What Does the Microsoft Acquisition of Activision Blizzard Mean for You?
Microsoft recently announced it would be purchasing Activision Blizzard for a sum of $68.7 billion. This will make it one of the most significant acquisitions in video gaming history. So, what does this mean for avid gamers like you?
More Games to Game Pass
Microsoft has big plans for Game Pass. If you've not heard of Game Pass, it gives you access to various games for a small monthly fee. Microsoft has also added Xbox Cloud Gaming to this, making it more lucrative. This addition means you don't have to own an Xbox console to game anymore - Game Pass is all you need.
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard is another step in strengthening this subscription-based model. This was also seen when Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media. Various titles were added to Game Pass. This included new titles such as Dishonored 2 and Quake II.
The new deal with Activision will give Xbox, and PC gamers access to various Activision titles. This will also include titles for older consoles like the Xbox One and Xbox 360. Microsoft has done this with titles like Psychonauts (added for Xbox) and Rage (added for Xbox 360).
Microsoft has begun marketing that new titles will come to Game Pass as soon as they're released. This means top tiles like Diablo and Call of Duty will be available to all Game Pass subscribers.
Game Pass Cost Changes?
Game Pass is the ideal deal for gamers. It costs just $14.99, which is the cost of three gaming titles. At this cost, gamers can access over a hundred top tiles like Forza and Halo. Microsoft adds more games daily, making the monthly subscription very lucrative.
Will Game Pass become more expensive in the future? Although it's unlikely, things may change with Sony's new subscription model just around the corner. Also, unlike other subscription models, Microsoft has other avenues to make money. This means that Microsoft is not looking to profit from the Game Pass subscription model.
Xbox Exclusive
With the latest acquisition, it is said that all Activision Blizzard titles will be exclusive to Xbox. Although it's difficult to say if other games will release exclusively on Xbox, talks are on, and Microsoft may do everything in its power to make Game Pass even more attractive.
World Changing Deal?
Activision is known for shooting games, while Blizzard handles a different demographic. The recent acquisition has opened discussions of what will happen to Blizzard's existing services. It is said that Microsoft could also include a WoW (World of Warcraft) subscription along with Game Pass Ultimate. This will give the popular MMORPG a new lease on life.
Titles like Overwatch and Diablo also have sequels in development. These are expected to be released on Game Pass on the first day of their release.
Advertisement
This just further proves M$ knows a lot of Linux/BSD people keep a M$ Windews partition only for the sake of GAMING.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they deep throated even more game companies.
There are “mock trials” but M$ just has too much power to be convicted again.
Criminals.
After 2014, gaming has become incredibly dull. I’m happy to have broken that habit.
“Microsoft recently announced it would be purchasing Activision Blizzard…”
Actually, it wasn’t all that recent. It was back in January.
https://news.microsoft.com/2022/01/18/microsoft-to-acquire-activision-blizzard-to-bring-the-joy-and-community-of-gaming-to-everyone-across-every-device/
I don’t have an opinion one way or the other on this acquisition. With all of the other large mergers and acquisitions that go through with relatively no objections, I’m surprised that this is the one that regulators are pushing back on.
Watching Microsoft consume more and more of the games industry by the year is like watching cancer spreading in super slow motion.
Are you quite sure that Microsoft can buy Activision.
This is because FTC sues to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the day before yesterday.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/12/ftc-seeks-block-microsoft-corps-acquisition-activision-blizzard-inc
Also, other watchdogs are looking into these possible purges.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/01/microsofts-activision-blizzard-acquisition-under-more-scrutiny-as-uk-launches-in-depth-antitrust-probe/
“It costs just $14.99, which is the cost of three gaming titles.”
Wow, that’s a fantastic price for three games!
W11 is a game itself. No Activision required.
“what does this mean for avid gamers like you?”
It doesn’t mean a thing.
Microsoft won’t buy Activision Blizzard. For now UK and US regulators oppose the move.
The buy won’t happen.
Well, looks like Tencent will continue to own minority of stake. FTC wants to block that acquisition.
Tencent is the reason which stops me to return back to play World of Warcraft.
Why not play it on private servers? They offer much better experience and you don’t have to support something you don’t want to.
Turtle WoW is a great server that I play on. It’s a Vanilla Plus, which means it’s running on the 1.12.1 client, but has additional lore-friendly modifications, like playable High Elves for the Alliance, playable Goblins for the Horde, minor class changes, new zones (Gilijim’s Island, Lapidis Island, Hawk’s Vigil and more) lots of new quests, the old zones have additional things added to them, for example Goldshire has 2-3 new houses and a few new NPCs that offer brand new quests.
It’s really the best way to experience WoW nowadays and veterans can appreciate all the changes.
Looking at the links in this article, the first thing that jumps out to me is how most of them seems unrelated to what is written in this article. The link under “titles for older consoles” lead to an article about Microsoft adding advertisement to f2p games. The last link about “shooting games” just leads to an article by Shaun on Softonic about this year’s Game Awards. There is no mention to any shooting game or Activision that I could find in that article. But the most curious is the very first link. It leads to an article on ghacks clearly labeled “Sponsored content”. Is it too much to ask for the return of this label?
I look forward to the merge to complete in hopes it will bring back some of the old Blizzard back. More focused on its own workforce wellbeing and its games.
This is not going to be a positive experience. Blizzard was a disaster before the purchase. With Microsoft at the helm it’s going to be even worse.
RIP Blizzard.
Are you high?
When Blizzard sold out to Activision that killed what Blizzard was. Activision is exactly like the stereotypical evil step father. Microsoft acquiring Activision is like the kids also getting an evil step grandfather.