It's been a wildly eventful 24 hours in the gaming industry. Early yesterday, Microsoft shocked most folks when it announced that it was buying Activision Blizzard for an astounding $68.7 billion. The news came as a big surprise largely due to the controversies and legal troubles the company is currently dealing with stemming from accusations and reports of misconduct. There's also still the question of current Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and whether or not Microsoft plans to retain him once the deal is complete.
While the industry is still coming to terms with Microsoft's latest acquisition, many continue to wonder what will happen to Activision Blizzard's long list of prized IPs, many of which enjoy multiplatform success. There are likely contracts behind the scenes, signed long before this acquisition deal came to pass, especially for franchises like Call of Duty which currently has a deal with Sony to bring exclusive and timed content to its platform.
In its first statement since the Microsoft and Activision acquisition went public, Sony provided comments on its expectations going forward. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a Sony spokesman confirmed that the company expects Microsoft to not only abide by current contractual agreements, but that Activision Blizzard games will remain available on PlayStation platforms. While Microsoft has hinted at certain franchises becoming Xbox-exclusive, details on what the company plans to do have not yet been made public.
Sony is likely justified in feeling a bit uncomfortable with this acquisition, as Activision Blizzard owns plenty of highly beloved IPs, which will likely further bolster Microsoft's Game Pass service. In fact, following the initial purchase announcement, Sony's stock value saw a dramatic drop, closing at a 12.78 percent loss on the Tokyo Stock Market. Oddly enough, third party companis like Ubisoft, Capcom, Square Enix, and Konami all saw increases ranging from 5 to 11 percent.
Many fans are hoping that Sony makes a counter move. In fact, with Microsoft now having access to plenty of FPS franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, Overwatch, DOOM, and more, fans are hoping Sony is able to keep FPS fans engaged by reviving exclusives like Killzone or Resistance. Ultimately, it's unknown how Sony will respond, though the company has made a series of acquisitions over the past couple years including Insomniac, Housemarque, Bluepoint Games, and Nixxes Software.
Source: Wall Street Journal