In recent months, gamers have been keenly following news surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard, known for titles like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. Last week, the acquisition became confirmed. But not everyone is happy with it.
Avid gamer Nuno has been closely following the news in recent months and discussing it with friends. He does not have much hope for this takeover: “The industry will go to hell and we will have to pay for it.”
“They can’t be trusted”
Because this is not Microsoft’s first major acquisition to strengthen the position of its Xbox gaming console. In 2021, they bought game publisher Bethesda and then the company announced that new Bethesda games would no longer be released on PlayStation, from its competitor Sony. “While they previously said it wouldn’t happen, they can’t be trusted,” says Nuno.
Denian has also been following gaming news since childhood. “When it was first announced that I was on top of it, it felt like a landslide,” he explains. He’s particularly concerned about whether Microsoft will keep its word this time. “They have to get the money back, so there is definitely a trap.”
Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Microsoft has allocated the equivalent of 65 billion euros to acquire the publisher of popular games such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft. But from the beginning it faced a lot of resistance from consumer authorities who were concerned about the influence Microsoft would gain.
Because many game series from Activision Blizzard are also popular with Microsoft’s biggest competitor Sony. The fear was that Microsoft would no longer release these games on Sony’s PlayStation. Microsoft promises that it will not take away games from its competitor in the coming years, but what will happen next is uncertain.
Switch to play a game
The acquisition doesn’t have much of a direct impact on Nono’s hobby, but it does affect many of his friends who own a PlayStation. “Are they going to have to buy an Xbox to play Call of Duty with me?” he asks. He also fears that people who are not very well off will no longer be able to play their favorite game because they will have to invest in a new gaming console.
Denian is not yet thinking about buying an Xbox. “But I might switch if games come up that I really want to play. Then I’ll buy an Xbox to play them.”
Major layoffs
Denian is concerned about what this acquisition will mean for the people who work at Activision Blizzard. “Microsoft is not afraid of massive layoffs and 20,000 people work there. They have to save money somewhere. A lot of people have already been fired from game studios this year.”
Nuno sees this acquisition as once again a mistake in the gaming industry. He expects that he will buy fewer and fewer games in the future. “Games are becoming more expensive, often incomplete and worse. The industry will decline and we will have to pay for it.”
Gloomy future
Although Nono looks to the future bleakly, he believes there is something to be gained. “I hope Microsoft and its competitor Sony will converge.” He believes this is possible because the fierce rivalry between the tech giants has diminished significantly and this acquisition forces them to continue talking to each other.
Dinyan doesn’t see the collaboration happening and is worried about the future. “I’ve noticed that the competition is heating up again, and Sony is also making deals.” He fears that people will now care less about what games they want, but about what they have to buy to play them.
Asks? Ask them!
Do you have any questions or would like answers? Send us a message here in the chat.