Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard King for $69 Billion on 2023-10-13

[see colon]

I hope Toys for Bob makes a sequel to The Horde. Unless they don't retain any of their original IP.

 

[eastmen]

Microsoft Gaming's Blizzard Entertainment games are coming back to China thanks to a new deal with NetEase, while also 'exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox'

Microsoft Gaming, Blizzard Entertainment, and NetEase reach a new deal to bring Blizzard games back to China.

www.windowscentral.com

Looks like microsoft is bringing back wow and stuff to china and we may see the flood gates open and netease will bring their games to xbox

 

[Cyan]

Microsoft has ‘let Blizzard be Blizzard’ following its acquisition, studio says | VGC

Microsoft has “let Blizzard be Blizzard,” following the acquisition of the veteran developer according to World of Warcraft’s executive producer.

www.videogameschronicle.com

“There’s no one asking us to do anything,” she continued. “World of Warcraft is doing very well and they’re very proud of what it’s been able to accomplish, so it’s almost like just let it be, and let it keep being awesome. They’ve been tremendously supportive and it’s like ‘let Blizzard be Blizzard’.”

 

[MCharta]

Is letting Blizzard being Blizzard really such a great thing lately ? I have no definitive answer but it's surely not a big yes without hesitations.

 

[cheapchips]

Is letting Blizzard being Blizzard really such a great thing lately ? I have no definitive answer but it's surely not a big yes without hesitations.

We have at least a couple of anecdotes of execs at ABK outside of the game teams themselves enforcing stupid decisions. So probably.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

We have at least a couple of anecdotes of execs at ABK outside of the game teams themselves enforcing stupid decisions. So probably.

Overwatch 2's PvE content scrapped as devs are denied bonuses for the first time, report claims

Overwatch 2's beleaguered PvE content has reportedly been scrapped.That's according to Bloomberg, which reported yester…

www.eurogamer.net

​

Blizzard had always shared bonuses company-wide to avoid "everyone [wanting] to work on the most successful games rather than experiment with new ideas", but former Activision boss, Bobby Kotich, had long argued that only those "behind the most lucrative products should be rewarded".​

 

[Kaotik]

Overwatch 2's PvE content scrapped as devs are denied bonuses for the first time, report claims

Overwatch 2's beleaguered PvE content has reportedly been scrapped.That's according to Bloomberg, which reported yester…

www.eurogamer.net

​

Blizzard had always shared bonuses company-wide to avoid "everyone [wanting] to work on the most successful games rather than experiment with new ideas", but former Activision boss, Bobby Kotich, had long argued that only those "behind the most lucrative products should be rewarded".​

That works great when you're activision which did nothing but re-print same games over and over and over again. If you want innovative new IPs that mentality won't work in a company that has big cash cow titles too.

 

[pharma]

Microsoft Still Evaluating Whether to Put CoD on Game Pass (and a Game Pass Price Increase), Hellblade II PS5

Microsoft may be making other changes to its Xbox division, such as potentially not putting Call of Duty on Game Pass after all.

wccftech.com

Following the unexpected move to shut down three game studios and merge another with ZeniMax Online, we learned that Microsoft is still planning more cuts to its Xbox division. But that's not the full extent of the company's re-evaluation of its gaming strategy.

According to The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft is still pondering whether to put Call of Duty on Game Pass. Call of Duty is a big driver of Activision Blizzard's revenue, after all, and there are concerns that adding the games to the subscription service could reduce that revenue as players stop purchasing Call of Duty at full price to get it on Game Pass.
...
Anyway, Tom Warren also heard Microsoft might be looking to increase the price of Game Pass Ultimate (again - it already did so less than a year ago, though the United States were unaffected), although it's not certain that will happen.

 

[Malo]

Warzone is free-to-play and generates a stupid amount of ongoing revenue from battle passes and the hundreds of theme packs. Put that on game pass and entice even more millions of rapid CoD smack talking kids.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If it's F2P, why does it need to go on GP?

 

[Malo]

If it's F2P, why does it need to go on GP?

To promote the GP product, gain MAUs to draw gamers to additional products available there.

 

[fehu]

For Mighty Doom (rip), they added some perks in the free game if you linked it to a gamepass enabled account

 

[see colon]

For Mighty Doom (rip), they added some perks in the free game if you linked it to a gamepass enabled account

This, I believe, is a sure bet. Warzone perks in the form of some skins or whatever the Warzone MacGuffin is will undoubtably be a GP Ultimate perk.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

To promote the GP product, gain MAUs to draw gamers to additional products available there.

But those GP subscribers (and non subscribers) can get the game elsewhere. You mean as a sort of smoke-and-mirrors thing??

 

[Malo]

But those GP subscribers (and non subscribers) can get the game elsewhere. You mean as a sort of smoke-and-mirrors thing??

Yeah I guess it doesn't really make sense unless it's only available on GP. No one who might be interested in Warzone would choose to use GP for it if they don't have GP already.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Not putting the full CoD on GP would be a big mistake. MS should stick to their original plan. They aren't patient enough.

 

[eastmen]

For Mighty Doom (rip), they added some perks in the free game if you linked it to a gamepass enabled account

i couldn't get into mighty doom. It just wasn't good

 

[fehu]

Another chapter of Microsoft buys stuff

Microsoft Reportedly Readies $16 Billion Bid to Acquire Valve / Steam

Rumors have recently surfaced suggesting that Microsoft is considering a significant acquisition bid valued at approximately $16 billion for Valve Corporation, the entity behind major gaming franchises such as Half-Life and Portal, and operator of the Steam Store, the leading digital...

www.guru3d.com

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Another chapter of Microsoft buys stuff

No, it's just a completely unfounded rumour from nowhere.

 

[eastmen]

No, it's just a completely unfounded rumour from nowhere.

Yea the only way I can see it happening is if Gabe is sick and is ready to retire. He has had a long history of decent to good relationships with MS. I think he is one of two owners of valve right? So I dunno but 16B sounds way too low to me.


Obviously MS could find a million ways to buy steam and then screw everything up. If I was MS and did purchase steam i would dump the xbox app and just intergrate steam. For the next xbox have the whole store based on steam and allow your steam games that are compatible to run on the Xbox and vice versa