Bits & Bytes: The Activision/Blizzard Deal Stinks

Bits & Bytes is a weekly column the place Editor-in-Chief Robert shares his ideas about video video games and the trade on a lazy Sunday. Gentle studying for a day of relaxation, Bits & Bytes is brief, to the purpose, and one thing to learn with a pleasant drink.

Did you miss me? Yeah, me neither. Anyhoo, Bits & Bytes is again after a protracted hiatus as there’s loads to speak about nonetheless on the planet of video video games. This time round it’s the long-gestating acquisition of Activision/Blizzard by Microsoft. And the entire thing stinks, I inform you.

Not essentially simply due to the, let’s say, seemingly doubtful nature of how the deal got here to fruition (allegedly, or no matter different qualifier I have to put right here to remain out of authorized hassle). No, for me it stinks as a result of mergers of this ilk and of this scale inevitably result in layoffs. There are numerous staff in any respect three firms who’re seemingly watching their inboxes with bated breath as they surprise in the event that they’ll be among the many first despatched packing as soon as the company bean counters begin determining who to axe with a view to save a few cents.

It’s the secret with regards to the online game trade, sadly. Small firms spend their time scrambling for funding, dwelling precariously from the income generated by every undertaking, whereas bigger firms reduce employees even after multimillion-dollar success tales. There are exceptions, after all, however overwhelmingly it feels wish to work in video video games is to be a part of a by no means ending lose-lose situation. Except somebody manages to cement a lead function or some place of observe and energy, on a regular basis staff are absolute cannon fodder.

Which completely sucks when contemplating the effort and time it takes to get the form of specialised schooling one wants simply to get a foot by the door to land certainly one of these jobs within the first place. Now, Microsoft has gotten its palms on one of many greatest firms in the complete trade and I will likely be flabbergasted if we don’t begin seeing pink slips begin to flutter down from the rafters that the payroll vultures sit perched in. Nevertheless, as I’ve famous to my college students, I actually don’t know what fixes this ongoing downside. Some proceed to tout unionization as the reply, however I don’t know if it’s the panacea that so many social media pundits and half-baked journalists suppose it’s.

Nonetheless, if there’s any silver lining to be discovered right here, it’s that Microsoft appears pretty devoted to conserving at the least among the properties below the umbrella of Activision/Blizzard multiplatform. When the corporate acquired developer Mojang again in 2014, many speculated that Minecraft would develop into unique to Xbox and Home windows platforms. As a substitute, Microsoft realized that limiting entry to the sport would have successfully killed its worth and to today has maintained Minecraft on just about each little bit of {hardware} it will possibly run on. That very same mindset appears to be carrying by right here, at the least for now, particularly as Microsoft continues to proclaim that the longer term is cloud gaming and never devoted {hardware}.

We’ll see what the longer term holds. I simply really feel unhealthy for the employees that will likely be on the lookout for new jobs. Let’s hope I’m unsuitable.