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Sony's reaction to the massive acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft is the subject of much speculation right now in the gaming industry. 2022 has already been a landmark year in the gaming industry, and it's only in its first month.
Two huge acquisitions have already taken place: Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Zynga for $12.7 billion and Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. These events have set the stage for a year full of exciting business deals that will bring forth new possibilities for the gaming industry.
Sony could be looking at a possible acquisition of EA
According to the Hollywood Reporter, there is a chance that the Japanese company could be looking into a possible acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA). They took a major hit after Microsoft's acquisition, which took off $20 billion of its market cap.
Buying out EA, which has a market cap of $37 billion, could be a viable business strategy for Sony to expand more into the game industry.
These megadeals may be a way for tech giants to consolidate more of the gaming industry. The Microsoft megadeal will severely boost the Xbox Game Pass, which costs $10 to $15 a month, making it the 'Netflix' of gaming. Additionally, it could also mean a future where the Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo series will be exclusive titles.
It's also worth speculating what Sony's actions would be, which also has a rumored untitled service on the PlayStation to compete in the same vein. Their exclusive intellectual property has popular titles such as God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, and Spider-Man, but the Microsoft Activision Blizzard merger severely increases competition.
Other options that multinational conglomerate corporation could look into
The tech giant could also look for more affordable options such as buying Ubisoft, valued at $6.9 billion, or Take-Two Interactive, valued at $18.33 billion. The former Ubisoft has several fan-favorite franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs, while Take-Two is the Grand Theft Auto series publisher.
Although EA looks to be the favorite, Ubisoft or Take-Two would be far cheaper options that they could buy out.
Disney could also be looking into EA, as reported by Handler, a research company. This would be an excellent decision to spread the legendary company's horizons.
A merger between ESPN and EA would spell innumerable possibilities for the sports industry in the age of the metaverse.
The future only holds innovation for gaming, with the big tech companies making huge strides into the gaming industry. 2022 is proving to be an exciting year as fans are looking at giants such as Sony for their next move.
