Microsoft launches website to sell Activision Blizzard acquisition to the masses

gamedeveloper.com:

Microsoft has launched a new website in a bid to convince onlookers that its pending $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is a very good thing.

The website leads with a rundown of Microsoft's vision for gaming, which according to the company is built on a philosophy of "more choice and more games for people everywhere."

The Xbox maker claims that players and developers are at the centre of its video game business, and that developers specifically "deserve more options to build, distribute and monetize their groundbreaking games."

Sharing more details on how its seismic move for Activision Blizzard fits into that broader strategy, the company shared a chart to tout the notion that the deal will provide benefits for players, benefits for game creators, and benefits for the wider game industry.

The chart (pasted below) suggests the deal will create "more competition" the mobile industry, "where a couple of big players dominate."

Notably, Microsoft added that the deal will facilitate "greater competition in traditional gaming, where Sony and Nintendo will remain the biggest" -- which seems to suggest Microsoft is positioning itself as a smaller player than its main rivals.

Where the broader game industry is concerned, Microsoft believes the purchase will also help place an emphasis on "positive workplace culture" while increasing local investment from Microsoft into studios and creative ecosystems around the world.

That last point is particularly interesting given Activision Blizzard continues to grapple with a workplace culture that multiple investigations indicate has become incredibly toxic.

Microsoft is still waiting for the deal to gain approval from major regulators around the world, although some, such as UK