In the aftermath of Microsoft's bombshell acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the gaming industry is still trying to assess the impact the move will have on the rest of the market. One of the biggest debates is if Xbox will make Activision Blizzard games like Call of Duty, Diablo, and Overwatch console exclusive. We asked you, the IGN audience, that very question, and the results came back practically split down the middle.
The poll closed with more than 55,000 total votes, and here are the results:
- Almost 41% said Xbox should make Activision Blizzard games console exclusive and add them to Game Pass.
- Nearly 38% of the votes said Activision Blizzard games should be playable in as many places as possible.
- 21% of you said you don't care either way where these games end up.
A handful of household names will now fall under the Xbox umbrella. In addition to massive, multi-billion dollar franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, Xbox will also have control of recognizable characters like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, as well as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Guitar Hero, and more.
The exclusivity debate is just one aspect to think about after yesterday's huge news. There's the uncertain future of Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who has been at the center of multiple scandals over the last year. We'll have to wait and see how leadership changes at the company when Xbox officially takes over, which could happen as late as June 2023.
And, there's the potential impact on PlayStation, as Sony stock reportedly took a huge hit after Xbox's announcement. For more, check out the game industry's biggest reactions to the Xbox Activision news, and how this acquisition represents the shift from a traditional console war to a new type of content war.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.