:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/IVZQNYZ4BJAZLDDYNS3WJ6PLNI.jpeg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
Microsoft announced on Tuesday the largest purchase in its history: the acquisition of Activision Blizzard through an agreement for 68.7 billion dollars.
Should the deal survive scrutiny from US and European regulators in the coming months, the transaction would represent one of the largest technology acquisitions in Microsoft’s lifetime, and would become the third largest video game company in the world, only after Sony and Tencent.
But what does the deal entail? Microsoft will stay with franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, Candy Crush, Starcraft, Sekiro, Tony Hawk Y Crash Bandicot.
Adding Activision’s pool of popular titles will help Microsoft expand its own Xbox console offerings and better compete with rival Sony Corp’s PlayStation.
Wall Street saw the acquisition as a big win for Activision Blizzard, its shares soaring 25 percent in trading on Tuesday.
“The acquisition of Activision will help fuel Microsoft’s broader gaming efforts and ultimately its move into the metaverse with gaming being the metaverse’s first monetization piece,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives wrote in a statement. note to investors.
Activision was founded in 1979 and since then it has been home to some of the most popular game franchises in the world, included Guitar Hero, Skylanders, Destiny, Crash Bandicoot and the Tony Hawk skateboard titles. Its Call of Duty franchise is particularly notable for its enduring appeal, opening week sales and, increasingly, its reach in Asia.
Microsoft plans to continue making some of Activision’s games for PlayStation consoles, but also will maintain some exclusive content for Xbox, said a person familiar with the company’s thinking.
The company has made several acquisitions recently to bolster its roster of game studios. In 2020, agreed to acquire ZeniMax Media home to The Elder Scrolls and Doom publisher Bethesda Softworks for $7.5bn.
*With data from Bloomberg
– .
