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Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard
- Thread starter Kawngi
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Who thought we'd live in an age where Microsoft buying other companies would be seen as a good thing?
Whenever the deal closes so between July 2022 and June 2023 (Fiscal Year 2023).
This acquisition isn't meant to make money like that. It's supposed to buy Microsoft more control over the industry.
Activision Blizzard has a yearly profit of between 500 and 700 million.
Even if they keep that up or extend that (which is pretty much impossible when you decide to limit your audience) it would take them like half a century to make back their 70 billion.
So this is not an acquisition meant to increase MS profits, but rather one meant to extend monopolistic control over this industry.
With Metaverses on the horizon, I think Microsoft realizes that Gaming is the key to the Metaverse idea.
By controlling the gaming industry you control the tool that lets you comprehensively monetize people's lives by gamifying all aspects of it: Work, social, recreational.
There are only two relevant metrics from a business perspective: Engagement and monetization.
Anyone can monetize, but Zuckerbergs ridiculed Metaverse Meeting nonsense or the internet's reaction to stuff like Metaverse marriages clearly show that in order to engage people constantly you need to apply all the expertise of the gaming industry.
Metaverses will need to compete with the best games out there on a visual and mechanical level at least. They will essentially be games.
Neither Google nor Facebook nor Apple has that kind of expertise, so I think Microsoft is trying to make sure that they have their thumb on it.
Why are people doing this to themselves again?
This same thing was being said about Elder Scrolls and Fallout, despite it being completely illogical.
They will unquestionably stop publishing on Sony platforms. Call of Duty will be exclusive to Xbox and PC within the next couple years.
Of course and based on the amount of talk it generated last time Microsoft are probably best served keeping their mouth shut so that they can drop the hammer when they want. The hammer will either be exclusivity or gamepass on playstation consoles.
Why make exclusives when you can buy them
Looking at the brightside, MS will finally use Activision's IPs
This is what we must do for more crash and spyro
Looking at the brightside, MS will finally use Activision's IPs
This is what we must do for more crash and spyro
They're popular, they're not devastating-for-Sony's-bank-account popular. They could live without them, CoD is on another level. There's a good chance 10+ million people would go for Xbox over Playstation if CoD is exclusive. None of their other IP has that pull.
So, I can see COD being a Minecraft equivalent in terms of remaining multiplatform. It's simply too big to make exclusive. However, it can go in Game Pass whilst other platforms tout it for full price. So many games, though. The talent pool for Xbox first party would be incomprehensible if this deal was done.
True, but it makes it harder to stay out of MS way if you wanted to. And with the amount of IP they will own now, they will probably own at least one you care about and don't want to see fail.
But even if the market will be swallowed up now by the remaining companies - In the end there will always be Indie devs.
They haven't. The difference between Starfield and Warzone is there is an established population to the game that is needed to keep that game a massive hit. Microsoft doesn't need to keep the multiplayer games off of the PlayStation to convert gamers. Gamepass is going to to that for them
glad
man. FF gonna be even more ezclusive to Sony...my childhood.
oh well.
man. FF gonna be even more ezclusive to Sony...my childhood.
oh well.
XCloud = Android and iOS, what's PlayStation in the face of that?
They can. They have billions in the bank and access to large lines of credit should they need to go that route.
Take Two also gives them 2K, which has Bioshock, NBA 2K, Borderlands, and a few others.
They're playing the long game. Remember Netflix started with mailing DVDs to people. The infrastructure will be there eventually, maybe not next year, but likely by the time Rockstar releases its next main game lol
Yup
If i am Sony now I go for those 2 or SEGA.
You will need to throw TONS at them.
Tbh as soon as I saw the news my first thought is Sony is going to buy Square no way they let Square go MS
Getting people spending their third party money on Xbox for that sweet, sweet 30% > selling one particular game series on a competitor's console. Microsoft wants you in their closed garden, and they're happy to take some short term losses in the hopes of achieving longer term gains.
70 billion in cash shows they don't need Sony at all. Not a stock cash split purchase, all in cash. They don't need Sony or Nintendo.
To be fair, ActiBlizz is a special case. Mismanaged, but with lots of good IP that I could see getting used a few years down the line.
In this case, it is. It's even mentioned in Phil's PR. This isn't a Starfield situation.
i woke up to this news via the KazHiraiCEO tweet lmaooooooo
this is gross especially if they really aren't getting rid of Kotick.
bring back starcraft you bastards
what in the
this is gross especially if they really aren't getting rid of Kotick.
bring back starcraft you bastards
what in the
I think when people are saying "COD will be exclusive" they mean the new games, not Warzone.
it's celebrated here every time it happens idk what you're talking about
people LOVED the Bethesda buyout and wanted something bigger almost immediately. lots of people here are very hungry for this kinda consolidation.
I was 100% sure just after the announcement that all Bethesda games were going exclusive.
But COD ? Not sure at all. I would put it in the same category than Minecraft and it would stay multiplat.
Everything else will be Xbox + PC only.
Destiny has been bought back by Bungie. It's not Activision anymore
I think their priority is becoming the default gaming service. Everyone has a Netflix sub. They want everyone to have a Game Pass sub as well.
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