If you haven’t been aware today, the Activision buyout by Microsoft hit the news. This eclipses the ZeniMax deal which gave Xbox gamers via Game Pass games from Bethesda such as Elder Scrolls and Fallout. So we saw the news that Starfield and potentially Elder Scrolls 6 were exclusive to the Microsoft ecosystem. That deal cost $7.5 billion so with a deal much larger than that exclusivity has to be on the table.
The Activision buyout is looking to cost Microsoft a considerable amount more. It’s come to light that deal will cost $68.7 billion. So that’s close to ten times the ZeniMax purchase. Moreover, now that the dust has settled and people come to terms with what’s been bought. The next question that should be asked, after the Activision buyout, is what does this mean for the companies existing IPs.
The Franchises Joining Microsoft, Where Do They Stand Moving Forward
Call of Duty is a big topic. The game has a huge player base on PlayStation as it is. So where does that leave the franchise going forward? They also own franchises such as Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. Some titles aren’t likely to be affected, e.g. World of Warcraft, however, where does it leave the upcoming Diablo 4. A Bloomberg report states Microsoft will still have games on other platforms. Even though it’s not confirmed you would expect Call of Duty to still be on PlayStation as a Microsoft product due to the huge revenue it brings.
“Microsoft plans to keep making some of Activision’s games for PlayStation consoles but will also keep some content exclusive to Xbox, said a person familiar with the company’s thinking.”
Bloomberg on the buyout and the games affected
Microsoft’s View On Activision Games And Where They Are Played
Phil Spencer spoke about Activision Blizzard games on other platforms. His statement on Xbox Wire had this to say.
“The fantastic franchises across Activision Blizzard will also accelerate our plans for Cloud Gaming, allowing more people in more places around the world to participate in the Xbox community using phones, tablets, laptops and other devices you already own. Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward”
Phil Spencer on the purchase
So it seems the existing titles will still be supported. It isn’t fully clear on what’s going to be exclusive. This will be a story that will develop and unfold over the coming months. Especially with it being reported the deal will take some time to complete. So at least until June 2023. However, we want to hear from you on this. What do you think about this new acquisition announcement? What’s next for Microsoft and Xbox? We still await the date of the Ubisoft service coming to Xbox Ubisoft + which was recently confirmed.
