"In an era of increased competition, content is king; in this regard, we're investing deeply in world-class content, community and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive and accessible to all." - Satya Nadella- CEO Microsoft
Game changer deal
In a deal that is expected to dramatically shock the gaming industry, Microsoft is planning to buy major games makers Activision Blizzard, in a deal worth $68.7bn. According to Steffan Powell, a gaming reporter with BBC, this plan comes a year after Microsoft bought another influential gaming company known as Bethesda for $7.5bn. In his piece, Powell says it is clear that this acquisition is set to be the biggest in gaming history, and is expected to be finalized in the year 2023.
According to the article, this bold move means that Microsoft will take ownership of gaming franchises like Call of Duty, Warcraft and Overwatch. More so, Microsoft claims it will help them grow their gaming business across mobile devices , PC's and consoles, as well as providing enabling building blocks for the metaverse. Reports from Microsoft indicate that they are working to bring Activision Blizzard games to their game pass subscription service.
Is the deal worthy ?
Microsoft thinks that this deal is worth every penny. This is because Activision Blizzard is a leader in the gaming industry with studios around the world and nearly 10,000 employees. Further more, the games Activision Blizzard produce, from Call of Duty to Candy Crush, are some of the most popular in the world with nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and billion-dollar franchises. However, it has recently been dealing with accusations of a toxic work-place culture characterized by claims of sexual harassment. Last year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer responded to these accusations saying that he was 'deeply troubled' by the claims.
On the other side, Xbox is convinced that a Netflix-style gaming subscription could be the future of gaming. Therefore, being able to offer more content linked to these major titles on their service is expected to be a big bonus on their side. In his article, Steffen Powell writes that the gaming giant is already excited about what acquisition by Microsoft means for their Game Pass Services.
"According to Xbox boss Spencer, they will now be able to offer as many Activision Blizzard games as possible, within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass-both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard's catalogue" writes Powell.
"In addition, Phil Spencer hints that until the deal is finalized, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft Gaming will continue operating independently. However, once the deal is complete, the Activision Blizzard business will start reporting to Microsoft." The Gaming reporter concludes.
Sensing foul play
Despite the high gains promised by this deal, Keza McDonald who is a video games editor at the guardian is skeptical about the move's motives. This gaming editor thinks that Microsoft is up to something.
In a recent article dated 19th January 2022, and published by the guardian, Keza McDonald seemed to be sensing hidden mischief.
"Microsoft wants to be where everyone goes to play games – the Netflix of gaming, the hub for all content" McDonald complained.
"The company’s bottomless appetite for buying new studios means the art of the deal is threatening the art and heart of the game." the video game editor wrote.
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-60042409
https://twitter.com/kezamacdonald/status/1483442407547023360?s=20
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