On October 13, 2023, Microsoft officially acquired Activision Blizzard with a transaction value of $68.7 billion. With this fantastic value, of course, this immediately makes it the most expensive acquisition ever made by Microsoft throughout its history.
In fact, this acquisition is reportedly one of the largest transaction deals in the global business world. Great, huh? This step was taken by Microsoft to strengthen its position in the industry. video games, especially in the face of tough competitors, such as Sony.
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Meet Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc. is widely recognized as a video game industry company based in Santa Monica, California. Established in July 2008 through the merger of Activision, Inc. and Vivendi Games, the company develops and publishes interactive entertainment content and services in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific region.
Activision Blizzard operates through three main segments namely Activision, Blizzard, and King. And, all of them have spawned a wide range of popular games that have never been short of enthusiasts. Some of these games can be seen below:
- Call of Duty (Activision): One of the most popular FPS game series in the world, known for its exciting gameplay and story mode.
- World of Warcraft (Blizzard): An online MMORPG game that has become one of the most successful games in history, with millions of players worldwide.
- Overwatch (Blizzard): A team shooting game known for its unique characters and teamwork-focused gameplay.
- Diablo (Blizzard): Series action RPG which is famous for its dark and mythological themes.
- StarCraft (Blizzard): One of the most famous RTS games, especially popular in South Korea.
- Hearthstone (Blizzard): A digital card game based on the Warcraft universe, with gameplay that is easy to learn but difficult to master.
- Candy Crush Saga (King): A puzzle game that is very popular on mobile platforms.
- Crash Bandicoot (Activision): A platform game series that follows the adventures of Crash, an anthropomorphic bandicoot, against his enemies. And, there are many other games.
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The Reason Behind Microsoft Officially Acquiring Activision Blizzard
This acquisition was first announced in February 2022 and received attention from many people, especially gamers and business people in the gaming industry. In this acquisition process, Microsoft must sell streaming rights for Activision games to Ubisoft to get approval from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). This is done so that the cloud gaming market is not affected by the acquisition made by Microsoft.
With this acquisition, we can conclude that Microsoft officially owns famous game titles such as "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush Saga". Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, will oversee Activision's business, with Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick staying on until the end of 2023 to help transition his duties.
Then, what about the fate of the officials at Activision Blizzard? Reportedly, Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, as well as several other executives at Activision Blizzard plan to resign from the company. So, they will only serve until the end of 2023.
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How did the gaming industry respond to this acquisition?
The gaming industry's response to this acquisition has been mixed. While there are many who have expressed concerns regarding its impact on competition in the cloud gaming market, many see it as a positive step for Microsoft in its efforts to increase its gaming portfolio and compete more effectively in the global gaming industry. What do you think as a gamer?
Microsoft officially acquiring Activision Blizzard is a strategic move to compete in the gaming industry. With the addition of big and popular games from Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is expected to become a stronger player in the gaming world, especially in the face of intense competition from Sony and other big game companies.
News source:
- https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/uk-antitrust-regulator-clears-microsofts-acquisition-activision-2023-10-13/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67080391
- https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-officially-acquires-activision-nearly-two-years-later-bobby-kotick-resi/1100-6516016/
