Microsoft’s plan to acquire Activision Blizzard has finally received approval from major regulatory authorities around the world after nearly two years of running and multiple court battles. With a price tag of US$68.7 billion, this deal brings a large amount of IP game publishers under Microsoft’s umbrella.
From the perspective of players, one of the most anticipated aspects of this acquisition is the possibility of seeing works from Activision Blizzard and the “Diablo” series on Microsoft’s Game Pass. However, beyond that, it seems likely that some forgotten Activision games will also receive another chance.
In an interview with Xbox President Phil Spencer on the official Xbox channel, he personally discussed Microsoft’s plans for dealing with some classic old games from Activision Blizzard. This announcement has created much excitement among players.
Spencer stated, “With Game Pass, we have the ability to revisit a few series each year. Our game series is full of opportunities to come back again.” Activision Blizzard offers a vast game lineup for Microsoft to explore, and there are plenty of options for remakes or ports. However, Spencer emphasized that they would not revive classics solely for profit.
“I want to make sure that when we go back and revisit a game, we all have to be fully invested in it…not just to drive financial gain or public relations and fail to meet the expectations of the players,” Spencer added.
While Spencer has his personal wish list of Activision Blizzard games, such as the classic shooter “Hexen,” he emphasized the importance of the production team’s passion during the process of remaking or porting. He believes that this is crucial for the success of the projects.
For now, these plans are still in development, and Spencer made it clear that Activision Blizzard’s games will not be immediately available on Game Pass within the next two months.
“The process of getting approval really took too long… We were not able to immediately start cooperation projects with Activision Blizzard related to the old product lineup before. Like this acquisition is officially completed and we can start construction, but there is still a lot to do,” said Spencer.
While players eagerly await the inclusion of Activision Blizzard’s games on Microsoft’s Game Pass, it seems that there is still some waiting and preparation required before players can dive into the treasures of these beloved franchises once again.