Activision-Blizzard Thread: Just announced the Layoffs of 1900 jobs.

[Steevy Maximus]

Good God, Microsoft is just determined to rescue every terrible game company from the consequences of their own actions, aren't they. It was one thing when it was just serially-incompetent Bethesda, but... no, Activision does not deserve to go on existing. And we don't deserve to go on coexisting with it on this planet.

Activision would have continued existing anyway. King Games still generates billions on the back its mobile game empire. Despite the controversies, Call of Duty was STILL the best selling game last year across both Playstation AND Xbox.

I can accept this as long as Microsoft cleans house and fires all employees who were involved in the sexual misconduct (which sadly, I know won't happen considering the state of the video game industry and how they protect their own when such accusations fly).

I have ZERO concern that Microsoft is going to be cleaning house once the ink dries on the deal. Activision/Blizzard not only has the baggage of its own corporate conduct, but of its own decaying legacy.
Practically every studio they have has been forced into working on Call of Duty in some way, shape. or form. They've squandered, liquidated and driven away scores of talent.

I really think that Microsoft isn't getting quite the deal we think. Yes, there are a lot of studios associated with the purchase, but they've been so stripped down...I'm not sure some of them will survive the purchase. It will take YEARS for studios like Toys for Bob or Raven to scratch back on inch of their old reputations.

Microsoft is going to have completely redevelop the corporate mentality of Activision and its studios. Blizzard is coming only mildly ahead because Activision largely left them alone to do their own thing (which has its OWN issues...)

 

[Ungnome]

It's not the studios MS is after, it's the IP, it's always the IP with them. The studios, if they are good, are just a bonus. They just got their hands on Warcraft, CoD and Candy Crush, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo etc.

Heck, they can finally make Pitfall: Raid of the Uncharted Tomb.

 

[Sjogre]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that this is an IP acquisition, with any studios surviving being in danger of being axed.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Heck, they can finally make Pitfall: Raid of the Uncharted Tomb.

Just so long as they get Bruce Campbell back for Harry!

 

[Pale Rider]

Simply dialing back Activision's lame practice of releasing a new CoD every year should free up their devs to work on other projects that actually utilize their other IPs.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Please let this lead to new Spyro projects.

 

[Pale Rider]

Between Halo, Doom and CoD, I think MS will have the dudebro FPS market all locked down. They can afford to diversify, especially since it'll give Game Pass wider appeal.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

It's not the studios MS is after, it's the IP, it's always the IP with them. The studios, if they are good, are just a bonus. They just got their hands on Warcraft, CoD and Candy Crush, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo etc.

Heck, they can finally make Pitfall: Raid of the Uncharted Tomb.

Nah, Microsoft is already sitting on a treasure trove of IP that's lying around unused because there's only so many games their people can work on. They don't need IP. they need people to make the games.

Specifically what they need is content. Content for Gamepass. Old games are good (Play every CoD released on Gamepass!) but new games are really where they're focus is at. Call of Duty, Overwatch 2, Diablo 4.. if those games are Day 1 gamepass releases, with access to a massive library of older titles, that's going to bring even more people into the Gamepass fold.

 

[Pale Rider]

Especially if they can make Game Pass so irresistible that even Sony and Nintendo will allow it on their consoles. It's not entirely outside the realm of possibility.

MS may even pull a Sega and get out of the console hardware business entirely after another generation. Why bother if every other device under the sun can use Game Pass?

Xbox consoles have never been profitable on their own, Microsoft admits in court

Xbox consoles have never been profitable, a Microsoft representative said in a court testimony on Wednesday.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Pocket]

I just realized. The PlayStation's own mascots now belong to Sony's biggest competitor.

Somebody find out who at Sony passed up the opportunity to buy those IPs, and check on them to see if they're OK.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

It was the PS2 era when Sony had like 2x the market share of Nintendo and Microsoft combined; they didn't need mascots.

 

[Ungnome]

Their mascots were part of a co-publishing deal with Universal Interactive Studios that ended when Vivendi bought out Universal.

Just realized Microsoft now owns Sierra's back catalog. Maybe we can get the classic Sierra adventure games on Gamepass. They already run on modern machines through ScummVM.

 

[Tm_Silverclaw]

If only we could get Wing Commander back.. But I'm really not concerned that MS bought some dead IPs.


And yes, Spyro, Crash, Tony Hawk... all dead IPs because Activision dissolved the studio or put the teams on CoD.

 

[Pale Rider]

If only we could get Wing Commander back..

EA bought Origin. Shouldn't they own the IP?

 

[Ungnome]

They did. That's why the new Wing Commander game is called Squadron 42 and the new Privateer is called Star Citizen.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

I mean, if Microsoft really wanted a space sim series, they DO have Freelancer sitting in the archives.

 

[The Predaking]

I am so amped to see Microsoft buying them up. Bobby will be gone next June, and I will be able to play Diablo 4 without a guilt trip.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

I am so amped to see Microsoft buying them up. Bobby will be gone next June, and I will be able to play Diablo 4 without a guilt trip.

AND you'll be able to play it day one on Xbox Game Pass! Along with the rest of Activision's non-licensed back catalog!

 

[Pocket]

Wait, that reminds me... Activision for some reason made a Wolfenstein game one time and it got delisted from Steam because licensing jive. Does this mean we're going to get that back now?

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Wait, that reminds me... Activision for some reason made a Wolfenstein game one time and it got delisted from Steam because licensing jive. Does this mean we're going to get that back now?

With any luck, we'll see that, the Hexen II expansion, and Heretic II made available. I'd add in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars but that's a MP only game and I doubt it has much of a player base anymore.