Tag Archives: acquisition

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard to the tune of $68.7 Billion has not been a simple process. While it seems as though the deal will eventually go through fully, head of Xbox Phil Spencer has now spoken on the matter, claiming that even upon the deal’s completion, fans will be …

With the PlayStation 5 generation, we have seen Sony expand its output beyond console gaming, both in terms of hardware and software. Following the release of PC-centric monitors and the announcement of new gaming earbuds, the console manufacturer has now acquired the award-winning audio company Audeze. Making the announcement via …

Logitech has purchased Loupedeck, maker of the popular editing consoles used by streamers and creative professionals. The acquisition is the latest effort from Logitech to enter the streaming market, which started with the acquisition of Mevo, a livestreaming camera hardware and software business, in 2021. The partnership between Logitech and …

Earlier this week, a US judge ruled against the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction to stop Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In the ruling, the judge stated that the FTC simply did not provide enough evidence to prove a theory of harm. Now, the FTC has announced plans to …

Over the weekend, a wild rumour emerged, claiming Sony is in talks to acquire CD Projekt Red. This rumour didn't hold much substance on the surface, but it made enough noise that people within the studio had to speak out to squash the rumour.  The claimed ‘leak‘ comes from Liz, …

Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard is in an interesting position right now. The company was able win over competing cloud companies and the European Commission with its commitments to bring Activision Blizzard and Xbox first-party PC games to rival cloud gaming services. However, in the UK, the CMA has …

Over the weekend, it was claimed that Sega was in the midst of acquiring Rovio, the company best known for producing the Angry Birds games. Now, Sega has officially confirmed the deal, marking a rare major acquisition for the publisher.  Sega has acquired several studios in the past, but these …

Nightdive Studios has amassed a reputation over many years for their work on bringing older video games to modern systems, being updated through remasters and even remakes (in the case of the upcoming System Shock). In a surprise announcement, the classic video game publisher Atari has now revealed that they …

Both the European Commission and the UK's CMA have extended deadlines to reach a decision on Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Now, the EU is pushing the deadline further, moving from late April to late May.  While Microsoft initially planned to have this deal closed by mid 2023, that timeline …

It is no secret that Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard is on shaky ground, with regulators seemingly wholeheartedly buying into Sony's objections to the deal, while also having concerns about the future of the cloud gaming market. According to a report this week, Microsoft is now preparing its ‘last-ditch' …

In recent years we have seen a renewed focus by major gaming companies to merge with or acquire smaller developers and publishers. Ubisoft has supposedly been proposing a number of potential acquisitions and mergers with various parties, however they reportedly “mostly got laughed at.” In a Tweet released by Jeff …

SkyBox Labs isn't necessarily known for the specific games developed by the studio. However, it has helped develop world-renowned franchises such as Halo, Age of Empires and Minecraft. NetEase has now acquired SkyBox Labs, hoping to bring some of that expertise into its ranks. SkyBox Labs is a Canadian game …

Politico previously reported that the EU would enter a phase 2 investigation into the Xbox Activision-Blizzard merger. Now, the site is reporting that the FTC is planning on filing a lawsuit against Microsoft to block the merger.  The FTC has been stricter on anti-trust cases recently. The commission previously filed …

Here in the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority has entered a Phase 2 investigation of Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Soon, the deal will undergo more scrutiny, this time from the EU, which also plans to enter a phase 2 investigation.  Similarly to the CMA, one of the EU's …

In recent years we have seen all manner of publishers engage in acquisition sprees, with companies small and large splashing their cash in order to absorb other developers and publishers. One company which seemingly cannot be bought is Kojima Productions, with the man himself revealing that he has turned down …

If Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal does go through in 2023, many of us were expecting to see Call of Duty heading straight to Xbox Game Pass. However, it may take a little longer for the flagship franchise to hit Microsoft's gaming subscription service.  Microsoft is facing an unexpected level of …

Riot Games has just made its latest studio acquisition – but not the kind you might be expecting. Rather than going out and picking up a new studio and IPs, Riot has simply bought out Wargaming's Sydney-based studio. That office will now become part of the Riot family and aid …

We've seen a number of companies comment on Microsoft's pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard in recent months. The loudest voice in the room has been Sony, but we've also seen quotes from companies like Ubisoft, WB, Riot and others. Recently in an interview, Take-Two CEO, Stauss Zelnick, added his take …

The Brazilian government has been pretty open with its investigation into Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Many of the documents filed have been made publicly available, including one that detailed how other companies, like Sony, feel about the acquisition. Now, Brazil's investigation is complete, and its regulator board is happy …

While the legalities surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard continues to be figured out, the console manufacturer has not been keeping its eggs in one singular basket, with Microsoft reportedly looking to the East for potential studio acquisitions. As part of the latest episode of the Giant Bombcast podcast, industry …

Back in March, we learned that NetEase was looking to fully acquire Quantic Dream, following several years of being a minority stake holder. Now, that deal has been confirmed, with the Chinese games publisher now acquiring the former Sony partner.  Quantic Dream made a name for itself with a series …

From Software has had an incredible run over the last decade, finding great success with the Dark Souls games, Bloodborne, and most recently, Elden Ring. From Software is already backed by Japanese media conglomerate, Kadokawa. but new investors are now being brought on board, including Sony and Tencent.  Sony and …

Last week, Unity received a surprise acquisition offer, with mobile-focused company, AppLovin, offering $17.5 billion. There's just one problem, the merger would mean that Unity would have to cancel its previously announced deal to acquire IronSource. After talking it over, Unity has decided to go ahead with its original plans. …

Just over a week ago, we learned the official opinions of Sony, Ubisoft, WB, Riot and other companies regarding Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Sony naturally had a lot to say and was particularly concerned with Microsoft's growing hold on the subscription market with Game Pass. Now, Microsoft has had a chance to respond, calling Sony for buying 'blocking rights' to keep certain games off of Xbox. 

Unity could potentially have new ownership soon. Mobile-focused company, AppLovin has proposed a buyout of Unity in a deal worth $17.5 billion.  AppLovin made the offer this week, presenting an all-stock deal currently worth just over $17.5 billion. Unity is now evaluating the offer, but the situation is a little …

EA has made a number of big acquisitions in recent years, adding Respawn Entertainment, Codemasters and most recently, Playdemic. Still, that didn't stop EA's name from being mentioned in buyout rumours earlier this year. This week during EA's quarterly earnings call, CEO, Andrew Wilson, addressed the elephant in the room.  …

We're over six months on from Microsoft announcing plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, kicking off the lengthy process of gaining approvals from anti-trust organisations across the world. Most of the time, these investigations are highly secretive, but we do know that they involve seeking opinions from competing companies across the industry. Now thanks to recent filings in Brazil, documents containing these opinions have been posted online, giving us insight into what the likes of Sony, Ubisoft, WB and others think of the deal. 

After seemingly joking about it earlier this year, Elon Musk made a bid to acquire Twitter in April 2022, offering $43 billion for control of the company. Shortly after, Musk put the deal ‘on hold' while awaiting accurate information on the number of spam bot accounts on the platform. Now, …

The 2020s seems to be the decade of acquisitions – at least so far – with publishers, holding companies and console manufacturers alike all partaking in this most recent acquisition spree. Joining the fray is Nordisk Games, an equity investor who after purchasing a minority stake in Supermassive Games has …

Back in January, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth a record-breaking $69 billion. However, the deal is far from done, as Microsoft faces regulatory challenges. This week, another hurdle was placed in the way, as the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) announced plans to …