Following Microsoft's shocking acquisition of Activision Blizzard, many gamers are humorously campaigning for Clippy to join the ranks of Call of Duty.After the announcement that a deal was being finalized between the two companies, the video game industry flocked to social media to express its reactions to the landmark merger. While some were surprised by the sudden venture, others instantly began sharing memes dedicated to the situation, arguably the most popular being the addition of Clippy to Call of Duty. The sentient paperclip has become iconic as Microsoft's personal assistant on some of its older operating systems and while he largely retired from his post in 2001 following the launch of Windows XP, he remains a popular figure across the internet.
While many fans joked about adding Clippy to the annually-released first-person shooter franchise, others cast a wider net. Beyond Call of Duty, Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard has netted the company a small treasure trove of intellectual properties, including Diablo, World of Warcraft and Overwatch. Beyond these popular franchises, Xbox now also owns smaller yet equally beloved properties such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon.
Microsoft confirmed that its purchase of Activision Blizzard is valued at $68.7 billion USD, making it the largest acquisition the video game industry has ever seen. Bobby Kotick, the controversial CEO of Activision Blizzard will now report to Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming. The deal will also see Xbox gain ownership of King Digital Entertainment, the purveyors of the hyper-popular mobile game Candy Crush.
During the announcement, Microsoft also confirmed that it plans on integrating Activision Blizzard's expansive catalog of games into Xbox Game Pass, its subscription service that provides users access to a large library of titles for a monthly fee. While the offer is already generous in the number of games available, some fans are concerned that the addition of another substantial collection may drive the price up. Microsoft has yet to speak to this speculation but will likely update fans on any price changes when the deal is formally finalized in 2023.
The acquisition of Activision Blizzard is the second major purchase by Microsoft in the last two years. The company has been purchasing smaller development studios since 2019 but the 2020 acquisition of Bethesda Softworks sent waves through the industry. The deal saw Xbox claim ownership of series like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Wolfenstein and Doom all of which were subsequently added to Game Pass.
Source: Twitter