Frank McDougall
Microsoft and Activision have come together to form a new game development team that will focus on creating first-party projects with smaller budgets. This collaboration will be under the umbrella of Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of Activision.
The new team is made up primarily of developers from King, the renowned studio famous for its popular Candy Crush franchise. Over 70 employees have already updated their LinkedIn profiles to reflect their move from King to Blizzard.
The main goal of this partnership is to work on AA games based on Blizzard’s existing franchises. Given King’s expertise in the mobile gaming market, it is likely that these projects will target iOS and Android platforms. However, there is also a possibility of expanding to PC and console titles.
According to sources, Microsoft is eager to explore new avenues of success by forming smaller, integrated teams within the larger organization. This approach is reminiscent of Nintendo’s seamless collaboration model.
One driving factor behind this initiative is the escalating costs associated with developing AAA games. By leveraging existing intellectual properties and utilizing fewer resources, Microsoft aims to find a more sustainable and efficient way of producing games.
The establishment of the new Blizzard team is part of a broader strategy by Activision to enhance its game development capabilities. In addition, Activision has also recently established a new internal studio called Elsewhere Entertainment. However, unlike the Blizzard team, Elsewhere Entertainment will specifically focus on creating AAA games.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, collaborations like these allow companies to adapt to changing market dynamics and deliver innovative experiences to gamers worldwide. With their combined expertise, Microsoft and Activision are poised to shape the future of game development.
Facts not mentioned in the article but relevant to the topic:
1. Activision is one of the largest video game publishers in the world, known for franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch.
2. Microsoft’s Xbox division is a major player in the console gaming market, with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S being their latest console releases.
3. Blizzard Entertainment is a subsidiary of Activision, known for its critically acclaimed games such as Diablo, StarCraft, and Hearthstone.
4. The collaboration between Microsoft and Activision is part of a $70 billion acquisition deal, in which Microsoft plans to acquire Activision Blizzard entirely.
Key questions and answers:
1. What are AA games?
– AA games are a category of video games that have smaller budgets and development teams compared to AAA games, but still deliver high-quality experiences.
2. How will Microsoft and Activision benefit from this collaboration?
– Microsoft will be able to leverage Activision’s extensive library of intellectual properties to create exclusive games for their Xbox consoles, while Activision can benefit from Microsoft’s resources and global reach to expand their franchises to a wider audience.
Key challenges or controversies associated with the topic:
1. Acquisition concerns: The acquisition deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard has raised concerns about market consolidation and potential impacts on competition within the gaming industry.
2. Maintaining studio autonomy: As Microsoft takes ownership of Activision Blizzard, there is a challenge of retaining the independent creative vision and autonomy of the game development teams within the larger corporate structure.
Advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
– The collaboration between Microsoft and Activision can lead to innovative game development projects with a focus on existing Blizzard franchises.
– Microsoft’s resources and support can help Activision Blizzard reach a wider audience and expand their games to different platforms.
– The collaboration can allow for the exploration of new approaches to game development, with smaller budgets and more integrated teams.
Disadvantages:
– There may be concerns about potential exclusivity of games for Xbox consoles, limiting accessibility for players on other platforms.
– The acquisition deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard raises questions about the impact on competition within the gaming industry and potential effects on game development and consumer choice.
Suggested related links:
– Xbox News
– Activision Blizzard Official Website
