In a shocking and somewhat controversial announcement via Xbox Wire, Microsoft announced that they will be buying the mega publisher Activision Blizzard for roughly $70 billion.
In the post written by CEO of Xbox Gaming himself, Phil Spencer, he stated that they are “incredibly excited to have the chance to work with the amazing, talented, dedicated people across Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and every team across Activision Blizzard.” This means Microsoft would now own franchises like Diablo, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Overwatch, Star Craft, Warcraft, Candy Crush, Pitfall, and of course Call of Duty, all of which will be added to Xbox Game Pass upon acquisition.
This move will no doubt be controversial, as Activision Blizzard and their CEO, Bobby Kotick, have been accused of allegedly having a hostile and discriminatory work environment with sexist and harassment lawsuits by former employees and even the state of California. It has been stated that, at least for now, Kotick will remain the CEO of the company.
My Take
Though this will come off controversial, I feel that Microsoft, and more specifically, Phil Spencer and Team Xbox, will attempt to turn the culture around at the publisher. They’ve stated what their stance is on diversity, inclusivity, and being one of the leaders in that area, so it leads me to believe that they will try and build a new culture at these studios. Either way, its a massive undertaking from both a cultural and an IP stand point. Let’s hope it pays off.
What do you think of this massive deal? Is it worth it? Let us know in the Discord or Facebook group!
Source: Xbox Wire
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