Microsoft’s Xbox division is reportedly considering blockbuster acquisitions as it seeks to overhaul the best-selling Sony’s PlayStation 4 consoles.
According to a report from Polygon the firm is considering an “astounding” purchase of gaming giants Valve and Electronic Arts.
The company also has an eye on PUBG Corp., the Korean firm behind the Xbox One-exclusive PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the source said.
The idea appears to be to boost the line-up of exclusive games to challenge the PS4’s formidable repertoire.
Related: Best Xbox One games 2018
FIFA exclusive?
The company may be planning to dig into its $130bn cash reserves in order to fund an acquisition of EA and/or Valve, which would almost certainly run into the billions.
The ability to push the FIFA, Madden and Star Wars franchises as Xbox exclusives (at least initially) could be a major boon in bringing gamers back from Sony.
However, in reality, existing licensing deals with the likes of Disney, FIFA and the NFL would likely scupper any plans to cut those games’ audiences in half.
According to the report, Microsoft’s second place position and abundance of cash could mean the rumours of acquisitions have more substance than the usual chatter.
SuperData Research CEO Joost van Dreunen told Polygon: “Because of where we are in the lifecycle of all these things, I’m expecting to hear Microsoft announce something very, very shortly.”
Microsoft’s current lack exclusive content comes after it shutdown Lionhead and cut loose the Bungie team behind the Halo series.
The company has proved it will spend big to acquire IP, splashing $2.5 billion on Minecraft creator Mojang in 2014.
Do you think Microsoft would take such a bold step? Would it be good or bad for the gaming industry? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
