What you need to know
- Microsoft is currently working to acquire Activision Blizzard in the biggest gaming deal ever.
- Regulators around the world have raised some concerns regarding nascent competition, such as Cloud Gaming, as well as worries for how the deal will affect market leader PlayStation.
- Microsoft has signed a 10-year deal with Ubitus, a Cloud gaming company headquartered in Japan, to allow Ubitus users to stream Xbox PC titles, as well as Activision Blizzard games once Microsoft's deal closes.
Microsoft isn't done signing deals to help get its acquisition of Activision Blizzard finalized.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer shared on Wednesday that Microsoft has signed a 10-year deal with Cloud gaming company Ubitus for PC games developed by Xbox. Founded in 2013, Ubitus currently provides Cloud gaming support for numerous companies, including most notably powering the Cloud versions of several Resident Evil titles for the Nintendo Switch.
"Microsoft and Ubitus , a leading cloud gaming provider, have signed a 10-year partnership to stream Xbox PC Games as well as Activision Blizzard titles after the acquisition closes," Spencer shared on Twitter. "Our commitment is to give more players, more choice."
This means players will have another way of accessing some of the best PC games developed across Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks, as well as Activision Blizzard if and when this deal goes through.
This comes just a day after Microsoft brokered an agreement with Ukrainian Cloud gaming company Boosteroid for 10 years of access. Microsoft has also signed 10-year deals with Nintendo and NVIDIA, with a deal offered for PlayStation that Sony has opted to oppose. Valve, parent company of PC storefront Steam, was also offered a contract, though Valve declined to take it, with Valve co-founder Gabe Newell noting that the company trusted Microsoft to honor its word.
Windows Central's take
The more the merrier. I would go ahead an expect at least a couple of other Cloud gaming deals to be announced in the next couple of weeks. Microsoft is clearly attempting to address any possible concerns about dominance in Cloud gaming. I don't personally like the idea of regulators sticking so pugnaciously to a market that doesn't really exist, but Microsoft is taking the complaints seriously. We'll have to wait and see how things end up playing out.
