Nobody saw the news coming on January 18th. All was calm in the gaming world when all of a sudden it exploded, or maybe that should be imploded when news of a new takeover was announced. There has been some extreme reactions to the news but now is the time for calm not hysteria following Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition.
Time to Breathe After Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Chill Out
$68 billion is an astonishing amount of money but to a company the size of Microsoft it is small change when it comes to acquiring games companies to join the Xbox stable. The initial reaction to the news was one of shock, bewilderment, excitement and sheer hysteria. And it’s that hysteria that I believe should now cease. Yes it is a huge deal and the repercussions could be huge but some of the hysteria has been laughable and at times senseless.
Sony
Sony were probably having a good day until the news of the deal broke but the suggestions that this is the end for PlayStation are wild over exaggerations in my opinion. Call of Duty will still be on PlayStation. Sure, Phil Spencer has already said this and it could be viewed as him paying lip service but why would Microsoft not want a multi million dollar franchise on as many platforms as possible? Why would they rob themselves of huge sums of revenue? They probably won’t. Phil Spencer, whatever people think of him, wants gaming to continue being huge and that means all companies firing on all cylinders. When you have one party out of the equation, gaming suffers and Xbox know that only too well.
I am not saying that Sony shouldn’t have concerns but the hysterical reaction that Sony will now die should be put to one side. Get on with enjoying PlayStation right now. Will PlayStation die? Not a chance. Not a chance at all.
Nintendo
I don’t even think Nintendo will have batted an eyelid at the news. Okay, so maybe they raised an eyebrow or two but overall they will just have been thinking – this really doesn’t affect us. Until we get a more powerful Nintendo Switch, and that’s still an if right now, Call of Duty isn’t coming to the system. If a quality port could be made then of course it would sell well and the idea of taking the game on the go has its attractions but most Switch owners will more interested in Splatoon 3 for their 2022 taste of gun and run games.
The hysteria over the deal has got so bad that I even found myself reading articles suggesting the end was nigh for Nintendo and Microsoft will be coming for them next. Seriously? Are you taking something you shouldn’t be? Come on! If Nintendo wouldn’t sell to Microsoft 20 years ago they are hardly going to do so now when they are in such a strong position. Pie in the sky talk for me. Microsoft have become very close to Nintendo in recent years but Nintendo will look after themselves unless something catastrophic happens. This kind of hysteria is just totally over the top and what does it achieve? As I said before – Nintendo will care little about the deal.
Stop the Hysteria! Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition
We can all easily grab our keyboards and start saying that this is what will happen and this will mean this but until it happens we don’t know and whilst analysing rumours is fine – I wouldn’t be here if that didn’t have some value – there is also a danger that people can become hysterical and by that I don’t mean hilariously funny. Why put your pressure levels up to 10? Why make yourself anxious about the future of your favourite console?
It’s a huge deal and I understand the fear that Microsoft are now seen to be on the verge of monopolising the gaming industry but I actually think they are only too well aware that killing all of the competition will take away the competitive edge and that is when gaming thrives. Switch, PlayStation, Xbox all at the top of their game is what we need as gamers.
Lets see how things pan out but for now please, for the love of Jesus, Mary and the wee donkey (Thanks to Ted Hastings), just chill out, breathe and enjoy an industry that is at its best right now and things will only get better. Will there be bumps in the road? Of course but I don’t think they will be as big as some would want us to believe.
Enjoy gaming and STOP the HYSTERIA!
