Blog: Microsoft

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

Two years into the AI craze, where does it go next?

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Hanna Kahlert

6 Nov 2024

We are almost two years into the reality of large-language-model (LLM) artificial intelligence. Now, the future of AI is heralding the return of nuclear power: both Google and Microsoft have announced that they are investing in the revival of power plants to satiate the depthless energy needs of their models.

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Game Pass’ updates mark a new era for Xbox

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Rhys Elliott

19 Jul 2024

Xbox recently announced significant changes to its subscription offering ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 hitting the service. In September 2024, Xbox is: Increasing prices for Game Pass Ultimate from $16.

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Focusing too much on Xbox's hardware decline misses the point

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Rhys Elliott

2 May 2024

Microsoft recently released its Q1 2024 financial results (fiscal Q3). Gaming revenue was up +51% and Xbox content / services revenue was up +62%. These gains mostly came from Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition.

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Steam is the unlikely winner of the modern console wars – for now

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Rhys Elliott

4 Apr 2024

Thanks to console manufacturers and third-party publishers moving content to Steam, Valve now boasts one of the most diverse AAA offerings on the market, benefitting from new strategies adopted by Xbox and PlayStation.

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Embracing the cultural ascent of games: Zelda, Sony, and games-video symbiosis

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Perry Gresham

10 Nov 2023

Legend of Zelda

Gaming has been mainstream for a while, but in recent years it has started flexing its cross-cultural muscles, intersecting with music, sports, and increasingly with video . The latest example is a new live-action movie, based on The Legend of Zelda games franchise, announced this week as a collaboration between Nintendo and Sony Pictures.

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Microsoft’s big win against the FTC

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Karol Severin

13 Jul 2023

Activision Blizzard

Microsoft has won its case against the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction to halt or terminate the deal. There is still an ongoing antitrust case by the FTC against Microsoft, but now the acquisition can conclude before the antitrust case does.

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CMA blocking Microsoft from acquiring Activision raises more questions than answers

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Karol Severin

27 Apr 2023

UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) just announced that it “ prevented Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision over concerns the deal would alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come .

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The co-op opportunity

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Perry Gresham

25 Nov 2022

This month Microsoft released the results from a consumer survey they commissioned into Christmas-period gaming habits. According to the survey, video games are a more popular seasonal activity than either board games or outdoor activities (among those who celebrate the season).

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Despite declining time spent, Microsoft’s gaming strategy is well and good

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Karol Severin

27 Oct 2022

In its Q3 2022 results (FY Q1 2023), Microsoft reported growth in Game Pass subscriptions, but said that Xbox content and services revenue declined 3% year on year, driven by declines in first-party content and third-party content, while hardware grew 13%.

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Is Microsoft the flywheel for Meta’s VR efforts?

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Karol Severin

13 Oct 2022

Xbox and Meta announced a partnership bringing the Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming experiences to Meta Quest 2 VR headsets. Meta Quest 2 users will be able to enjoy Xbox’s cloud gaming experience without the need to own an Xbox console.

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PlayStation and Xbox exchange PR blows amid the Activision deal approval process

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Karol Severin

19 Aug 2022

Sony and Xbox exchanged PR salvos last week as Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision came under regulatory scrutiny in Brazil. Within it, companies got an opportunity to comment on the impacts of the acquisition.

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Has Blizzard’s mobile gamble paid off?

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Perry Gresham

11 Aug 2022

microtransactions

Blizzard was once perhaps the most loved game developer – with a devoted fanbase built on the back of iconic titles like Diablo and World of Warcraft. However, over the past few years there has been a shift in the perception of the developer, especially within its core fanbase.

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Why Netflix is partnering with Microsoft for video ad dominance

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Tim Mulligan

14 Jul 2022

SVODd advertising

Yesterday Netflix announced that it was partnering with Microsoft as its global advertising technology and sales partner to help it deliver upon its plan (announced in April) to build a new lower priced ad-supported subscription plan for consumers.

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Xbox Cloud Gaming expansion heralds a cross-platform future

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Perry Gresham

13 May 2022

MIDiA has been writing about Xbox’s cross-platform future for years, and Microsoft is bringing this closer to reality with each step they take. Ultimately, Xbox gamers may soon not need to own consoles at all.

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Microsoft’s new cloud focus solidifies Xbox Game Pass as the Netflix of games

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Perry Gresham

29 Mar 2022

Last week Microsoft announced a new division of Xbox Game Studios, the “Cloud Gaming Organisation”, designed to help developers create new cloud-native games to be distributed via their Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

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Microsoft sets the scene for regulator scrutiny around Activision deal

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Karol Severin

10 Feb 2022

Brad Smith, president and vice chair at Microsoft, published a post on Microsoft’s website yesterday , outlining the company’s new Open App Store principles and addressing key questions around exclusivity going forward.

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Acquiring Activision is Microsoft’s big bang in games

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Karol Severin

19 Jan 2022

Only last week we wrote about Take-Two acquiring Zynga for $12.7 billion in what was the largest games acquisition in history. But that was last week. This week, that record is beaten more than five-fold, thanks to Microsoft acquiring Activision for an eye-watering $68.

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Microsoft’s interest in Discord confirms MIDiA’s prediction

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Karol Severin

31 Mar 2021

In November 2020, we wrote the below in our annual predictions report . “Upping gaming experiences via ‘infrastructural acquisitions’: As non-gaming entertainment increasingly embeds in games, companies will look to upgrade their ecosystems to cater beyond consumers’ gaming needs and instead focus across their entire digital entertainment and social lives.

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Microsoft’s Zenimax acquisition is about the future of Games Pass more than console sales

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Karol Severin

30 Sep 2020

With the acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Microsoft is gaining an important content asset for its portfolio – Bethesda’s games. And while the timing of the announcement certainly won’t make Sony too happy as it is about to launch PS5, the key benefits of this acquisition are tied to the future of Xbox Game Pass, rather than to who will sell more consoles this holiday season.

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We are at a turning point for social music

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Mark Mulligan

4 Aug 2020

In recent days we have seen three major developments that, collectively, are a potential pivot point for social music: 1. TikTok close to a US-entity buyout by Microsoft to avoid potential sanctions, following hot on the heels of an India blackout 2.

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