Microsoft, Google & Co. could soon divide the games industry among themselves

When Microsoft acquired Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax, it shook the video game industry. Fans of all camps had opinions about the takeover. But there seems to be a lot more stirring in the background, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale. Experts anticipate that “big players” such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon will buy up many studios in the near future in order to improve their portfolio.

Games benefit from the corona pandemic

Many industries are groaning under the strain of the corona pandemic. Video games, on the other hand, are selling better than ever. On the one hand, that’s nice to hear, but on the other hand, it also calls for large companies and private investors (who put money into these companies) who want a piece of the pie.

Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo face competition: in his tech podcast, journalist Brad Sams speaks of “many things that are currently in motion”. Various takeovers are currently under discussion. Companies like Sony and EA, which have just taken over Codemasters, are also part of the conversation, albeit more of background noise. According to Sams, besides Microsoft, it is above all relatively new players who target developer studios. He names Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Tencent by name.

For Xbox, the competition is no longer Sony and Nintendo

Microsoft has already announced that its large-scale shopping spree is far from over. As a rule, comparisons are always made with Sony – who has more studios? Who has the better exclusives? In fact, companies based on the classic console model such as Sony and Nintendo have long ceased to be the actual competition for Microsoft. This is now called Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

According to some insiders, Microsoft has two unannounced Xbox exclusives in the works for 2021.

The tech giants are fighting a battle for the digital future in which video games play an increasingly important role. xCloud, Stadia, and Luna may seem void today, but they are preparing for the big break. Xbox boss Phil Spencer sees the console war only as an auxiliary construction site:

“When we talk about Nintendo and Sony, we have a lot of respect for them, but we see Amazon and Google as the biggest competition in the future. I don’t want to be in a battle with them over gaming systems while Amazon and Google are in gaming To bring seven billion people in the world closer. Ultimately, that is the goal. “