Microsoft Announces the Purchase of Activision for $66.7 billion as a gateway to the Metaverse
Microsoft, the software behemoth, announced today it had completed a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, one of the biggest game developers and publishers in the gaming world. The deal, which involves an all-cash transaction valued at $68.7 billion, will give Microsoft ownership of important franchises like “Call of Duty,” “Candy Crush,” “World of Warcraft,” and “Diablo.” The company also mentioned this acquisition would provide building blocks for the metaverse.
Microsoft to Acquire Activision to Build Its Metaverse
On the purchase, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, stated:
We’re investing deeply in world-class content, community, and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive, and accessible to all.
The purchase will allow Microsoft to take control of big franchises like “Call of Duty,” “Candy Crush,” “World of Warcraft,” and “Diablo,” which together have more than 400 active million players monthly.
While the company has not announced any moves related to the metaverse involving its gaming division or the Xbox environment, Nadella hinted at more developments in this regard. However, the company is working on its own take of its metaverse for the office in the form of Mesh. Mesh will allow people using Microsoft Teams to have meetings and chat with online avatars, substituting videoconferences for a more immersive and participative experience.
Many blockchain gaming companies have presented their take on the metaverse with various results. The Sandbox, a metaverse game that features user-created NFT’s, has garnered attention from different companies, including PWC in Hong Kong, that has already invested in plots of virtual land in the platform. The company behind the game, Animoca Brands, raised $358 million recently to bolster its web3 projects and construct its metaverse take.
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