Microsoft has put its money where its mouth is by buying out the game publisher Activision Blizzard for a whopping USD 68.7 billion.
Microsoft has already been making efforts to get more serious about gaming by building their own Xbox and Windows 10 operating systems. Still, now it seems they want to take the next step.
The Redmond-based technology company revealed that it would be acquiring Activision Blizzard for a whopping USD 68.7 billion, which is a huge leap from the $30 billion valuations that the company initially received from its IPO in 2013.
Microsoft’s partnership with Activision Blizzard will allow them to develop and publish some of the biggest upcoming titles within the gaming industry. This includes games like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo, which are all insanely popular titles across all platforms, including mobile and console.
Microsoft is hoping that by buying out Activision Blizzard, they will be able to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 4 video game console and Nintendo’s Switch console, which has been incredibly successful lately. The company has sold over 7 million units since its launch in March 2017. Microsoft seems to have faith in Sony and Nintendo’s weaknesses, which is why they’re trying to strike now before their competitors’ consoles can get any stronger.
The deal will also help Microsoft catch up with Google and Apple in the booming mobile gaming world, where Activision makes many of its popular games.