In a move that is sure to cause huge waves in the video game industry, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Microsoft has bought Activision Blizzard King for $70 Billion, the video game company currently at the centre of lawsuits and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:workers rights movements. When Phil Spencer said Xbox was evaluating its relationship with Activi♚sion, we didn't think he meant it was going to buy the company.
The games owned and made by Activision Blizzard, such as Overwatch and Call of Duty, among many more, may now become Xbox exclusives. This is the latest in Microsoft's long line of acquisitions, such as 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:its 2020 purchase of Bethesda for $7.5 billion, just over ten percent what it's paying for Activision Blizzard. This acquisition will make Microsoft the world's third-largest gaming company, behind only Tencent and Sony.
Unfortunately, according to a Microsoft , Activision Bilzzard CEO Bobby Kotick, the man who has become the face of the numerous allegations and lawsuits levelled against the company due to 168澳洲幸运5开奖ℱ网:his reported knowledge of workplace mistreatment, will keep his position. This initially seemed like an opportunity for Microsoft to oust the man wh🗹o threatened to have a woman killed. The press release𒁏 states, "Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer," which is vague enough that it could imply Kotick w༒ill be gone once the ink dries.
Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard means even more games will soon be added to Game Pass, the subscription based service that already contains over 300. The press release states that there are plans to add Activision Blizzard's huge portfolio of titles to the service, which has just passed 25 million subscribers.
However, this news also means that the video game industry is dangerously close to being monopolised. Competition in markets is healthy and is likely the reason Xbox had to start Game Pass as it looked for ways to beat Sony's prestige strategy. If Microsoft becomes too big to fail, it could stagnate, which would be bad for players.
The acquisition of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Candy Crush developer King is also good news for Microsoft, as mobile gaming 𓆉is one of the fastest growing andꦛ highest earning markets in the video game industry. This purchase likely means that,﷽ as has happened with Bethesda, future Activision Blizzard games such as Overwatch 2 and upcoming Call of Duty tit♓les will likely be exclusive to Xbox and PC.
Sony is also making moves. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网🗹:A recent patent for backwards compatibility, as well as 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:PS3 games listed on the PS5 store make us believe the company is looking to make our old classics playable on the modern hardware. PS Now gift cards havജe also been pulled from stores, strengthening speculation that PlayStation will 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:soon have its own Game Pass competi🐈tor, Spartacus, likely combining the🍷 best aspects of PS Plus aꦍnd PS Now.