Live Chat During Tomorrow’s ATVI Conference Call
Posted 9 February 2012 by FluxAs we’ve done several times in the past, we’ll be holding a live chat during tomorrow’s Activision/Blizzard 2011 Q4 financial results conference call. (You can listen to it live.)
The chat will take place in our 24/7, browser-accessible, IRC chat room. As such there’s no real starting time; you can log in now and spend the next 21 hours arguing that Demon Hunters should only be female and brunette, but we’ll plan to get things rolling around 1pm tomorrow afternoon; half an hour before the call begins. World time zones for the event can be seen here. Our chat room is here, and you can log in directly with your IRC client; the server and channel info is listed on the chat page.
A quick FAQ:
What will be covered in the chat?
Lots of Activision/Blizzard financial details with Bobby and their Ahnuld-sounding CFO, before Mike Morhaime comes on about 40m in and says some stuff about Blizzard.
Will we get a Diablo 3 release date?
Possibly, but probably not; we had 4 straight disappointing quarterly calls last year when Blizzard kept hinting that we’d get a beta start date, and instead we just heard Morhaime say “soon,” or “next quarter we hope.”
Is Bashiok answering questions about whether or not the chat will be worth listening to?
That depends on how you define “answering.” It’s Bashiok; you know to expect cryptic misdirection.
They are super boring. Up to you. I always recommend against it. –Bashiok
But the fan sites want to know themselves =P –molster
Well, you guys do have to listen. So do I. Sorry about that. 
–Bashiok
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As much as I tell myself I shouldn’t waste my time listening, I still will.
Foolish, foolish me for being so addicted to a game that isn’t even out.
Good thing its a call, not an in person meeting…or else fists would be thrown when the comment on the release date is: “we still haven’t decided”!
Is Blizzard allowed to lie/keep back information from the investors?
No they may not.
However it’s also up to the investors to ask the right questions ^_^
I wonder what Morheim will state regarding D3. Aiming for Q2 – Q3 ?
Early 2012 was still to early?
I think they’ll narrow “early 2012″ down to “first half of 2012″. Gives them a lot of leeway, and the cryptic-ness that they so treasure!
That’s a terrible thought. And it’s very likely. Though I think he will say something generic like “We are almost done with Diablo 3, and are very pleased with the progress.”
They probably have some memo passed around among investors to please not ask Blizzard for the release date because it would be really lame to reveal that during a stuffy boring investor call. Then again, I doubt any investors care about the release date of some video game they’re not going to play. All they want to be sure of is, will it make lots of money and will it be released before the end of civilization.
i received no memo
+ release dates are very important
even that can be feeled at the stocks
You’re a ATVI stock holder that can ask questions during the call?
I am, but all the questions always come from pre-screened financial journalists.
an announcement of the release date, or the lack thereof, will have no effect on the stocks
Can I ask you to explain that statement, if you don’t mind?
I’ve been working with financial analysis, but not in the videogame industry. I’m curious about what your’e saying.
Thanks in advance.
And I’m an MBA student and I sortof agree…it actually won’t affect the stock price much in the long run…but a short term bullrun is inevitable if D3′s release date is announced in the conference call. Blizzard is expected to release 3 games in 2012 and are in any case likely to make a lot of money. That’s some really good news, and the market thrives on such good sentiment.
Nicely written. That’s why I asked jamesL to explain his statement. Moreover, the weeks following the release will be very interesting, with investors evaluating sales numbers.
I remember the confence call as Morheim has announced the SC2 beta. Man i was sooooo happy. Its hard not to get my hopes up for this round. On the other hand rmah is still bugged as hell and they still didnt show us the new rune system. At least Bnet Balance is out, so there is some hope.
Im gonna be a sad panda anyways.
I find it funny that Bashiok says that the fan site people need to listen, and yet, you have to enter fake credentials if you aren’t a real investor. Bashiok encouraging people to lie to ActivisionBlizzard? Seems like his environment has rubbed off on him…
Another year, another quarter, another call and another disappointment.
I was hyped for the previous 4 or 5 calls, only to be bitterly disappointed at, at the very best, quarter prediction relase frame. I won’t be listening in this time, and I’m not sure about the chat.
Not really sure why anyone would expect a release date to be announced in an investor conference call.
It’ll be a press release put up on the official site, potentially with some twitter teasing beforehand.
I so read “Molster” as “Molester”
Get ready for more disappointment. I really doubt we’ll get any release date because that is the only thing that is important to everyone right now.
The chats usually make up for the call itself. It’s like this weird, alternate-version of MST3K.
dibs on Crow. If i’m able to get out of class in time.
lol a chat on a stupid conference call with those idiots………I’d rather lock myself up in a den of tarantulas
That can be arranged.