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Acquisition of Activision-Blizzard Won’t Put Microsoft On Top, According to CEO
One of the major gaming highlights of Q1 2022 was Microsoft's next-level $69 billion acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. Although the deal has yet to be signed, sealed and delivered, rumors have already begun to surface. Rumors, such as which franchises will be joining Xbox, and which will honor their agreements before ultimately falling into Microsoft's network.
While the move itself is one of the boldest strategies in modern gaming, it does beg the question of whether or not it will put Microsoft at the apex of the monopoly. Having access to brands including World of Warcraft and Call of Duty would make it appear so, though Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella suggests otherwise.
Speaking with Financial Times, the tech giant made it clear that, even with the acquisition in place, it would still only lead to a third spot on the podium, directly below Sony and Tencent.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke on the matter
“Even post-this acquisition, we will be number three with sort of low teens [market] share, where even the highest player is also [in the] teens [for market] share,” Nadella said. “It shows how fragmented content creation platforms are.”
“Also, the analysis will have to extend to say: Why are these content companies trying to become bigger?” Nadella continued. “It's because the place where the constraints really are is distribution. The only open distribution platform for any gaming content–guess what?–is Windows…the biggest store on Windows is Steam. It's not ours. People can do any pay instrument, whereas all the other gaming distribution platforms are closed.”
Of course, despite the underwhelming facts, owning Activision-Blizzard will still be a major step in the right direction for Microsoft. Having already bought out Rare and ZeniMax Media, this move will only evolve its network. The question is: how much more will Microsoft need to do in order to claim the throne?
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