Microsoft to Acquire Game Studio Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion

[icanhazmac]

THIS is what Apple should be doing instead of looking to broadcast MLB! Spend some real money on gaming! Just a couple of big titles with native clients would make a huge difference.

 

[4743913]

Huge amount

That’s likely also going to be the end of native Mac apps from Blizzard. They usually had a good track record in making native mac games

but we have literally hundreds of Wordle clones in the appstore, so everything is good in cupertino

 

[macintoshmac]

Big win for Microsoft. Shows they are dedicated to gaming and are solidifying its tight grip on the market. It also represents a set back to Apple's pretensions in gaming -- if there were any to begin with.

Apple has a different class of gaming, gamers and games on its mind. They are ones who would pay them in-app payments for coins, for toys, power-ups, what not. Apple did not have the games, games and gaming that you are referring to in mind.

 

[robertcoogan]

Well, WoW's been on a steep decline since TBC/WotLK, so maybe this is a good thing?

 

[jimbobb24]

Wow now I have to go from never being able to get a PS5 to never being able to get a PS5 and sometimes wishing I had an Xbox to play Diablo 4. Might actually be good for my transition away from gaming and into learning to read books again.

Blizzard hasn’t been quite the same since Activision took over. Another layer of corporate is not going to help.

 

[cloudphrenia]

EEE

RIP gaming

 

[MRU]

The biggest Q about this purchase/acquisition. Will this finally mark the exit of Bobby Kotick and the toxicity culture he has stood over and promoted ? We can only hope so.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Question now is, will Microsoft prevent Blizzard games from appearing on PS5, Nintendo Switch and Mac computers because Microsoft will want to make sure it's own console is supported first and foremost.

No. Games likes COD, Warcraft etc generate billions in revenue from in-app purchases.

Microsoft will still offer those games on other platforms. Don't rule out Gamepass subscription on Playstation just for games that run on that platform.

In the next few years, MS will care less about which platform you play their games on. As long as you subscribe to gamepass, MS will be delighted.

Money > Platform feuds

Microsoft are aiming for gamepass to become the Disney Plus of gaming with enviable IP.

 

[4743913]

and microsoft had blizzard fire all of their alleged sexual harassers last week so microsoft won't have to deal with that..

 

[maflynn]

You went to the dark side? How dare you.😁

One word - Fallout

 

[Adarna]

View attachment 1946052

I think Bill has about 1% Microsoft stocks by now?

 

[maflynn]

and microsoft had blizzard fire all of their alleged sexual harassers last week so microsoft won't have to deal with that..

Make no mistake that lawsuits will be inbound, the woes of activision-blizzard are not over.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Question now is, will Microsoft prevent Blizzard games from appearing on PS5, Nintendo Switch and Mac computers because Microsoft will want to make sure it's own console is supported first and foremost.

Do walled gardens work for anyone? 😉

 

[MaybeAnInsider]

As a XBOX Game Pass User i like this 👍

 

[JerryCooke]

That’s likely also going to be the end of native Mac apps from Blizzard.

I really hope not, the fact that WoW runs great on an M1 MacMini for example is one of the things that made me comfortable switching.

 

[magiccurve]

Woah woah woah! Does this breach antitrust?

 

[maflynn]

As a XBOX Game Pass User i like this 👍

Its all good, I'm a game pass subscriber, and the catalog of games that we currently have is mind blowing large. This is a huge win for us

 

[Psychicbob]

I can’t see Microsoft allowing M1/2/3 native gaming to continue. The extra effort of maintaining 2 different code libraries will finish Mac gaming for good.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I’ve been a retired WoW player for some time now. I still fire up StarCraft now and then for the weekly mutations. Never in a million years would have guessed Microsoft would buy this. Really hope this pushes cloud gaming forward so it can be platform independent. If CEO/management is staying I’d assume Mac support will continue.

Most of my friends prefer to fire up Crossover on their macs and play Age of Empires on Steam. Still a few WoW holdouts that I know.

 

[ilikewhey]

While I understand that concept at first glance... I have a question.

Why would a studio/publisher want to cut their addressable market in half?

Actually it's more than half... since there are more Playstations out in the world than XBoxen.

🤔

you're forgetting PC, MS will make up the loss by selling more xbox and subscription service.

 

[Blaine]

Well goodbye Mac support

 

[BrownyQ]

Wow. Never thought I'd see the day...

I wonder how long this was in talks behind the scenes, likely before all the messy reports coming out of Blizzard.

 

[ruka.snow]

Blizzard where already dropping Mac support other than World of Warcraft so there is little loss and now I don't see them ever upgrading Star Craft 2 to arm64.

 

[diamond.g]

Wow, talk about jaw dropping.
They spent a boat load on Bethesda, though I'm not sure this could pass antitrust muster

Remember all those times I said Apple should buy a dev/publisher (Like Acti-Blizzard/Ubisoft)? Pepperidge Farms remembers....

 

[Michael Scrip]

you're forgetting PC, MS will make up the loss by selling more xbox and subscription service.

But that's my point... Microsoft could sell games on PC, XBox *and* Playstation. Why cut out the largest console?

It just seems weird to limit the places to play these games. But I guess they have their reasons.

As someone said earlier... maybe Microsoft could bring their subscription service to Playstation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯