The announcement that Microsoft is purchasing Activision Blizzard for $68 billion has caused plenty of gaming fans to speculate about the futures of all the industry giants involved and why this acquisition is happening now, in the midst of the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit that's investigating the countless abuses the company has been accused of committing. Given the fact that head of Xbox Phil Spencer recently commented on the matter saying that Xbox was "reevaluating" its relationship with Activision Blizzard, it seems as if Microsoft talked it over and decided that it could fix corporate issues at Activision Blizzard if it were in full command of it.
Fans are hoping that true change is in the works, especially given the horror stories that have come to light since the lawsuit started, but now that Microsoft owns the company, it's going to be its responsibility to clean up and fix it. If it doesn't, Xbox's reputation as being the "good guy" of the games industry that it's worked so hard over the past several years to acquire is in jeopardy.
Microsoft Playing the 'Good Guy'
It's easy to see why Xbox has gained so much favor in the eyes of the public over the past few years. The company has taken a consumer-friendly approach to all of its dealings from the astounding value of Xbox Game Pass to its affordable controller design studio, Microsoft has made it clear that it wants anyone who's ever engaged with Xbox consoles to be able to enjoy the current generation of gaming together. On top of all that, Phil Spencer's position as essentially the face of the company does a lot of good as he brings a level of charm and professionalism to all of Xbox's showcases that fans respond positively to.
Between its consumer-friendly practices and its outward friendliness with Spencer's presentation skills paired with a good social media presence, Xbox seems like the kind of company that fans would hope would be full of good people but whether that's true or not has resulted in a great public image and reputation. When Microsoft announced earlier this week that it would be acquiring Activision Blizzard, a company now known for its blatant disregard of workplace decency, many fans were left scratching their heads why a company with such a solid public image would associate with one that couldn't be perceived any worse if it tried. The answer, among other reasons, is money at the end of the day; however, the acquisition could cause Xbox to take a PR hit if not handled properly.
Because it's taking ownership of Activision Blizzard, the mess that the company has made between its own internal affairs and the lawsuits it's facing have now become Xbox's mess: a mess not easily cleaned by simply firing ABK's CEO as many are calling for. In order for Xbox to retain its reputation as gaming's "good guy," it will need to put in significant work to restructure Activision Blizzard and make it a place where its employees feel safe coming to work.
If it can't fix the internal issues and properly address them to the public, then Xbox's reputation will likely take a major hit. Hopefully, the company will be able to make changes for the best within Activision Blizzard, but with how public its issues are, Microsoft is going to need to tread carefully and make deliberate choices with how it wants to handle things. When it comes down to it, major corporations such as Microsoft are rarely truly the "good guy" and with many people beginning to see it as a gaming monopoly, the good image that Xbox currently possesses is all on the line. If it wants to maintain that, it will need to navigate the minefield that is Activision Blizzard with grace.