Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard

[FreshCorpse]

Reminds me of the Github acquisition that MS did a few years back. Like Blizzard, Github were also mired in an - admittedly smaller scale - sexual harassment scandal at the time. Like Blizzard, Github were also in a kind of "stuck" state, not delivering what their customers wanted. The problem individuals (in both respects) were culled and the company improved hugely.

Microsoft is a fairly stable company and does not tend to run it's acquisitions into the ground. In particular they usually do not integrate them into Microsoft. MS clearly want material for Game Pass which is their Great White Hope at the moment. I think MS are probably far too optimistic about the growth potential of Game Pass but it means that these studios they own (and they bought Zenimax last year so they own a lot of them now) will be making games as normal, for "core gamers", and that their output will be both sold and on Game Pass. So I think it's positive for people who like these games, though honestly there is not a lot of stuff that Activision Blizzard release that I play so ultimately IDGAF

 

[Morgoth]

Now who else gets to rape the Starcraft IP? Obsidian? Bethesda?

 

[Sranchammer]

Get ready for annual releases!

 

[Vincente]

Now who else gets to rape the Starcraft IP? Obsidian? Bethesda?

Starcraft easter egg in Starfield, obviously.

 

[ADULF HITLOR FAN KLUB]

Still not buying a ShitBox.

 

[J_C]

I think MS are probably far too optimistic about the growth potential of Game Pass

This is the future, whether we like it or not. Nobody cares about owning a game anymore, just like nobody cares about owning movies, hence the rise of streaming services. And there are really no games which really worth owning, apart from a few indies. The old games which are worth owning are in our shelves/GOG libraries anyway, so I say let them bring the game pass services.

 

[Wulfric Pinewood]

We all need crpg in the realm of Warcraft or Starcraft, or maybe better epic Diablo mmorpg or crpg.

 

[PanDupa]

Does this mean that the value of the chip from my vaccine has increased?

 

[RepHope]

Kotick will definitely be kicked out once the deal goes through which is a good thing. Could see Blizzard improve, I can’t see how they could get worse at this point.

 

[Grauken]

Doesn't bother me the least, I only play old or indie games anyway

 

[Vincente]

Kotick will definitely be kicked out once the deal goes through which is a good thing.

Well the deal is still a year away from closing. In the mean time Bobby will remain at Actiblizz. I expect him to silently retire after a year and make it into the night with the retirement bonus of 250-300 million dollars, or he might remain at Actiblizz and report to Phil Spencer.

 

[Jaedar]

Now who else gets to rape the Starcraft IP? Obsidian? Bethesda?

Yeah...
I was about to say "nice, maybe this means blizzard will do another RTS", but then I remembered that the entire RTS team quit blizzard a few months ago. So there's about 0% chance blizzard will make an RTS again, most likely any development in regards to that will be given to whatever team did the recent age of empire stuff.

 

[PanDupa]

Kotick will definitely be kicked out once the deal goes through which is a good thing. Could see Blizzard improve, I can’t see how they could get worse at this point.

They already announced that kotick is staying

 

[RepHope]

Kotick will definitely be kicked out once the deal goes through which is a good thing. Could see Blizzard improve, I can’t see how they could get worse at this point.

They already announced that kotick is staying

Until the deal goes through he will stay. They didn’t say anything about whether he’s sticking around afterwards and Spencer made sure to emphasize that he’ll be calling the shots. Kotick will get his golden parachute and be kicked out the door.

 

[:Flash:]

This is the future, whether we like it or not. Nobody cares about owning a game anymore, just like nobody cares about owning movies, hence the rise of streaming services. And there are really no games which really worth owning, apart from a few indies. The old games which are worth owning are in our shelves/GOG libraries anyway, so I say let them bring the game pass services.

This. This is all about obtaining IP for subscription services, just like in the movie industry.

For the same reason,

WTFBBQ.

Who is going to buy Steam? M$ or Dizney?

there is no need to buy Steam. What the need to do is buy the companies that own the IPs that are sold on Steam. Then they can pull it off Steam any minute.
Gaben is sleeping.
This is the classic Netflix blunder. Thinking that having all the stuff on the platform is what's important, while in the background, Disney was buying all the IP holders. And all that stuff vanished from Netflix and is now on Disney+.

If Gaben wasn't sleeping he'd try to acquire as much IP as possible with all the sweet Steam money. In 10 years, Steam will only host Indie games, and all other stuff will only be available through a Microsoft of Sony subscription service.

Also the reason companies are buying up the entire life's work of musicians, like Springsteen. The songs will vanish from Radio, and you'll only be able to hear them on subscription services.

 

[Demo.Graph]

The main question for the near future will be "how to pirate a game from "game pass"-like service?".

 

[ADL]

Wonder what this means for Steam releases and the Battle.net client.

 

[Black]

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[:Flash:]

The main question for the near future will be "how to pirate a game from "game pass"-like service?".

You won't. In the near future important parts of the code will run on MS servers only. Unless someone hacks those servers, these games will not be available to run independently.

 

[Gahbreeil]

Interesting development. Microsoft seems to be buying all video game developers.

Can someone explain how Arcanum was bought by Acti-Blizz?

 

[Don Peste]

MS buying an independent studio could be worrisome in many cases. But buying an undead behemot like Activision-Blizzard? Maybe it's a new opportunity for some old, long-buried franchises.
Phil Spencer is not that, that bad. Certainly not worse than current management at Activision-Blizzard.

 

[Infinitron]

Holy fuck.

 

[Tacgnol]

Until the deal goes through he will stay. They didn’t say anything about whether he’s sticking around afterwards and Spencer made sure to emphasize that he’ll be calling the shots. Kotick will get his golden parachute and be kicked out the door.

And what a golden parachute.

 

[passerby]

Gaben is sleeping.

Gaben is too old, to give a shit.

 

[Infinitron]

inXile's unannounced RPG can now be an actual Arcanum game!