Microsoft’s acquisition of Activis could see more crypto in office and gaming.
When Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal was announced in January 2022, much was said about the Metaverse. The focus was mainly on business relationships rather than gaming. If public statements and leaked documents are any guide, the Activision deal may promise more for the future of crypto than volatility.
In January 2002, when Microsoft announced its deal for Activision, MetaVas gained high visibility. “This acquisition will accelerate the growth of Microsoft's gaming business. […] And it provides the building blocks for the Metaverse,” Microsoft said in the first paragraph. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said “Game […] It plays a key role in the development of Metaverse platforms” a few paragraphs later.
Nadella explained his vision for the development of the Metaverse in an interview the following month. Nadella told the Financial Times:
“We're building metaverse applications, frankly, if I call them that. Or experiences in business applications, productivity tools, and meetings and games – all three on a common platform.
Nadella's focus at work is telling. He lists four things and calls them “all three” – “meetings and games” count as one. Microsoft's MetaVersion platform Mesh, which began previews this month, is positioned as a complement to the teams' business communication platform.
Mesh also contains a gaming element. While promising to “turn your two-dimensional (2D) meeting into an immersive 3D experience,”
“Play interactive games built for team bonding in immersive spaces. To get started, you'll see designated areas where you can roast marshmallows, toss bean bags, answer fun icebreaker questions, and more.”
The meter wasn't mentioned in Microsoft's gaming announcements at the start and end of October 13, and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer later clarified that expectations for it in 2022 were weak.
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In an interview with Bloomberg in August, Spencer asked what Metavas was. “My perspective on the metaverse is that gamers have been in the metaverse for 30 years,” he said. He didn't say much about the Web3 metaverse, other than being “cautious” about gaming for revenue. He was later quoted as calling the Metaverse a “poorly made video game” and saying, “I realized that building a Metaverse that looks like a meeting room is not where I want to spend most of my time.”
Today is a good day to play. We officially welcome Activision Blizzard King to Team Xbox. Together we create stories and experiences that bring players together, in a culture where everyone can do their best work and respect different perspectives. https://t.co/jTHOeH48Wx
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 13, 2023
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is enthusiastic about the meta opposite. In the year In 2021, he said, “We're about to get to the point where Neil Stephens saw the first glimpse of the ice collision, or what you see. [Ernest Cline’s] Ready Player One starts to look like a very real thing.
In an interview on CNBC the day the Activision deal was announced, Kotick and Spencer appeared together on CNBC. Kotick said, “We're just starting to see what the metaverse looks like, and with that metaverse competition, it's starting to look like there are different resources and talent that we need,” Kotick said. Spenser does not mention Metavas.
Kotick will remain with Activision through the end of the year.
But Spencer may be more bullish on cryptocurrency. Leaked internal documents have reportedly revealed that Microsoft plans to integrate crypto wallets with the Xbox. Spencer downplayed the leak, saying “so much has changed,” but didn't deny any information. If the crypto inclusion plans don't change, it could be expanded to all of Microsoft's new games holdings.
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