Activision blizzard

A small group of Activision Blizzard workers voted for unionising at a studio that works on the popular "Call of Duty" franchise, the second victory in a push to organise the video gaming industry. (Sign up to our Technology newsletter, Today’s Cache, for insights on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, business and policy. Click here to subscribe for free.) Employees in the quality assurance department at Raven Software in Middleton, Wisconsin, voted 19-3 for joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA), according to a tally by U.S. National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) officials on Monday. Also Read Activision Blizzard shareholders approve $68.7 billion Microsoft deal The union must still bargain and reach a deal on a contract with Activision. The vote will not have to be re-certified if Microsoft succeeds in its plan to acquire Activision , according to the CWA. “We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether … [Read more...] about ‘Call of Duty’ workers at Activision Blizzard vote to form union

Video game testers at Activision Blizzard Inc voted on Monday to form a union with the Communications Workers of America in a first for a US-listed game company. Nineteen quality assurance testers at subsidiary Raven Software, who assess the performance of games in the lucrative Call Of Duty series, voted for legal recognition of the union they’d first organised in January. Three voted against. The outcome ends a protracted battle that began when management refused voluntarily to recognise the group. Workers came together in response to layoffs at the company last December, and their push for official status at the company comes as it’s also battling explosive allegations of sexism. "Our biggest hope is that our union serves as inspiration for the growing movement of workers organising at video game studios to create better games and build workplaces that reflect our values and empower all of us,” the newly created union, the Game Workers Alliance, said in a statement. "We look … [Read more...] about Activision union gets legal recognition in gaming first

TOKYO/DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken a 5.01% stake in Nintendo Co Ltd as the sovereign wealth fund increases its exposure to the Japanese video gaming industry. The investment in the Kyoto-based group company was made for investment purposes, a filing said, and comes as PIF has also taken stakes in video game companies Nexon, Capcom and Koei Tecmo. PIF, which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is an anchor investor in SoftBank Group Corp's $100 billion Vision Fund but also invests independently as part of the prince's plans to transform the country's economy. The sovereign wealth fund, which manages more than $600 billion, took a stake in Activision Blizzard, the "Call of Duty" publisher which Microsoft said in January it would buy. PIF has launched its own video game and e-sports company, Savvy Gaming. Nintendo, which this month announced a 10-1 stock split in an appeal to retail investors, is forecasting a second … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund takes 5% Nintendo stake

Broadcom Inc said on Thursday it will acquire cloud computing company VMware Inc in a $61 billion cash-and stock deal, the chipmaker's biggest and boldest bid to diversify its business into enterprise software. (Sign up to our Technology newsletter, Today’s Cache, for insights on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, business and policy. Click here to subscribe for free.) The acquisition is the second biggest announced globally so far this year, trailing only Microsoft Corp's $68.7 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard Inc . The offer of $142.50 in cash or 0.2520 of a Broadcom share for each VMware stock represents a premium of nearly 49% to the stock's last close before talks of the deal were first reported on May 22. Broadcom will also assume $8 billion of VMware's net debt. The chipmaker's shares closed up 3.5% and VMware rose 3.1%. Also Read The rise of AI chips Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan, who built his … [Read more...] about Chipmaker Broadcom to buy VMware in $61 billion deal