Microsoft is Buying Activision Blizzard $68.7B ***Update: Acquisition Finalized***

[KaNesDeath]

More i think about this along with hearing outside perspectives. Begin to realize the true intent is around Microsoft OS dominance.

 

[bloodsport86]

This is a game changing tactic by Microsoft.

 

[bloodsport86]

Sony just bought Bungie.

 

[Madmick]

True but there is enough "apple nuts" to make some insane claim "That finally we will see a real game console" or some kind of nonsense. I also here rumblings of a VR headset announcement to be made in March also that will cost around 2 grand but will feature 4k per eye microOLED panels and pancake optics for clear optics and 120 degree field of view and will for whatever reason a 5g capable iPhone 12 or higher phone to run.

The Apple TV is already a console. Apple just needs to brand it as such, but they won't because they're smart. Because Apple, unlike nearly every other major electronics company, understands branding. If they called the Apple TV a gaming console the people on the very 1st gen from a decade ago would be upset because their archaic box doesn't magically play whatever games Apple releases.

So Apple would release a separately branded product even if the Apple 4K 2nd Gen-- and the previous version-- are already perfectly capable. After all, the 4K 2nd Gen, the most recent Apple TV, carries the Apple A12 Bionic: the same chip in the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPad Air (2019), iPad Mini (2019), and iPad (8th Gen). This chip scores double the framerate output on GFXBench's latest suite as the Tegra X1 in the Nintendo Switch. Few people appreciate or comprehend how powerful their phones have become.

However, that doesn't mean Apple couldn't just ship a damn controller for the thing. Hell, between this hypothetical controller, the Apple TVs they've already sold, the Apple Arcade, and hundreds of millions of iOS users, they have a perfect backdoor to develop a games ecosystem as preparation to pave the way for a major console launch. That's something even other huge corporations could only dream of having. Just look at how badly Google fell on its face; reminscent of Apple's flirtations with gaming decades ago. Because even the mountains of money that Google, Amazon, and Apple possess aren't alone enough to instantly make one a serious player in gaming. That's how hard a business it is to crack into.

They just don't seem to care. They've been far more interested in their dumb streaming channel than they have the Arcade. It's gotten practically zero attention.

 

[Deadwing88]

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

That’s kind of what I was expecting. As massive as this deal is it’s still a pretty big market with lots of players. Now if MS followed it up with say trying to buy EA, Ubisoft and Take2 in a year then I’m sure they’d hit a serious wall in anti-trust proceedings.

 

[KaNesDeath]

Blizzard is feeling the heat. They made three major decisions this week;

1. Overwatch League had its production costs massively slashed for the 2022 season.
2. World of Warcraft is aggressively banning boosting services advertising in the game client.
3. Cross faction play is being enabled in World of Warcraft for instanced content to address faction imbalance and high queue times.

 

[adam199]

That’s kind of what I was expecting. As massive as this deal is it’s still a pretty big market with lots of players. Now if MS followed it up with say trying to buy EA, Ubisoft and Take2 in a year then I’m sure they’d hit a serious wall in anti-trust proceedings.

I hope to God one of them buys EA and Ubisoft and forces them to stop cranking out mediocre games at lightspeed.

 

[KaNesDeath]

Blizzard lost another 2 million monthly active users in Q4 of 2021. Activisions earning were down 30% on console in 2021. Overwatch Leagues effort to cut costs by outsourcing production has been finalized. An following the path of Riot Games in Valorant esports, Call of Duty League is going all in on co-stream broadcasting rights to inflate viewership numbers.

Oh, Blizzard also announced they are releasing multiple mobile games in 2022.

 

[Dizzy]

 

[method115]

Stupid move by MS. Maybe with all the current and future consolidation that is predicted to happen Sony and MS came to some sort of agreement when it comes to established multiplat titles I don't know.

 

[Deadwing88]

Hm, interesting..

With Bungie and Activision/Blizzard staying multiplatform.. this really seems like a combined play against Tencent, Apple and Amazon encroachment on gaming.

 

[method115]

Hm, interesting..

With Bungie and Activision/Blizzard staying multiplatform.. this really seems like a combined play against Tencent, Apple and Amazon encroachment on gaming.

Yes this is what I was getting at as well. With all this consolidating happening behind the scenes it seems only natural for MS and Sony to come together and have an agreement to relax on the exclusive games which will only hurt gamers in the end. Not saying games wont be exclusive anymore but just to relax on making long standing multiplat titles exclusive. Everything else will most likely be fair game.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

That’s good. I don’t think anyone wants to see an all out war between Sony and Microsoft. It’s not good for anybody but it’s especially not good for the fans.

 

[Deadwing88]

 

[KaNesDeath]

Activision/Blizzard are on the verge of being forced to eat 400 million in franchising fee's for OWL and CDL:
https://www.jacobwolf.report/p/activision-blizzard-is-owed-approximately?sd=fs&s=w

 

[Valhoven]

Activision/Blizzard are on the verge of being forced to eat 400 million in franchising fee's for OWL and CDL:
https://www.jacobwolf.report/p/activision-blizzard-is-owed-approximately?sd=fs&s=w

Interesting article.

 

[KaNesDeath]

Blizzard officially put Heroes of the Storm in maintenance mode 3-1/2 years after they unofficially did: https://www.ign.com/articles/blizzard-officially-ending-heroes-of-the-storm-content-development

 

[Dizzy]

 

[Sycho Sid]

I fully expect this will still go through without much issue.