Everyone knows the tale of Brand X getting bought out by some faceless global conglomerate and going to shit, but does the opposite ever happen?
I was kinda hoping Microsoft would improve Activision.
In the development world, Microsoft is actually doing some legitimately good work since the end of the Balmer years. Back then open source was a cancer that needed to be eliminated. Now they have VSCode (maybe the most popular IDE at the moment), develop and release Typescript under an open license, and own github (still a bit of a mixed bag but they’re trying).
Only if Bobby Kotick will be replaced by a real game developer and not a suit.
Well they certainly can’t turn it into the worst gaming company because EA still exists.
I think Activision-Blizzard passed EA in badness years ago. Maybe Square Enix did too.
Like, when’s the last time there was an EA controversy beyond “game’s bad?” And even then I’ve only really heard sports games and Battlefield are bad.
I dunno, I still think EA has them beat on greed with microtransactions. The new launcher is absolutely littered with Battlefield 4 shortcut packs at full price (lol) and Sims stuff, hell I don’t even play The Sims. You’re not wrong about ActiBlizz though, I am pretty pissed at them for shutting down Overwatch and I don’t like OW2 so I don’t play it. But I’ve always felt like EA was trying to nickle and dime everyone to death more than any other company. And I absolutely hate what they’ve done with Respawn. But yeah, you make a good argument. They both suck.
I’m generally pro-Xbox but don’t consider myself a fanboy. I think the acquisition will be good for both brands.
I do worry about what they’ll do with the Blizzard IPs, but at this point I’m worried about Blizzard regardless.
Blizzard destroyed warcraft 3, quite possibly the greatest game ever made, with their “reforged” bullshit and I can never forgive them for that. I swore them off afterward. I am ashamed to say that I caved and bought Diablo 4 and was reminded what a shit company they are because they somehow managed to suck all the fun out of that too.
Its still too soon, isnt it? Like regulators still havent OKd it and stuff yet.
