Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here – but Microsoft has been mentioned, along with Tencent, Time Warner and some private-equity firms like KKR, Providence and Blackstone as companies that Reuters is claiming Vivendi is touting as potential buyers for Activision Blizzard.
The company, which Reuters says has a “huge debt burden” and a “flagging share price” cites a source as saying “It’s nothing official yet, but they’ve asked a bank to go and talk to possible buyers for Activision.”
Vivendi owns a 60% stake in Activision Blizzard, and a sale could help raise up to $10 billion, according to figures mentioned in the report.
Reuters says that Microsoft is a “player with the necessary firepower” but suggests they are “likely to be focused on the next generation of its Xbox console” and “probably don’t want to distract themselves too much.”
“But they are the ones who, if they want to stay in games, would think about owning some of these big franchises, not just providing the consoles,” adds the source. If Microsoft were to buy out Vivendi’s share in Activision, the benefits in terms of exclusive games from the publisher are startlingly obvious.
lotrek
If Microsoft do go ahead and buy them its almost a dead cert that COD is gonna only be available on xbox which then i could see the people that only buy the new COD and FIFA games each year (i have a few friends that do on my friend list) and nothing else will jump ship but seen as COD has the larger install base on xbox i dont see that as a big loss.
Vandix
I’d be very worried if microsoft bought Activision/Blizzard, not because of Activisions titles, cause I don’t give a damn about them, but more for Blizzards titles. I really would like to play Diablo 3 on the PS3…
OnlineAssassin77
Nooooooooooooo its the end of the world as we know it.!
BalramRules
At times I wonder if Microsoft has too much money to spend…
Izorpo
so if Microsoft did buy it they would only have a 60% stake, granted that’s a majority but I couldn’t see the other investors allowing Activision to only release games for xbox.
Activision is the company that would like to charge for cut scenes in games…far too greedy to be 1 console exclusive. I realize Microsoft likes to play monopoly but I can’t see everyone of the 40% of COD players on the ps3 buying an xbox for that game – some yes but not everyone