Every year in the video game industry we see more and more massive deals that change the face of the industry both for professionals who work in it as well as gamers. 2023 is no different as we have seen one of the biggest if not the biggest gaming deals ever made in the history of the industry. But what does this deal mean for gamers and the gaming industry at large? While we know fully what the repercussions of this deal will have on big industry in the years to come we can speculate and see what changes it affects on the current state of the industry as it is right now. So let’s delve a little deeper into it and take a look at both companies and what will come of it.
First and foremost, it’s important to take a look at both companies independently before the deal. Microsoft currently is poised to be the biggest video game company in the world. Not only does it have the backing of the larger nonvideo game branches of the Microsoft mother company but with its Xbox game pass initiative it has taken a large part of the market. While consoles and their market have become quite unpredictable Xbox is still a household name that means a lot for gamers and for the industry at large. It has become quite common knowledge nowadays that Microsoft has been buying a lot of companies including some giants such as Bethesda which makes a lot of gamers wonder if we are not seeing the start of a monopoly potentially.
When it comes to Activision Blizzard king we have to look at the further context of it being an agglomeration of multiple companies as a result of a prior merger. The prior merger came as a result of a yearlong deal-making between both Blizzard and Activision. The acquisition of Blizzard by Activision King made for a massive conglomerate of companies that held some of the biggest money makers in the industry in the names of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and surprisingly Candy Crush. Despite some disastrous decisions by leader Bobby Kotick as well as poor management of the company and scandals that struck Activision and Blizzard the company was still worth a lot of money.
This merger came to a head at the end of a few years in which Blizzard faced a lot of criticism for sexual harassment scandals and poor treatment of their employees trying to unionize. While many assurances have been made by Microsoft to manage Activision Blizzard king in a way to prevent further issues that could bring on legal problems the reality is that there is still a lot to be done to prove to players and video game industry actors at large that they are well-intentioned. Many people in the Blizzard unionizing push I’ve been saying that the Microsoft deal would probably sign them up for much harder times when it comes to unionizing. As we know that unionizing is quite difficult in the video game industry we can only hope that even under Microsoft they have the chance to fight for their rights.
When it comes to players there is a big question will this deal affect all video games made by these companies? Some gamers are awful thinking that the guidance of Microsoft will help guide Activision Blizzard King into making better decisions with their products, but others are worried that these decisions will lead Microsoft to become too big of a player in the industry. The reality is that Microsoft is taking the heirs of a potential monopoly with the many companies they have been buying. Meanwhile, the American government has not intervened so far to break up any potential monopoly that could infringe the monopoly laws in stored in The United States. We can only hope that if it comes to it things will be kept lawful and that the video game industry will not fall under the thumb of Microsoft.
Whether it be Microsoft or Sony the reality of monopolies in the video game industry has been something that concerns many gamers and many journalists alike. The issue with these mergers is that while they are made for the profit of one single company, they still affect the whole industry. So it’s no wonder journalists and gamers alike are asking for transparency as well as accountability from those companies since they make the products that these people look forward to. If these companies hold themselves accountable it is the job of both journalists as well as consumers to make sure that they are held accountable especially when they reach massive status is similar to what Microsoft is doing with this deal.
Whether you are a gamer who enjoys spending your time on popular skyblock Minecraft servers or someone who prefers single-player experiences such as Alan Wake 2, you definitely should keep an eye on the industry. It is important to follow how the industry evolves if you are somebody who enjoys video games since it is gamers who help mold the industry with their money. This is what many people refer to as voting with your wallet and only encouraging companies that you believe are doing things morally and ethically. We can only hope that the industry changes further in that gamers themselves can push for positive change in the future. Only time will tell if the video game industry will be able to deal with these changes and come out of it positively.
