Cardell also highlighted that as this vertical grows in the video game industry, the agreement will ensure that people get “more competitive prices, better services and more options. “We are the only competition agency worldwide that has achieved this result.”
It should be noted that Ubisoft will acquire the rights to the video games for a period of 15 years, something that will allow the titles to be licensed to Microsoft so that they can be included in Xbox Cloud Gaming.
For his part, Brad Smith, vice president of Microsoft, said that the last regulatory hurdle to close the acquisition has been overcome, which “will benefit players in the gaming industry around the world” and finally opens the door to the closing of the purchase.
The purchase is official
In a statement, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer welcomed the studio and highlighted that “as one team, we will learn, innovate and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people” and He even promised that this company’s franchises will reach more platforms.
“For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here and will continue to be welcome,” Spencer said.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick also sent a message to his employees announcing the news, expressing his excitement for the “next chapter together with Microsoft and the infinite possibilities it creates for you and our players.”
Kotick will remain in his role to assist with the transition through the end of 2023 and will report directly to Spencer. “We both look forward to working together on a seamless integration for our teams and players,” he said.
Why is the purchase of Activision Blizzard important?
Activision Blizzard became one of the most important conglomerates in the video game industry, because although it is not a company that is in charge of producing hardware, like Sony, Nintendo or Xbox, its games are among the best sellers in the world. gaming industry.
Currently, about 40% of the world’s population has some type of relationship with video games, which generates an economic impact of more than 3.1 billion dollars annually and is a more profitable industry than music or cinema.
With this move, Microsoft reinforces its position as one of the most important players in the video game industry and strengthens the portfolio of studios at its disposal, as over the years it has dedicated itself to buying studios to strengthen its strategy. .
Of course, the Xbox manufacturer had to go through regulatory scrutiny to get to this point. The US Federal Trade Commission still has an appeal against the deal, but does not have a preliminary injunction in place, so Microsoft can continue with the acquisition process.