repeatedly expressed demands are to make Activision Blizzard one of the best workplaces ever.
However, Kotick is probably not referring to the allegations against him personally – as they are the real reason for numerous calls for his resignation.
At the same time, it seems that the leadership at Activision wants to establish a “Workplace Excellence Committee” to monitor and evaluate the implementation of necessary steps and their speed. This should ensure that the corporate culture rapidly transforms for the better.
What do you think about this? Should Kotick step down and resign? Or should he try to improve the company further?
However, Kotick is probably not referring to the allegations against him personally – as they are the real reason for numerous calls for his resignation.
At the same time, it seems that the leadership at Activision wants to establish a “Workplace Excellence Committee” to monitor and evaluate the implementation of necessary steps and their speed. This should ensure that the corporate culture rapidly transforms for the better.
What do you think about this? Should Kotick step down and resign? Or should he try to improve the company further?
