Honestly, I can only see this as a positive all the way around. Obsidian has always excelled in storytelling, easily their biggest strength as a studio. However, they have often struggled with technical things, the kind of struggles you see when a studio doesn’t have the resources to accomplish their vision. Being acquired by a big company like Microsoft will give them pretty much unlimited resources which makes the idea of a new obsidian game way more exciting. That would be a huge win for gamers. Also, the specialize in games that represent a big gaping hole in Microsoft’s portfolio meaning they will get a huge spotlight, something that obsidian has simply never had. This would obviously have a huge boost to obsidians profile and success in the industry. Making it a big win for business side of things.

Honestly, if this rumor does turn out to be true, I wouldn’t expect anything on the Xbox one.  All these acquisitions seem to be gearing up for the new scarlet platform...

Well. You aren't wrong.

With that in mind... They are far from being as bad as say... EA.
And the only closures that Microsoft have genuinely upset me about was Digital Anvil (Freelancer), Ensemble (Age of Empires) and Lionhead (Fable+Black and White). - Of course other people like different games than I do, thus the other closures may have bothered them.

Microsoft also seems intent on releasing everything on Xbox and PC anyway, rather than keeping it Xbox exclusive.

Everyone does it and these are the anwsers gamers have been asking for.

Please explain to me why Rare is an exception to your rule? There one of the oldest companies going around and have had there fair shares of ups and downs. They have made 3 games on the X1, Kinect Sport Rivals, Rares Replay and Sea of Thieves. They seem to be making plenty.

By your logic MS would have closed them years ago. If Rare is still around than its proof that MS dont just shut studios down for underpreforming and meaningless greed. Theres a chance they can hold on and support them for a very long time.

Thats the nature of the buisness. MS listened to those crying that Xbox has no games and there fixing this issue. Shows MS actually listening to the criticism and doing something about it.

Also i dont see everyone disliking this idea, i only see the same names disliking it because its MS, the  same people that MS arent profiting on. 

MS arent there to hold your hand, there here to take money from your hand and these deals increase those chances. Weather you do or not is none of my business nor do i care.

Its quite clear MS are looking for talanted devs not just big branded devs. Who knows, maybe Obsidian might be the company MS want to make the next Fable game.

Closing underpreforming studios is normal, the IPs still exist and thats the main thing, not weather or not this company makes the game. KI is a good example of there method. Give it to those who are passionate about making there IPs.

I guess there are quite a few around here like that. Then there are those who are MS fans, and those who are Sony fans.

And then there are actual CRPG fans, some being that for 30+ years, who don't give a toss about MS v Sony and all that crap, and who are aware that Obsidian is one of the last devs with folks from the olden golden days of CRPGs days who, at least in theory, have talent and knowledge to make proper CRPGs and not diluted mass market dreck with RPG coat of paint - so those folk don't want to see one of the last bastions of CRPGs bite the dust.

But then again, who knows - maybe MS gives them enough freedom and money - maybe they even get them license from one of the well known pen and paper RPGs and let them do their thing...time will tell.

Answers who has been asking for? Answers to what? What are you even talking about?

Because closing Rare would be the single most devastating PR move that Microsoft could make. Xbox One is already in such a dog house that it doesn't get exclusives anymore from it's parent company. The level of vitriolic hate they would get for buying an iconic studio, letting them fall into disuse, and then closing that studio would be topped only by E3 2013. Even if they never use them again, Microsoft is better off letting the studio rot than they would be burying it. They've made one game, one collection, and one distraction. The game turned out short and boring, the Collection is all old stuff, and the distraction is a joke Kinect title. They don't make plenty.

You don't get to strawman my argument three times and pretend to know what my logic would call for. You can't point to an outlier (and its pedigree does make it an outlier) and say that's proof enough. 

Not sure last time you checked, this is a buisness, and its about making money. Your anwser is just a personal attack on a company with a response that does not justify your point. You made an entire assumption about your whole reason.

You claim MS closes studios down and i anwsered that Rare is still around, one of the oldest brands going around and there still making games in 2018 with no signs of stopping. MS dont need Rare to make Rare games hence KI.

My point to you is if MS can hold onto Rare, (a company probably not profiting that well under MS) than its possible for any brand especially brands like Obsidian. If its a PR disaster for closing Rare down then same can be said about Obsidian. You anwsered your own question.

Dont use Pedigree as an excuse, Lion Head and Ensemble Studios had pedigree.

I use my PC with Linux and havent had Windows since 2000 (and back then, win 2000 and 98 I only had because of games). So yes, this move hurts me.

Excellent comment. I agree 100%. I haven't been able to play their recent Isometric RPG games cause I haven't updated my PC but as a Fallout (classic)/Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale fan, I'm very excited to try them out eventually. If Obsidian gets acquired by MS I give these type of RPGs 0 chance of ever coming out again from a talented studio made of veterans like Obsidian. The genre may resurface at some point since people love to resurrect old genre games nowadays but it will be a huge blow to us CRPG fans.

You can still play Windows games though.
Dual-Boot, Virtualization, WINE are all tools at your disposal.