Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard
Print Edition
Microsoft Corp is buying 鈥淐all of Duty鈥 maker Activision Blizzard for US$68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history as global technology giants stake their claims to a virtual future.
The deal announced by Microsoft on Tuesday, its biggest-ever and set to be the largest all-cash acquisition on record, will bolster its firepower in the booming videogaming market where it takes on leaders Tencent and Sony.
It also represents the American multinational鈥檚 bet on the 鈥渕etaverse,鈥 virtual online worlds where people can work, play and socialize, as many of its biggest competitors are already doing.
鈥淕aming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,鈥 Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said.
Microsoft, one of the world鈥檚 biggest firms largely thanks to corporate software such as its Azure cloud computing platform and Outlook franchise, is offering US$95 per share 鈥 a 45 percent premium to Activision鈥檚 Friday close.
Shares of Activision, maker of games such as 鈥淥verwatch鈥 and 鈥淐andy Crush,鈥 were last up 26 percent at US$82.10, still a steep discount to the offer price, reflecting concerns the deal could get stuck in regulators鈥 crosshairs.
Microsoft has so far avoided the type of scrutiny faced by Google and Facebook but this deal, which would make it the world鈥檚 third largest gaming company, will put the Xbox maker on lawmakers鈥 radars, said Andre Barlow of the law firm Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC. 鈥淢icrosoft is already big in gaming,鈥 he said.
However, a source familiar with the matter said Microsoft would pay a US$3 billion break-fee if the deal falls through, suggesting it is confident of winning antitrust approval.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
