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[GrayChild]

Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse

Microsoft Corp. plans to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. for $68.7 billion, acquiring a legendary game publisher responsible for franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but recently roiled by claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination.

www.bloomberg.com

Microsoft plans to keep making some of Activision's games for PlayStation consoles but will also keep some content exclusive to Xbox, said a person familiar with the company's thinking.

"I'll just say to players out there who are playing Activision Blizzard games on Sony's platform: It's not our intent to pull communities away from that platform and we remained committed to that," Spencer said in an interview.

There you go. Sony isn't going anywhere and the Playstation brand will be perfectly fine.

JIM RYAN IS GOD!

 

[Aguero9320]

Have we gone back in time? That's almost identical to what was said about Zenimax at this stage...

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

 

[Represent.]

Oh wow.

 

[JimRyanGOAT]

Have we gone back in time? That's almost identical to what was said about Zenimax at this stage...

Don't think it is

WIth Zenimax it was much more cryptc

 

[FunkMiller]

 

[Andodalf]

Hope y'all like Warzone

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Buying A-B might actually change their stance toward exclusives entirely. Why not exploit a player base that wants to pay premium prices for a la carte options?

The big question is whether Sony would allow for a limited version of GamePass or if MS would be interested offering one for PS players.

 

[KyoZz]

We'll talk about that again in five years.

 

[Topher]

Ok.....but existing Call of Duty communities versus future Call of Duty communities? Doesn't really answer the question.

 

[elliot5]

Aka warzone on ps but mainline titles no

 

[Evil Calvin]

Key phrase: " some of Activision's games "

So, COD probably

 

[ResilientBanana]

I'm thrilled to share that this morning we announced an agreement to acquire Activision Blizzard in an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion. Activision Blizzard is one of the largest game publishers worldwide across console, PC and mobile, and it's home to nearly 400 million monthly active players, along with iconic games including Call of Duty, Candy Crush, World of Warcraft and Diablo.

Microsoft just bought a user-base. Chances are they will keep it as wide open as possible and grab that money rake.

 

[The_Mike]

"But Sony still won't support game pass, so they are not interested in keeping the community together"

Could imagine something like that.

 

[Banjo64]

Don't think it is

WIth Zenimax it was much more cryptc

It really wasn't, it was all the same tosh about respecting platforms where they have a legacy etc.

They can't speak about it until the acquisition goes through officially. It's bad PR to come out and say 'lol fuck paystation buy an Xbox if u want cod - noobs'

 

[Holammer]

Realistically a lot of COD games already have contracts signed for years ahead. Especially for COD.
Same situation they had with Bethesda, but once prior commitments are dealt with? That's when it gets interesting.

 

[Nikana]

Clear as mud.

 

[mansoor1980]

so why they fork over 70 billion ?

 

[Captain Toad]

Have we gone back in time? That's almost identical to what was said about Zenimax at this stage...

Or what they said about Minecraft.

This basically means Call of Duty Warzone will remain on everything. Basically everything else will be Xbox+PC.

 

[DenchDeckard]

This is all the push for Microsoft to basically Trojan horse gamepass onto every platform possible imo. It will start small and then it will be mandatory that if you want the games you have to allow gamepass and x cloud on the platform.
that's what I think anyway.

 

[AmuroChan]

Microsoft: We will make Candy Crush available on PlayStation platforms.

 

[Fake]

Impossible. Someone here said they will make everything exclusives.

 

[Aguero9320]

Don't think it is

WIth Zenimax it was much more cryptc

This was what Spencer said about Zenimax. Direct quote.

"We have games that exist on other platforms and we're gonna go support those games on the platforms they're on. There're communities of players, we love those communities, and we'll continue to invest in them."

It's almost identical to the quote in the OP.

 

[Represent.]

So basically MS is trying to force Sony to put Gamepass on PlayStation.

Keep COD multiplatform.

$70 on PS5. Free on Gamepass.

 

[dem]

For now...
They won't even have their hands on the company for a year.

Talk to them in a few years when they are trying to launch another platform.

I hope COD Zombies was worth it for Sony.

 

[PuffyCan]

pulling communities is not the same as creating communities, expect current games to continue being supported, just like with Bethesda.

 

[Kenshin775]

Here we go again. MS won't be specific because the deal isn't done. It also benefits them because its free advertising. Its like Starfield and ES6.

 

[HTK]

Hope y'all like Warzone

Call of Duty is Warzone these days if you haven't noticed.

 

[Hendrick's]

Will be hilarious to have the best selling game on your competitors platform.

 

[Gameplaylover]

That still could mean:

- You can still have the old stuff + servers, but a new game means a new community
- You can have new stuff via our special Sony Game Pass

 

[Majukun]

sounds like a pretty strange decision, unless the subtext of that quote is "sony, you can have cod back if you open your doors to gamepass"

 

[Topher]

Impossible. Someone here said they will make everything exclusives.

I still think they will, but they are not going to just shut down existing games on PlayStation. I could be wrong though and Activision keeps doing what it always has on PS.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

We'll talk about that again in five years.

Exactly.

MS never pulled Minecraft or Bethesda games from PS either. Whatever existing games and servers are there are still there.

But going forward for unreleased games, who knows which existing or new franchises and games go to PS or not.

 

[M16]

It's not our intent to pull communities away from that platform and we remained committed to that

we already know they wont pull warzone for example because its a multiplatform game as a service, a la minecraft. but you can bet every new COD installment will be exclusive.

 

[GHG]

Phil always lies.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

The same cycle again...

Warzone will stay, Overwatch too maybe some MMO. Everything else? No.

 

[The Alien]

Doubtful that a trillion dollar company capable of pulling of a $70B acquisition will share it with the market leader who they've had an acrimonious relationship with for decades.

Wishful thinking I suppose. Truth is nobody knows at this point. These 'anonymous sources familiar with their thinking' is bullshit. We shall see.

 

[Topher]

sounds like a pretty strange decision, unless the subtext of that quote is "sony, you can have cod back if you open your doors to gamepass"

"Counter offer: give us COD and we give you Knack, Days Gone, and this guy......"

 

[Dr Kaneda]

No they won't. You don't pay 70 BILLION to keep publishing your most popular games on your biggest competitors system.

For a lot COD absolutely is a system seller. If COD becomes exclusive to XBOX people wont just spot playing it, they'll buy XBOX's to play it

 

[Roman Empire]

Idk if WoW subscription will join Gamepass but I can see they implement something akin to what Final Fantasy does with the free-to-play version to all gamepass holders, and possibly the subscription with access to the latest DLC only to Ultimate members. This could be a genuine move on WoW's revival.

 

[MoreJRPG]

So like Bethesda, enjoy Warzone and that's about it.

 

[twilo99]

Have we gone back in time? That's almost identical to what was said about Zenimax at this stage...

Exactly.

Next step is Spencer saying that between xbox and windows he has enough and doesn't need to "go ship games" on other platforms

 

[BennyBlanco]

They went through this same song and dance with Bethesda too. Sony might just get bullied into allowing Gamepass on their consoles.

 

[Aguero9320]

This really is deja vu of the worst kind. Substitute "they'll make everything else exclusive but Starfield and Elder Scrolls will still come to PlayStation, they won't leave that money on the table" with "they'll make everything else exclusive but Call of Duty will still come to PlayStation, they won't leave that money on the table".

The biggest incentives to buy Bethesda were Elder Scrolls and Starfield. The biggest reason for this deal is Call of Duty - the entire MS leadership should be fired if they even consider doing anything but making future CODs exclusive to their platform (and I mean Gamepass, not Xbox, as Gamepass is now the Microsoft gaming platform in essence.)

 

[CobraAB]

Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse

Microsoft Corp. plans to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. for $68.7 billion, acquiring a legendary game publisher responsible for franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but recently roiled by claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination.

www.bloomberg.com

There you go. Sony isn't going anywhere and the Playstation brand will be perfectly fine.

JIM RYAN IS GOD!

Must be devastating to the MS boys.

 

[Fake]

I still think they will, but they are not going to just shut down existing games on PlayStation. I could be wrong though and Activision keeps doing what it always has on PS.

They probably will focus on Game Pass. This is a long term aquisition, will take years to the money return. Until there, I can't see reason to make everything exclusive. Money is money.

 

[dem]

Warzone will be filled with Microsoft branding and be better on Xbox.

Guess who gets Zombies now?

 

[Jadsey]

Here we go again!!!

In my opinion, either GamePass comes to Playstation or CoD will be an exclusive.

Got to recoup that $70bn.

 

[Aion002]

It makes sense.

Put CoD on game pass and also sell it for 70 usd on Playstation.

 

[Hugare]