Microsoft has worked tirelessly over the years to bring us a number of high-quality projects. It is a well-known company and has established itself as a dominant force in the industry.
However, even after the continuous release and upgrade of its popular software, Windows, Microsoft has continued to expand into other territories, namely the gaming industry.
Let us look at how Microsoft achieved that expansion and what gaming company it decided to buy.
Quick Summary
By the end of this article, we will take a look at:
- About Microsoft
- The gaming company bought by Microsoft
- Some of the other Microsoft projects
Let’s go through it.
About Microsoft
With its headquarters located in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft has been in the tech business for a very long time since its initiation back in 1975. Back then, it was small and has developed since.
As it has worked in the tech business for a long time, it has had multiple projects under its belt. These projects range from computer software, electronics and various personal computers.
At first, Bill Gates had founded this company with Paul Allen to develop an interpreter application for the Altair 8800 microcomputers that functioned in 1974.
However, due to constant innovation and hardwork, Microsoft has been able to dominate the operating system market for a number of years through its product, Windows.
What is Windows?
Windows is a group of software families that have been developed by Microsoft to account for and cater to different sectors of the computer industry.
The Gaming Company Bought by Microsoft
The success of Microsoft has allowed it to take over and buy multiple companies and projects. Most of these companies are a part of the tech industry and have established themselves well.
Microsoft’s success has also allowed it to venture into other territories and contribute to their success. One such territory is the gaming industry, which is one of the most popular industries.
Xbox is already a gaming studio created and owned by Microsoft. The company has released multiple titles for the studio and continues to do so.
However, Microsoft recently bought a gaming company known as Activision Blizzard and now has the company under its umbrella.
The Acquisition
Activision Blizzard is an American video game company that was established back in July of 2008 and has been in the industry since.
As it has been a member of both Fortune 500 and S&P 500, it has developed a name for itself as one of the world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment corporations.
However, the company has been bought by Microsoft through the largest sale in the game industry of $68.7 billion dollars. The acquisition had been announced on January 18th.
The Deal
The acquisition came after multiple harassment and discrimination cases against Activision Blizzard that caused many of the employees and staff to walk out of the company.
Due to the drama, the announcement of the acquisition was met with alot of backlash and hate against Microsoft as the time was not right to make such an announcement.
However, the deal has been done and with the deal come multiple benefits for Microsoft. With the help of the deal, multiple big titles will come in the grasp of Microsoft and help it dominate even further.
Names such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, World of Warcaft, Candy Crush, and other iconic franchises from Blizzard, King and Activision studios.
Other Microsoft Projects
Microsoft has developed over 101 products and services throughout the years it has worked. Almost all of these have been popular and are still used today.
The most popular one is obviously its operating system known as Windows which has been a major cash cow for Microsoft.
Xbox has also been a major success for Microsoft in the gaming industry. The company has continuously worked Xbox to produce various titles and services, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft Office Suite is another collection of software that the company has released for customers and has been a major success as it includes names such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about Microsoft?
Compared to any company in the industry, Microsoft has worked harder and produced much in order to help integrate technology and computing in the daily lives of the people. It achieves this through its innovate marketing and products.
What does set it apart is its culture and work environment where creativity is rewarded and all programmers are respected as well as paid well.
How successful is Microsoft today?
Microsoft is one of the largest and most successful tech companies that function today. Due to the success of the company, its global revenue has increased consistently over the years and has reached a record high in their financial year 2021.
Why is Microsoft so popular?
After their conception, Microsoft has always been a young company in the way its functions and innovates, which can be the reason for much of its popularity.
However, their resilience and adaptability to the change in the market, business trends and opportunities, and technologies also contribute to their success.
How many companies has Microsoft bought?
In the last 5 years, Microsoft acquired around 45 companies, which brings the total companies bought to aroun 210. 13 of the acquisitions came from private equity firms and Microsoft has also divested around 17 assets.
What are the products and services of Microsoft?
The products of Microsoft include operating system or OS for many personal computers, phones and any other smart devices. They also include business applications, productivity applications, video games, management tools etc.
What is the most popular Microsoft software?
Out of all the products and software Microsoft has put out, Microsoft Word Processor is the most popular and widely used software worldwide. You are able to open up this application on any device or operating system easily.
Wrapping It Up…
Microsoft has been a dominant force in the market and a really successful company throughout the years it has operated. Much of the company’s success comes from its innovativeness and company culture.
It is due to the success that Microsoft has been able to expand its domain and venture into other tech related industries, especially the gaming industry. Xbox has been a creation for this industry.
Recently, it announced its acquisition of the gaming company Activision Blizzard and this acquisition is the largest one in the history of the industry. This gives Microsoft control of multiple big gaming titles.
Let us know what you think of this acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft in the comments below.
