What does the Activision mean

Did you felt her yesterday (January 18, 2022), the shock of power? At least I have fallen almost from the chair when suddenly flown from all sides to the ears of the ears, all aimed at a news: Microsoft takes over Activision Blizzard , for nearly $70 billion US dollars. Beam who sat. The entire rest of the day was hardly another topic for my brain.

• Microsoft is equivalent to the future
• Mobile and met averse
• What will be playing?
• WoW and Diablo soon in the Game Pass?
• Now better games from Blizzard?
• So everything is great now?

Microsoft is equivalent to the future

It was not the first OHA! Decor of Microsoft in recent years. Already 2020/2021 Animal Media and Bethesda Soft works were welcomed in the Microsoft family . However, the creators of Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Dishonored and Co. were a bargain in comparison. Cost of 7.5 billion US dollars.

Of course, Microsoft is currently in position for the future. A future in which you want to further strengthen the Xbox Game Pass with strong franchises and new entrants, clear. Finally, you have first 25 million subscribers. In three billion players in the world (according to the Microsoft Head of Gaming Phil Spencer) there is still a lot of air up. In addition, the topic cloud gaming will become increasingly important in the next few years — according to the well-known Microsoft Mantra Play Anywhere. A strong Game Pass is then double important.

Mobile and met averse

However, Microsoft also pursues more goals that many Core Gamers may have fallen less. For example, in yesterday's investor appointment, the topic of mobile was a very big 1. Microsoft had not managed to establish itself as Big Player in recent years. Considering that half of the global sales of the Games' industry comes from the mobile area and that according to Microsoft 95 percent of the gamers also play on mobile devices, then this is a large gap in their own portfolio, which is now through the Experts should be closed at King (Candy Crush).

Distressed, I was a little about how often Phil Spencer and Activision CEO Bobby Kick have taken the word met averse in his mouth. In fact, the two executives not only see Tencent and Sony as great competitors of the future, but also Facebook, Google, Amazon and other tech giants. Apparently all these companies want to take as much influence as possible to the upcoming met averse, no matter in which form will exist. And a key should be the gaming industry, which is why Microsoft now invests a lot of money here to enlarge.

What will be playing?

Again and again I now read the question of what will happen with Blizzard game XY. The Bethesda Deal from 2020/2021 gives us some answers to this question. First, not much will happen to the outside. In the acquisition of Animal it took half a year until the European Commission gave her OK. Activision Blizzard is greater again a whole corner. It could take up to 2023 until the integration of Activision is completed in Microsoft.

Also clear: Microsoft will, as far as announced new releases are concerned, will meet all procedures already signed contracts by Activision Blizzard. That's exactly what happened to the Animal / Bethesda deal: a Death loop appeared in September 2021 for the PlayStation 5. For example, a Diablo 4 or Overreach 2 it is likely to already give appropriate arrangements with Sony. So I am very sure that these two titles will also appear on the PlayStation.

WoW and Diablo soon in the Game Pass?

This is different with all new releases from Activision, for which there are not such contracts yet. The example Star field shows beautiful where the journey will probably go here: The Bethesda-RPG appears exclusively for Xbox and PC, on November 11, 2022, and will be available from day 1 in the Game Pass. The only question is what strategy Microsoft wants to drive in the medium term: 1) Sony due to exceptional exclusivity weaknesses (but do without the revenue of PlayStation sales)? Or 2) With strong PlayStation franchises like Call of Duty take the revenue and put only punctually on exclusivity?

Warcraft, Star craft, Diablo, Candy Crush, Call of Duty and many more — Microsoft may be happy about BIG strong brands. Source: Microsoft is clear, however, is that shortly after the official confirmation of the acquisition is quite fast many Activision games in the Xbox Game Pass. Shortly after the Animal acceptance, 20 Bethesda games expanded the offer from the Game Pass. Later came more. Similarly, this should look at the new deal.

And since also a Elder Scrolls online now belongs to the Xbox Game Pass, from my point of view, World of Warcraft could sometime be part of the package. The question is here only how Microsoft then moves with the subscription. After all, the subscription at Test is only optional nature. And you have to come up with a solution for the Battle.net launcher, after all, the community features of WoW are closely linked to the launcher.

Now better games from Blizzard?

Many players now write that in Blizzard thanks to the takeover in the future, hopefully everything will be better again. However, as with the Animal deal, Microsoft again emphasizes that the studios and teams continue to run their thing on their own responsibility. Nevertheless, in the way of working and the selection of projects in the future, it could change alone by the fact that no more Activision, but Microsoft pretends philosophy. And among other things, this new philosophy sees it, among other things, to offer a wide range of Xbox Game Pass.

Unless otherwise formulated: instead of continuing the great series and to put Games-AS-A service over everything else, maybe we may expect more exciting projects from the Activision studios over the next few years. However, you should not necessarily hope for a new real-time strategy game from Blizzard, after all, most experienced RTS stretchers have meanwhile failed in other companies.

In other bodies, the Activision Blizzard Studios are likely to benefit from the takeover. On the one hand, Microsoft-wide new synergies are now possible, as far as the cooperation of teams, the exchange of experiences or the use of brands are concerned. I am sure that the Microsoft Responsible will look closely at which licenses are currently unused in the Activision cellar. Plus: The integration into the Game Pass can play straight with co-op or multiplayer content bring a real player thrust, see Sea of ​​Thieves .

So everything is great now?

It depends on. It should not be forgotten that by taking over a big player of the gaming industry has become much larger, while at the same time a competitor disappears from the scene. However, it is known to involve the business and consumers are always better for us, if we can choose from many offers that act at eye level.

The firing of Halo Infinite feel great, but the Open World disappointed. Source: PC Games Hardware Nobody knows, for example, what Microsoft project with the Xbox Game Pass, as soon as it will soon be recovered again after the integration of the EA and Bethesda games. When the Netflix officers have taken more money in the hands to expand the offer, the subscription price rose. That's exactly what I expect the Xbox Game Pass in the next two years.

In the worst case, Microsoft could get the idea to offer all your games only over the Game Pass, but then lift the fee clearly. Thumb down, that it does not come so far! Fruitlessly, not that even with Microsoft, the grass is not always wonderfully green. As for the exclusive titles, Microsoft could not keep up with Sony over many years. And also a Fora Horizon 5 (quasi a copy of the predecessor with new setting) or Halo Infinite (Made Open World) from 2021 were not exactly the AAA top ranger. There are reasons why Microsoft has invested so much money in external studios in recent years...

What do you think: How will the takeover have an impact in the next few years? Betrays us your thoughts in the comments!