| VAMatt said: My guess, and it is just a guess, is that Microsoft is prepared to divest King if regulators balk at their purchase of Activision. Because of Candy Crush, if Microsoft keeps King, that makes them a huge player in mobile gaming, and arguably (is it arguable?) the biggest player in console and PC gaming. So, I think there's a good chance that regulators try to force some divestitures in order to approve the acquisition. It is hard for me to see a case where Microsoft has any interest in making this acquisition if they have to divest any of the core Activision properties. But, I see it still making sense without King. Further, and perhaps more significantly, have noticed very little talk about King in Microsoft's PR around this matter. That makes me think that they already know that they either want to, or will be forced to divest King. What do you think? |
Anything's possible, but you also might just be reading too much into it. King was featured in the announcement image of Satya Nadella's tweet, and Candy Crush was given placement ahead of Star Craft in the franchise order.
The announcement also states that the acquisition puts Microsoft 3rd in revenue behind TenCent and Sony, so there doesn't really exist a notion of this giving Microsoft any type of monopoly. Also, the press release does mention King and Candy Crush specifically in a few places. And special notice was given of how much of a mobile presence Microsoft gains from the acquisition.
When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from the Activision, Blizzard and King studios like “Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Overwatch,” “Call of Duty” and “Candy Crush,” in addition to global eSports activities through Major League Gaming...
And with games like “Candy Crush,” Activision Blizzard´s mobile business represents a significant presence and opportunity for Microsoft in this fast-growing segment.
https://news.microsoft.com/2022/01/18/microsoft-to-acquire-activision-blizzard-to-bring-the-joy-and-community-of-gaming-to-everyone-across-every-device/
Satya Nadella also specifically referenced "Candy Crush" as one of the "iconic games" that Microsoft was acquiring in the email he sent out to all Microsoft employees yesterday morning.
So you might just be reading too much into the majority references of the acquisition stating "Activision Blizzard" instead of saying "Activision/Blizzard/King".
