So, Microsoft now owns Activision Blizzard. How will this affect the rest of the industry?

gamesindustry.biz:

The deal is done. Activision Blizzard is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft after two years of regulatory investigations and in the face of protests from various corners of the games industry.

With the 'will they/won't they' part of this saga finally over, the pressing question is: What happens next?

"At the risk of hyperbole, I believe we will see a significantly changed video game industry once the two companies are fully integrated," Kantan Games CEO Dr. Serkan Toto tells GamesIndustry.biz. "In the US, we only have two big, publicly traded video game studios left – and even those have been perpetual acquisition targets for several years now, although I personally hope they stay independent as long as possible."

Imre Jele, formerly co-founder of Bossa Studios, adds: "Honestly, I have yet to see audiences (or the rest of the ecosystem) benefiting from a company having significant market dominance.

"As a game creator, I applaud the success of any company, let it be small or large. That said, I am worried about any company getting a clear upper hand and a final word in the games market. So we just have to wait and see how other huge gaming behemoths react to this outcome."

Others are more optimistic. Midia Research's senior games analyst Karol Severin believes this could be "Microsoft's 'Big Bang' moment in games," adding that the deal will boost not only Microsoft's gaming revenues but also benefit consumers – although he notes it will make things "tougher for publishers and developers who aren’t Activision in the mid-long term."

IDG Consulting's VP of consulting Emilie Avera says the acquisition "signals a promising future for the involved brands," likening it to the combination of Marvel, Pixar and