You might have already heard about that crazy rumor that Microsoft is about to acquire Electronic Arts, Valve and PUBG Corp. While Microsoft is a company that takes risks spending billions on getting other companies for their dynamic, seeing Electronic Arts among those seems like a far-fetched scenario. What would such an acquisition mean though?
Microsoft acquiring Electric Arts will clearly mean a series of huge changes on both Xbox and PC gaming. Microsoft has been laying low when coming to video games during 2017 but they promised to bring some huge news in the following months. Can Microsoft save EA’s reputation though? And if so, what could such a merge mean?
Better Online Service
It’s no secret that even though Microsoft has made some serious improvements to their online services both on Xbox and PC but Electronic Arts is a master when it comes to online gaming. With sports titles such as FIFA, franchises like Battlefield and Need for Speed, EA has proved that their main concern is getting players together. Should Microsoft acquire Electronic Arts, expect Xbox’s online services as well as matchmaking for future PC games published by Microsoft to reach higher levels.
Salvation For Star Wars
Electronic Arts has taken a really bad turn regarding the Star Wars license. After the uproar the release of Star Wars Battlefront 2 has caused and the closure of Visceral Games and the cancelation of their future adventure title based in the Star Wars universe, Electronic Arts future with the franchise looks dim. Microsoft may not have a huge library of first-party releases but sure knows how to work with what the designers want to create. If Microsoft really buys Electronic Arts then the Star Wars franchise may see a brighter day, without fancy multiplayer modes and microtransactions. We could only hope this might happen in the future.
More Exclusives for Xbox One
The most important change that Electronic Arts could bring to Microsoft is more exclusives to Xbox One. Sony is clearly winning the console war since last year and there are little things that Microsoft can do to turn things around. In a year where God of War, Detroit: Become Human and Shadow of the Colossus are about to release, Xbox One’s company must claim some big titles to be able to bring some competition into the mix. The first name that pops into mind when talking about EA’s exclusives on Xbox One is FIFA which is one of the best selling titles every year. If Xbox One could have FIFA as a console seller, then the tide of the console war could easily swift, especially if other franchises like Battlefield and Madden are to be added to this too.
Anthem Falls to Capable Hands
What we all fear right now is the upcoming release of Anthem from Electronic Arts. After the accusations that EA is implementing microtransactions for necessary items in games instead of cosmetics, fans are wondering how Anthem will be able to escape this fate. If Microsoft has a say in the matter, then we might see Anthem getting a more player-friendly character and of course, fewer microtransactions. Of course, these are all speculations, since Microsoft is a huge company and profit is the way to go for such businesses. For what it’s worth, Anthem deserves a future as a franchise and being at the hands of Electronic Arts may prove bad for its name.
Origin Merging With Windows Store
If Microsoft wants to continue having a say in the gaming industry then they must work their way to PC too. Electronic Arts has its own platform, Origin where stores, social features and downloading games are easy and user-friendly. Microsoft, on the other hand, hasn’t made a lot of effort when it comes to the Windows Store. It may be easy to access and have everything you may need from a gaming platform but when compared to all other platforms it is not that efficient. Shall Origin get merged with Windows Store then we may actually see more players buying games there instead of Steam and that could be another win for Microsoft.
Xbox: The Ultimate Sports Console
Electronic Arts has the reputation of having the best sports games in the video game industry. Titles like FIFA, NBA Live and Madden are the company’s main source of income. Imagine if all those sports games become available exclusively on Xbox One. Then Microsoft’s console may continue not being able to win Playstation’s exclusives but can claim the name of the ultimate Sports console. There are players around the world that just don’t care about EA or Microsoft or Sony releases but still want the thrill of playing a good sports game including football, wrestling, basketball etc. For all those players to have a dedicated console that can fit all those games and house their passion for sports exclusively.
The possibility of Microsoft acquiring Electronic Arts is extremely low but, if this happens then it may be a game changer for the industry altogether.
What do you think about this rumor? Do you believe that Microsoft could save EA’s franchises from being dragged down by the company’s bad name?
