Microsoft might have purchased someone, maybe

The thing is, I suppose, that they arent up against sony. They are up against valve, epic game store and so on and so forth. Xbox is a service now as much as anything else.

If CoD is exclusive to Game Pass, you can still play it on PC, Mobile, Tablet, your fridge........ They havent bought Activision to sell consoles, they bought it to sell subscriptions.

I don't think they'll make CoD exclusive to game pass. For a start Halo isn't. I don't even think it will exclusive at all. It's just too much money to drop.

It will probably be on Game Pass first and have extra content and that's about it.

The smaller franchises though, they're going to be gobbled whole.

Glad I topped up 3 years worth recently because this sounds like a price hike incoming.

Wish they spent some money sorting out the shitty PC Xbox app.

Just occurred to me we're in for months of "will CoD be on PlayStation" debate aren't we?

DAMN YOU MICROSOFT!

Like Nick said its the long term vision for them going the Netflix games route rather than selling consoles. They're positioning themselves for the future.

But as the OP said, will it actually happen? Schreier doesn't think so, for what it's worth:

A not inconsiderable amount are fairly unhappy too though. I think it's a bit different anyway. Disney aren't really taking away anything from anyone else when they buy up studios. Maybe in terms of streaming services, but there are so many players already there. In some cases Disney probably don't even have much of a hands on approach with some IP's they own. 

I don't think it works the same way in gaming. This is MS taking ownership, they'll have direct involvement and they just bought 2 massive publishers within the industry. Everything ends up under their banner, and they end up controlling large parts of the market. Even Disney can't say they do that. Consolidate it all onto their services, offer a deal/service others can't possibly compete with, and watch the competition dry up. It's just more walled gardens

I also don't like things under one banner because the consolidation can also lead to every game having to follow certain formulas or meet certain criteria, and it ends up feeling a bit same-y and creatively bankrupt. Sort of like how you know what you're going to get with a Disney movie. I like seeing fresh ideas and chances taken, maybe Activision aren't the ones to do that anyway, but the next studio MS buy could be and that's only a matter of time. 

Cappy I don't know, MS aren't just buying AAA studios. They also bought Double Fine not long back. Not to mention Obsidian, and Arkane (though they're probably AAA now)

I just don't like where it could lead. MS owning too much is rarely a good sign. It's hardly done with good intent and I don't see much good coming from it from a game design standpoint. 

You mean like Minecraft?

You've got to expect that offers have been made, both by Microsoft and Sony. Sony have more history with them, what with Demon's Souls and Bloodborne, so I'm sure there must have been conversations. If I remember rightly, Phil also mentioned having seen Elden Ring a while back, which set off a whole bunch of speculation.

From Software probably aren't quite able to name their price, but they must have been sent some very tempting offers.

Makes me miss the days when console gaming was (comparatively) small companies like Sega and Nintendo, with no agenda other than making and selling games.

The chain has well and truly started. It's just going to be shitflinging but instead of shit everyone's going to be flinging their latest acquisition at each other.

Let's not forget Tencent too, they've got a stake in many publishers.

I kicked my WoW habit some years ago, I hope ms dont give it away for free on game pass or it'll be like a heroin dealer giving free samples.