Throughout the week, Microsoft's buyout of Activision Blizzard has been a constant talking point. There's been a lot of talk about Activision Blizzard games being exclusive to Xbox platforms once the acquisition completes and no concrete answers from Microsoft. While Xbox boss Phil Spencer has issued a new statement on the matter, what he had to say is anything but clear.
In the wake of the news that Microsoft has entered an agreement to purchase Activision Blizzard, a lot of us undoubtedly have questions about what this acquisition means for players on other platforms. Specifically, we're guessing that PlayStation players are wondering what this means not only for the future of Activision Blizzard games on their platform of choice, but also what will happen to existing titles. While we're pretty sure we already know the answer to the first question, we now have a concrete answer to the second one.
Once a major manufacturer of Android smartphones, LG disappointed fans when it announced it would exit the smartphone business, effective July 31, 2021. The announcement followed months of speculation that LG was looking to sell or offload its smartphone division.
YouTube has effectively brought its Originals to an end, the company has announced. Though YouTube Originals won't be entirely eliminated, the company has revealed that it'll reduce its funding for this kind of programming to only two categories: YouTube Kids and Black Voices. That may not be a big deal going forward, however, as YouTube Shorts has ushered in a new era of creator-generated content for the platform.
It's been a big Tuesday for the game industry. This morning, Microsoft announced that it has entered a deal to purchase Activision Blizzard, the largest third-party games publisher in the world. Microsoft is paying nearly $70 billion for Activision Blizzard, making the $7.5 billion it paid for ZeniMax Media and its subsidiaries a year ago look like a paltry sum.
Yesterday, Microsoft dropped a whopper of an announcement, revealing that it's paying nearly $70 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard. The acquisition comes at a controversial time for Activision Blizzard, as it finds itself in the middle of a sexual harassment and abuse scandal that has resulted in several high-profile departures. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has resisted calls for his resignation or firing throughout this scandal, which begs the question: Now that Microsoft is taking over, what happens to him?
Those of us who thought Microsoft was done with big money gaming purchases after its $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media last year were sorely mistaken, it seems. Today, Microsoft announced its intention to buy Activision Blizzard for a staggering $68.7 billion. With this acquisition, a lot of popular game franchises will come under the ownership of Microsoft, including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and even Candy Crush.
Assuming the company gets permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), some future FedEx cargo planes may be equipped with anti-missile laser systems designed to help protect them from man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). The laser systems, should they be used, would work to disrupt a missile's ability to target these cargo jets.
It seems Walmart is finally gearing up to launch its own cryptocurrency, at least based on trademark documents the retail giant filed in December 2021 with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This isn't the first time we've heard rumblings from Walmart related to the crypto market, but it is the most exciting development thus far.
Bad news if you wanted one of Bollinger Motors' all-electric B1 SUVs or B2 pickups, with word today that the EV startup is shelving its consumer vehicle roadmap. Announced back in 2017, the Bollinger B1 was to be a marriage of classic Land Rover-inspired styling with a modern electric drivetrain, though - it was later revealed - that matrimony wasn't going to come cheap.
Razer is best known for its gaming-centric computer products, but it has also been making headlines for some of its more unorthodox ideas. One, in particular, didn't have anything to do with gaming directly but was more timely and relevant than any of its other products. Unlike its past concept designs, Project Hazel went on to become the Zephyr mask due to popular demand. Ironically, its popularity is now waning because of Razer's misleading and potentially harmful marketing.
Take-Two started the week with a bang, announcing that it will purchase mobile game developer Zynga in a whopping $12.7 billion deal. At first blush, that may be a head-scratching figure when you consider that Microsoft paid $7.5 billion for ZeniMax and all of its subsidiary studios last year, but Take-Two apparently sees a huge opportunity to expand quickly into the world of mobile gaming with this acquisition. For some, that might be a worrying prospect.