Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard

[Tacgnol]

They want everything on gamepass.

I guess they want to bypass the netflix issue of licensing where publishers/devs will want to pull content constantly from their service.

I guess owning most of the companies does solve that problem for them.

 

[Delterius]

Nintendo is simply the last holdout of Japanese imperialism. The corporation shall be ground into dust when the next round of anti-Nippon trade wars arise.

Corrections made.

how dare you capitalize japanese

collaborator!

 

[karoliner]

Where were you the day video games died?

 

[LizardWizard]

On the other hand I think PlayStation will do just fine. No one buys Xbox outside of North America and a bit in the UK.

Plenty of normies only buy a Playstation for COD and FIFA.

 

[TheImplodingVoice]

Where were you the day video games died?

Waiting for Elex 2 and Elden Ring

 

[†††]

Where were you the day video games died?

2006 was a long time ago to remember these things, dude.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

They want everything on gamepass.

I guess they want to bypass the netflix issue of licensing where publishers/devs will want to pull content constantly from their service.

I guess owning most of the companies does solve that problem for them.

I think that's precisely what this is. If this goes through they'll be so big everyone else will be persuaded to fall in to line. The bethesda buyout was a shot across the bow at sony, this is a big fucking cannonade against the entire industry.

 

[Delterius]

They want everything on gamepass.

I guess they want to bypass the netflix issue of licensing where publishers/devs will want to pull content constantly from their service.

I guess owning most of the companies does solve that problem for them.

I think that's precisely what this is. If this goes through they'll be so big everyone else will be persuaded to fall in to line. The bethesda buyout was a shot across the bow at sony, this is a big fucking cannonade against the entire industry.

I mean it's not so shocking. Microsoft and pretty much every other major american company and/or investment fund has infinite money to spend. If a single investment fund can try and buy every new house in the United States, forming a monopoly over housing, why can't Microsoft do the same with the gaming industry? These companies/funds/banks are literally paid to hold US government money.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

What are the chances of Sony following suit with Japanese companies? Their just lost future CoDs after losing future Bethesda games. Acquiring Square Enix would for example give them all their popular JRPG IPs plus few viable Eidos IPs like Tomb Raider.

Interchangeable lens cameras (specifically professional mirrorless ones) is the only market segment Sony is seeing real market leadership and growth. That's an increasingly shrinking market and camera behemoths Canon and Nikon are close on their heels. Sony doesn't have the capital to buy anyone.

On the other hand I think PlayStation will do just fine. No one buys Xbox outside of North America and a bit in the UK.

Shame the leadership at Soyny Interactive Entertainment won the internal civil war and have spent the past half decade cutting their legs out from under their Japanese and British/European developers and moved everything over to California! Uguu!

 

[Azalin]

For me this is like a nightmare scenario,I remember back in the 90's when MS started getting into gaming with Age Of Empires and similar stuff I feared that one days they would just decide to use their near unlimited bank account to buy everyone out and dominate the gaming market the way they dominated other markets and now all these years later it seem the top guys gave the ok to do just that

And of course we have to think what ripple effects this is going to create.

Is Sony going to try and purchase more studios and publishers now and which ones?Who are available right now?

Are EA and Unisoft the other two big publishers going to make some moves?

Take Two is going to buy Zynga so I see them having their hands full for the time being

Is there going to be a round of consolodation in the industry taking out whatever middle size and smaller studios left out and making most games first party games?

Like I said, a nightmare scenario

 

[Hag]

$70 billion ?
That is the price of dozen of fighter jets with maintenance, plus warships, and thousand of soldiers. That's a few brand new aircraft carriers. For this price they could literally buy cash an army big enough to take on most countries.
Or they could shower the world in money. That's ten bucks for any idiot living out there on this fucking globe, which is several day of food in most parts of the world.
I tried to imagine how much real estate they could buy, but it seems the whole US market is in the trillions, so fat chance. Still, could own around 5% of US lands and property.

But no, they are buying a video games publisher. I don't know what to think about it.

 

[Sherry]

Hi.

gosh. Josh! GARSTEN!

This is such great news for Katrina Garsten who departed from Obsidian and joined Blizzard who has now been purchased by Microsoft just like Obsidian was this is a wonderful full circle back to the fantastic work she did on DEADFIRE I think we will see some great mingling now with the old crew and a possible new RPG could this be the beginnings of Pillars of Eternity 3 right getting back together with Josh Sawyer, John Lewis, Zack Sperlock, Adam Brennecke and even dear Sesame, Josh's pet cat <3 with all the good times and okay? Okay!

Thanks,
Sherry

 

[Kingston]

Seems like everything is turning into a monopoly/duopoly/megacorp type of thing. Oh well. Guess I'll just play 80's and 90's and early 2000's games forever. Worked so far.

 

[0wca]

Weren't you paying attention?

 

[Riskbreaker]

Plenty of normies only buy a Playstation for COD and FIFA.

Methinks another acquisition is in order.
Might we see some surprise exposés about misconduct and harassment at EA in some near future?

 

[Mikeal]

It makes me wonder. Was it whole sexual/molestation scandal staged in order to weaken Activision's image and price and allow for easier and cheaper buy out?

 

[The_Mask]

Ugh.

 

[duke nukem]

Good news. Atleast microsoft cares about rts games, so maybe now we get warcraft 4 and starcraft 3.

 

[markec]

With Xbox Microsoft already long ago created a festering wound on gaming.

Now they are just finishing the job.

 

[lycanwarrior]

MS just buying everything is worrysome. Monopolized gaming sounds... shit. Not that ActiBlizz was particularly great in the past years but generally this is a problem imho.

It's what happens when government regulators don't do their jobs or get bought out/bribed.

It's also what happens when the Federal Reserve/Central Banks keep interest rates artificially low and prop up the stock markets both indirectly and directly. They are helping to perpetuate these gigantic corporations that are "too big to fail."

 

[lycanwarrior]

Competition as a capitalist feature is a lie. Yet again we have to thank Microsoft to lay bare that truth.

Adam Smith (free-market father) was actually against monopolies and thought the government had a role in preventing them.

 

[Catacombs]

Amazon is slowly releasing their own storefront. Currently only free games that come with Prime subscription is in it, but that will change.

Amazon might realize its store can't compete and will either buy Steam to get its infrastructure and customer base, to swallow a big player, or to do both.

 

[†††]

Amazon is slowly releasing their own storefront. Currently only free games that come with Prime subscription is in it, but that will change.

Amazon's might realize their store can't compete and will either buy Steam to get their infrastructure and customer base, swallow a big player, or both.

Valve won't be sold as long as Gabe lives. You better pray he has a long life ahead.

 

[vonAchdorf]

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.

It was announced that he will report to Spencer after the acquisition, but I think it's safe to assume that he will quit as soon as the sale is completed. Bobby is not the type who wants to report to anyone, not even his shareholders.

This has the potential to put a massive dent into the Playstation franchise. Bethesda's stuff and CoD going Microsoft only.

 

[Gerrard]

Weren't you paying attention?