We are living in strange times in the entertainment industry. At the same time, it seems like all companies are on the verge of bankruptcy, with continuous layoffs… and they keep buying others as if there were no tomorrow, with monopolistic practices that cannot lead us to anything new. The latest to make a move, according to rumors, is (once again) Microsoft, which after leaving us without four Bethesda studios, has now gathered enough money to buy… Valve!
Valve already with the nonsense
If this rumor were to become true, it would mean that Microsoft would also acquire Steam, in addition to the rights to ‘Half-life’, ‘Portal’, ‘Counter-Strike’ and the rest of the studio’s games. And it would be very, very dangerous for the industry. However, if the current rumor is true, Gabe Newell and his team would pocket 16 billion dollars.
Read that figure again. It is higher than the GDP of countries like Macedonia, Republic of Congo, Montenegro, or Madagascar. In fact, it is higher than that of 60 countries on the planet. Absolutely insane. On the other hand, although it is true that there was an attempted purchase in 2020, it seems that they have not officially mentioned it again. However, when there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.
However, the credibility of these rumors is rather limited: Valve would not sell itself for 16 billion dollars because, for starters, it does not seem to make much less profit annually. And, in addition, they would have constant litigation, as in the case of Activision, to ensure that Microsoft does not violate antitrust laws.
Ah, yes, and let’s not forget that Activision Blizzard was recently bought for 68.7 billion dollars, and the experience hasn’t been very good for Microsoft, so it’s likely that money is better off in their pockets. However, it’s not the first time they’ve made a last-minute attempt to make a profit. Only time will tell.
