What a long video game series it was, this acquisition ofActivision Blizzard King by Microsoftmore than 20 months! It was in fact on Tuesday January 18, 2022 that we brought you the news that shook the industry with this buyout worth $68.7 billion. Since then, it has not been easy for Microsoftwho was confronted with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) in the United States following a long trial which led to leaks history last month. In the United Kingdom, the action of the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) for its part led to the sale of the rights to the game in the cloud has Ubisoftwhich will therefore be able to offer the productions ofActivision Blizzard in streaming. The deadline for finalizing the merger was thus extended to October 18, 2023, but it was from this Friday, October 13 that everything was completed since there CMA approved the transaction This morning. And to make this clear to players, there’s nothing like a video highlighting the flagship licenses now under the umbrella of Xbox.
Here’s what Phil Spencer said via Xbox Wire :
We love games. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and its teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and beloved franchises in console, PC, and mobile gaming history. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, from World of Warcraft to Overwatch, from Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Super Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for gamers around the world.
I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it’s nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the whole family in the game room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic winning streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from the experiences their studios created. It’s incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox.
As a team, we will learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do it in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best, where everyone is welcome and which is centered on our continued commitment to play for all. We intend to be inclusive of everything we do at Xbox – from our team, to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a gaming community wider.
Together we will create new worlds and new stories, Bring your favorite games to more places so more players can participateand we will interact with and delight gamers in new and innovative ways in the places they love to play, including mobile, cloud streaming and more.
Players have always been at the center of everything we do. And as we grow, we’ll continue to keep players at the heart of it all. We’ll continue to listen to your feedback, build a community where you can be yourself, where developers can do their best, and continue to create truly fun games. As promised, we’ll also continue to make more games available in more places – and it starts now by allowing cloud streaming providers and gamers to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area, a commitment made to the European Commission. Today, we’re starting work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll tell you more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and so are we.
For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, or mobile, you’re welcome here – and you will remain so, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will open up a world of possibilities for more ways to play. Thank you for your continued support. We have so much more to come in the coming months – I’m excited about the future and can’t wait to share it with you.
To fully understand the entity that has become Xbox with its studios first party following this acquisition, here is a very useful infographic produced by Klobrille. This means around 17,000 additional employees and numerous studios have just come under the control of the gaming section of Microsoftas well as cult licenses like Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, World of Warcraft or candy Crush.
The future of the current CEO of the group ABK Bobby Kotick was also communicated by his care in an email. He will therefore still remain in office until the end of the year. so that the transition goes smoothly.
Team,
Today marks an important milestone in the storied history of our company.
Joining forces with Microsoft will bring new resources and opportunities to our extraordinary teams around the world. It will also allow us to deliver more fun, more joy, and more connection to more players than ever before.
This moment is possible because of your efforts over four decades to innovate, inspire and accomplish.
When Brian Kelly and I began this journey in 1991, we intended to build a business that would have great impact and lasting value. Your tireless work and unwavering commitment to excellence have allowed us to do just that. In the 1980s, we pioneered the development of independent third-party games with Pitfall, River Raid and Kaboom. In the 1990s, we unified the world through online multiplayer games like MechWarrior, Warcraft, and StarCraft. In the 2000s, we launched Call of Duty, which became one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history. We also introduced Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which entered popular culture in a way that few video games ever have. In the 2010s, we launched Candy Crush Saga, which to date has been downloaded more than five billion times and contributed to the total number of gamers worldwide being fifty percent female.
Your dedication is what allows us to continually push boundaries, break records, and delight players. Amid the uncertainty of the past 21 months, you have remained focused, as always, on serving our players and supporting each other. I have long said that I am fully committed to contributing to the transition. Phil asked me to remain CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we agreed that I would do so until the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together for a smooth integration of our teams and players.
Brian and I couldn’t be more excited for the next chapter of ABK. We now join one of the most successful global companies, poised to seize unprecedented opportunities to connect the world through our games.
As part of Microsoft, we will be better, together.
Bobby
As to Xbox Game Passdon’t expect to see Diablo IV and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III this year as clarified earlier this week. After all, the purchase cost will have to be repaid one way or another… But we should start seeing games Activision Blizzard integrate it from 2024.
It’s great to see the anticipation building for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. As we continue to work toward regulatory approval for the deal with Microsoft, we have questions about our upcoming and recently launched games and whether they will be available through Game Pass.
While we have no plans to bring Modern Warfare III or Diablo IV to Game Pass this year, once the deal closes, we plan to begin working with Xbox to bring our titles to more gamers at worldwide. And we plan to start adding games to Game Pass over the next year.
You can also subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from €14.99 per month via Amazon, there Fnac or Cdiscount.
| Alexandre SAMSON (Omega Law) Responsible Proofreader – Editor | ||
| Addicted to Assassin’s Creed and Destiny, big fan of RPGs and passionate about video game experiences in general. Reader of comics (DC) and various mangas (One Piece!). Chemist by training and Whovian at heart. | ||
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