In case you somehow missed the news that shocked the industry earlier today, Microsoft has announced that they are acquiring Activision Blizzard. That means we’re going to see a ton of Activision Blizzard games coming to Game Pass, and Microsoft only spent nearly $70 billion — that’s a steal!
But it all begs the question, now that this deal is in the works, what will the future hold? Now that these two giants have come together, what possibilities are there now? Well, we have some ideas of our own and we hope to see the results of this crazy announcement in the future.
Crash Bandicoot/Spyro/Banjo Kazooie Crossover
Let’s start with a wild one. As a result of this deal, we have three OG video game IPs under one roof. Banjo Kazooie has always been a darling of Microsoft, but now Spyro and Crash Bandicoot are joining them. These once fierce rivals are now in a position where they can come together in some kind of wild 3D platformer crossover that I’m sure will cause a good portion of the 30-something population to lose their collective minds.
If there’s one love letter game Microsoft could give the green light to show that they’re making the most of their new property, it’s it. While it’s easy to be disheartened to hear the news that Toys for Bob has moved into a Warzone support role, we might see our beloved orange marsupial once again on Xbox, which sparks a spark of hope.
World of Warcraft on Xbox
This is a weird one. Everyone knows that Final Fantasy XIV is the top player in the MMORPG market right now, dominating the PlayStation console and PC. With World of Warcraft under Microsoft’s giant golden umbrella, Blizzard’s legendary title may finally be coming to consoles. After all, with the release of the Shadowlands expansion, they added controller support to the game, so why not.
Regardless of your stance on the current state of World of Warcraft (and its player base is slowly dwindling), it’s a name everyone knows. Publishing games on Xbox would be a big announcement from Microsoft. They’ll have to bind dozens of abilities to one Xbox controller, and maybe figure out a new way to target allies and enemies alike, but if they can fix that, it could lead to a new wave of keenness to jump into Azeroth s player.
Arkane to produce Singularity spin-off/sequel
Anyone remember the singularity? It’s a no-frills first-person shooter released to the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2010. Created by Activision Blizzard, it allowed players to play time on TMD, a gimmick that helped differentiate it from other FPS games of the time.
You know who showed they can create some proper mint FPS games with time pranks? Akane. These guys are able to show off their stuff through shame and time-stopping abilities, then take it to the next level with the seventh mission – a crack in the slab. Put the good folks at Arkane in the driver’s seat of Novelty Games and they’ll be right in their element.
World’s Edge Making Warcraft 4
Look, WoW fans are in a tough spot right now. We’re talking about wayward souls who still have fond memories of the original RTS games that brought the world to Azeroth. In Warcraft 3 Reforged, these fans didn’t quite get their minds. With that in mind, we say the new high-quality Warcraft RTS is just what the world needs, and who better to make it than World’s Edge.
For those unfamiliar, World’s Edge is the developer behind the Microsoft-owned Age of Empires game. Their recent big hit into their favorite RTS franchise, to widespread critical acclaim, shows no doubt that even today, a great real-time strategy game can still be a huge hit. Since they’re still very good at making blockbuster games in the genre, they’re the perfect studio to chart a course for future Warcraft games.
Playground Games X Crash Team Racing
We’ve seen Playground show off its racing chops with the venerable Forza Horizon series, but what if we put the studio in charge of making something more…silly? After Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled’s huge success on Xbox and PlayStation consoles a few years ago, it’s safe to say that Tarmac is ready to once again venture into the crazy kart racing genre. And — if Beenox and Toys for Bob are sent elsewhere to get things done — who better for a fast-paced, explosive racing game than Playground?
The studio clearly has the right mindset to allow Crash, Coco and the pals to go beyond what we’ve seen so far. The Lego and Hot Wheels expansions for Forza Horizon 4 have flirted with reality’s less solid game. Adding some fuzzy marsupials (and any damn pinstripes) to that formula sounds like a winner to us. Maybe we could even get some killer instinct characters out there as unlockables?
Tim Shaffer’s Dragon Sparrow
If you’ve played Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, or many of the other games you’ll often find on “most fun games of all time” lists, you’ll know Double Fine and studio head Tim Schafer , know funny. It’s in their bones. Whether it’s visual puns, goofy jokes or more generally themed comedy, the studio knows how to make people laugh in an interactive entertainment space.
Of all the incoming IP that Microsoft will soon have to use, I think Spyro is the best fit for Double Fine games; the world is colorful, full of ridiculous things, and logic can bend and stretch at will. The core characters in Spyro, Sparx, Hunter, Elora, greedy bear bastards, and more, will provide Double Fine with great NPC material, as well as in a seemingly limitless world relying on gems and magic. Like Terry Pratchett passing Monkey Island – I can’t think of a better pitch.
What would you like to see from this momentous moment in the video game industry? Tell us below about your dream Microsoft x Activision Blizzard game and why you’d like to see it happen?
Table of Contents
