MS doesn't have the best history managing studios either.

I think the Microsoft of today is definitely a different Microsoft from years gone... The fact they were willing to invest in relatively 'niche titles like Halo Wars 2 is a testament to that I think.

They aren't afraid to splash cash if it means they can push their services either.

Not really. If what we are told is true, Activision+Blizzard will manage its studio, as does Bethesda and others without MS interfering. So since it was Activision decision to do CoD all long that wouldn't change. We haven't heard of MS breaking up Activision to multiple individual studios (and they didn't with Bethesda).

It would appear to me that MS will take Blizzard into more of a GaS direction, which is certainly not what I would have liked. The latest job announcements for Diablo 4 also point towards this. I think Blizzard will remain a pariah for gamers regardless of who buys them. It's a bit too late.

All that said, the Acti/Blizz combo has been atrocious from the beginning, like most of us figured it would be.

Yeah, it’ll be very interesting to see what MS does with all the new studios. Looking at what some of the studios they acquired have said about being an XGS team (Playground, inXile, Ninja, Double Fine, Obsidian, etc) it’s not hard to imagine MS sending an influx of resources and allowing them to make something good. Only downside is it’ll take years to see any fruits.

But no, the BEST part, assuming the deal goes through, is all the games that will come to GamePass.

Doesn’t it also depend on the talent without n the studio? I mean, the company is the name; if the talented creators decide they want to leave then the studio is is just a husk.

But yeah I’m sure MS is better at retention than other publishers

I dont know. MS dosent have a good track record. I dont doubt they could let a b or c tier studio give a crack at thouse old IPs. But I dont expect a AAA budget revival of games that dint sell well in the past. Just expect more cash grabs from this publisher coming to gamepass.

In what universe does MS not have a good track record LOL. Sometimes you guys go bananas with your warrior hyperbole. Didn’t MS just win publisher of the year on MC?

And why would MS let a B or C tier studio get a “AAA budget” for a franchise that doesn’t sell well? Since when would any publisher do that.

Activision and Blizzard's best days are in the past. That would be true whether they were owned by Microsoft or not. However, I also would say that Final Fantasy's best days are in the past and a new FF entry still sells around 10m. Activision/Blizzard still has a lot of big IP that will continue sell big numbers (or subscriptions) under Microsoft's banner.

I have? News to me. But if you feel that strongly about it, ban away. Forum is dead anyway.