Microsoft Makes Big Move

Microsoft seeks to acquire Activision Blizzard, a gaming company, for $68.7 Billion, Microsoft’s biggest deal yet. This would  broaden their influence over players who enjoy shooter games like Call Of Duty. Activision owns popular games like World Of Warcraft, Candy Crush, Overwatch, Diablo, and Call Of Duty, in addition to global eSports activities through Major League Gaming. All of which could soon be owned by Microsoft. If this transaction works out, Microsoft will become the third largest gaming company in the world. It could also mean that Microsoft will have the potential to gain all the players from different games and companies, creating a monopoly and ultimately, making Microsoft even more popular.

What could this mean for Sony, the world's leading gaming company?  Sony has already plummeted nearly 13% in Tokyo just on Wednesday, January 19th, after Microsoft announced the deal. However, it could also mean little for this top company. In the deal, Sony is requesting from Microsoft to honor any existing agreements and to continue to ensure that the platform remains multiplatform. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, a Sony spokesperson commented, “We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games remains multiplatform.”

Despite Sony's optimism, Microsoft might still have a chance at beating them. If Microsoft’s deal works out, Sony and Microsoft could be on the same level as each other. Microsoft potentially even rising above Sony as the top video game company. The reason why Microsoft might rise above Sony is because when Sony players have to buy a new PS5 to keep up with the gaming industry, instead they might buy a new Xbox. This would give them access to all the games for a much lower price since some of Activision’s biggest games may be on the game pass.