Activision Blizzard just joined XBOX.

[dyne]

$68.7 billion deal.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/...-billion-deal/

Bobby Kotick will stay as head according to a Phil Spencer tweet.

According to Polygon employees will report to Spencer after the merger. I hope Kotick doesn’t get a golden parachute but we’ll have to see.

https://www.polygon.com/22889270/mic...il-spencer-ceo

Microsoft will take over Activision, Blizzard, and all of its subsidiary studios - including Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob and Treyarch. That accounts for around 10,000 employees.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...lizzard-report

They’ve gotta be putting WoW on XCloud.

[Modren]

[Mavrick]

Keeping Kotick is just beyond stupid. How can they spin this as a win for MS with such a massive shit storm following everywhere Kotick and Activison/Blizard go.

I don’t think I want to follow this development because I can just imagine the toxic debate that will be haunting it.

[dyne]

The rest of the internet is already on fire. I'd say lock it just to have the info up. I'd be fine with that.

[Mavrick]

I think we can have the chance to be civil lol but yeah it’s pretty messed up how some people are taking it.

[Hardback247]

Does this mean we'll never get any more Crash or Spyro games on PlayStation?

[Vincanws]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

Does this mean we'll never get any more Crash or Spyro games on PlayStation?

Possibly/probably not. Microsoft would be under little obligation to unless there are long standing contracts in place. For massive IP like COD it would be weird for Microsoft to limit a franchise that’s been huge on PlayStation for a decade.

[dyne]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

Does this mean we'll never get any more Crash or Spyro games on PlayStation?

Hopefully they're smart and keep most of it multiplatform as that's where the money is. If they choose to sink everything into Gamepass/Xbox/PC I think that's a wrong move.

Iirc after the Bethesda deal only one game was officially outed as being PC/Xbox exclusive (admittedly one of the bigger games on the docket) and that's Starfield.

I really hope this means all these teams that have spent year after year making the same titles over and over can finally do something different but industry trends point to no.

Originally Posted by Vincanws

For massive IP like COD it would be weird for Microsoft to limit a franchise that’s been huge on PlayStation for a decade.

Exactly. There's no way they're locking down well worn brands like this.

[GRD43L]

This opens up a lot of opportunities for CoD franchise. Technology that brought satellite world map to the flight simulator can be used on CoD!

As for Bobby K., his days are numbered.

For other titles, i think this means all games will be avaliable to more than PS ecosystem and that is good news.

[Mavrick]

From Bloomberg



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...on-gaming-deal

[Diesel]

Holy crap seems to come short of capturing the magnitude of this deal and its potential implications to the gaming landscape. Spencer and MS are playing for keeps now.

Sony needs to lock down a merger with Square Enix now, nothing is safe from the GamePass monster

[dyne]

Originally Posted by GRD43L

As for Bobby K., his days are numbered.

Really hoping they find a way to get out of not giving him a golden parachute but I'm not holding my breath.

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Keeping Kotick is just beyond stupid. How can they spin this as a win for MS with such a massive shit storm following everywhere Kotick and Activison/Blizard go.

I don’t think I want to follow this development because I can just imagine the toxic debate that will be haunting it.

He's only there through the transition. Until deal is final, MS has no authority to fire Kotick. Kotick will step down once the acquisition is complete.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by dyne

Really hoping they find a way to get out of not giving him a golden parachute but I'm not holding my breath.

Isn’t he a massive shareholder? He probably negotiated one for sure…in addition to his big chunk of the cash sale.

[TheAshCohen09]

Re Kotick, the way I interpreted was he would stay until the deal was finalised, which was June 2023. After then he would be gone.

[gundamcero]

More interested if Microsoft will improve the culture at Activision than anything else. If Bobby still there after the buyout then all respect lost. Couldn't care less about the games although monopolies are definitely not a good thing.

[bryanr1213]

Announcemen is pretty weird considering Ashton williams just left the community Manager spot at activision to join microsoft and now she is back with them.

[Talal86]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Sony needs to lock down a merger with Square Enix now, nothing is safe from the GamePass monster

Not sure if Microsoft can acquire Japanese companies, but no one is safe if the floodgate opened

I wouldn't be surprised if Kojima Production is next,

[bryanr1213]

Originally Posted by Talal86

Not sure if Microsoft can acquire Japanese companies, but no one is safe if the floodgate opened

I wouldn't be surprised if Kojima Production is next,

Kojima has been very friendly with sony lately so maybe that wont happen, honestly I could see ea a better chance.

[dyne]

Originally Posted by Talal86

Not sure if Microsoft can acquire Japanese companies, but no one is safe if the floodgate opened

I wouldn't be surprised if Kojima Production is next,

From every book and article and person I've ever talked to concerning the industry it's more of a cultural thing when buying a Japanese company. Things can always change but there's always been a mindset that a Japanese company would be MUCH more willing to outright sell to another Japanese company than an outsider.