Game Rant Arcadeis back again to discuss some of the biggest news of the week, and it has certainly been a big one. The past seven days have been an absolute rollercoaster for the games industry, with one of the biggest video game news stories of the last decade breaking during that time.
The single most bombshell announcement is thatMicrosoft is buying Activision for $70 billionin a deal that will have far-reaching consequences for the games industry. There are still legal hurdles for the deal to get through, but Microsoft expects the deal to close next year. When it does, Microsoft will formally ownCall of Duty, World of Warcraft, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Guitar Hero, Diablo, and many other massive properties.
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Meanwhile, Sony saw it’s market value drop by $20 billion after the announcement. Shortly before that, though, Microsoft’s Gaming CEO Phil Spencer commented onPlayStation’s rumored Game Pass competitor, stating that he thought it was a good option for Sony and PlayStation. In retrospect, the comments are a bit tongue-in-cheek, because Spencer undoubtedly knew that the Activision deal was set to be announced.
Finally, NPD revealed the10 best-selling games of 2021, though the list was dominated by the likes ofCall of Duty, Madden,andMariogames, much like it is every year. Plus, E3’s future has been called into question, both as a physical show and as a digital one.
Game Rant Arcade is available now on various podcast services. Listen to the episode directly below or through one of the listed links.
Games of the Week
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Game Rant Arcade records each week, bringing the latest for video game news, impressions on the latest games, and responses to gamers' burning questions. To have a question read on Game Rant Arcade, send an email to arcade@gamerant.com or follow and tweet at us on Twitter @RantArcade.
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