Gamers around the globe collectively gasped when news broke that Microsoft would acquire Activision Blizzard, one of the biggest video game publishers in the world, in a deal worth $68.7 billion.
With games in Activision Blizzard’s library ranging from Call of Duty to World of Warcraft and the money machine that is Candy Crush, the acquisition could have massive implications for the future of gaming.
The deal is expected to finalize sometime in 2023.
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Last year, Microsoft acquired another publisher in a purchase that had similar implications when they purchased ZeniMax, the company that publishes games like Doom, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls.
Outside honouring contracts that were in place before the acquisition, the purchase means all future ZeniMax and Bethesda games could be Microsoft exclusives and only come to Xbox and PC via Microsoft’s gaming platforms.
“Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” said Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella in a statement.
While it isn’t clear if all future Activision Blizzard titles will be Microsoft exclusives, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer suggested otherwise in a Bloomberg report.
“I’ll just say to players out there who are playing Activision Blizzard games on Sony’s platform: It’s not our intent to pull communities away from that platform, and we remained committed to that,” he said.
One of the biggest implications of this sale is that new additions of Call of Duty — perhaps the highest-earning gaming franchise and PlayStation’s most lucrative title — could wind up becoming incompatible with the console.
Another point of contention for some in the gaming community is with former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Amid controversy regarding working conditions, including allegations of sexual harassment, this deal is a big payday for Kotick that allows him an easy exit.
Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard, on one side i’m happy, on the other Microsoft is becoming a monopoly in gaming, and those are scary
— Julia (@Julia_CaSsian) January 18, 2022
The gaming community is divided on the issue, with some fearing that consolidation of this nature could be bad for video games.
While monopolies are undoubtedly bad news for the video game industry, this acquisition could have some positive effects on Blizzard both culturally and strategically. Under Activision, every game had to be a billion-dollar franchise. Under Xbox, that will likely change
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 18, 2022