In a move that shocked the gaming community, Microsoft announced that it had purchased Activision Blizzard for a whopping $56 billion. The news came as a surprise to many, as it was not clear what Microsoft’s plans for the future were with such a large and influential company in the gaming industry.
Many gamers are concerned that Activision Blizzard is becoming another branch of Microsoft’s ever-growing services. If this does happen, it would be the third large company in recent months to do so. Last year, Google took on Twitch, and earlier this year, Facebook bought Oculus VR for $2 billion.
Some gamers are concerned that Microsoft has been growing too large for their own good, and if they continue to take control of such large companies, will monopolize the media industry. There is a concern among some that eventually there may only be one company in “the world” and that all other ones will cease to exist.
Another concern is that Microsoft will not change anything about Activision Blizzard’s corporate culture. Activision Blizzard has always been known to be “hardcore” and Microsoft is viewed as more on the casual side, which could cause problems for both companies.
Others are excited about this new acquisition because they feel it brings more security into the industry unlike others in the game. Many gamers grew up with the Xbox, which has always been seen as a safe place in many people’s eyes. Gamers are also excited because it will bring more games to Xbox and could help increase sales for Microsoft in an increasingly saturated market of gaming consoles.
With Electronic Arts already being closely tied to Microsoft, and the release of Halo 5: Guardians right around the corner, many fear that this will mean bad news for Xbox One’s competitor, Playstation 4.