If word on the interwebs proves to be true, it looks like Microsoft may be planning to make one of the biggest moves in the history of this industry. Vivendi has made it known that they wish to sell Activision Blizzard for the hefty sum of $8.1 billion and according to a report from Reuters, Microsoft is in the running to buy up the company's 61% stake. Other potential buyers include both Time Warner and Tencent, but let's face it, no company would benefit more from the purchase than Microsoft.
With the Call of Duty franchise, Bungie's ten-year game deal and the behemoth that is Blizzard, the 'Big M' could really shake up the console market. Having the world's most popular first-person shooter as an exclusive on your platform would undoubtedly rope in a number of PlayStation gamers who get their Call of Duty fix on the Sony's console.
According to a source close to Vivendi, “It’s nothing official yet, but they’ve asked a bank to go and talk to possible buyers for Activision.” Both Microsoft and Time Warner have refused to comment on the matter, so it looks like we'll just have to remain patient while we wait to see where the chips fall.
