The largest video game acquisition of all time caused mixed emotions for investors and gamers when it was announced. Here’s one piece of good news that could come for gamers out of the acquisition.
What Happened: A $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) drew mixed reactions from gamers.
The biggest worry from players comes over what Microsoft might do in terms of making select Activision Blizzard games exclusive to the Xbox consoles, which is a unit of Microsoft.
Microsoft has said they don’t plan on making Activision Blizzard games exclusive currently.
One thing that could come out of the deal is that Microsoft may try to adapt hit PC games from the Blizzard unit into games for consoles. Blizzard is well-known for game franchises that include “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo” and “Overwatch.”
One way Microsoft could provide immediate value from the deal and attract some new gamers is to launch a console version of the popular “World of Warcraft” series, something that has not been done yet, despite many calls from the community for such an option.
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Why It’s Important: “World of Warcraft” has attracted a wide audience, with updates and expansion packs continuing to be released.
A launch of the popular franchise on consoles could be a way for Microsoft to make some Activision Blizzard content exclusives.
If “World of Warcraft” was adapted into a console game, Microsoft could push it onto multiple consoles, which could maximize sales of the franchise, or it could make it exclusive to Xbox, helping boost the console in its rivalry with Sony Group (NYSE:SONY).
Blizzard launched Hearthstone as a free-to-play game that is offered on mobile platforms, expanding the Warcraft franchise even further.
The merger between Microsoft and Activision is not expected to close until 2023 and will require approval by regulators. It could be years before Microsoft Xbox users see a “World of Warcraft” game, if they see it for consoles at all.
“Call of Duty” fans were upset at the possibility of seeing the series go exclusively to Xbox, but that isn’t the current plan and at least three games are signed to be released on multiple platforms in the franchise.
With the acquisition news and seeing how upset “Call of Duty” fans became at the possibility of the games being dropped from Playstation consoles, this seems like the best way for Microsoft to launch an exclusive title for Xbox that could boost market share and not alienate an entire fan base.
Photo: Courtesy of Marco Verch on Flickr
