The discussion around the metaverse was abundant when Microsoft unveiled its intentions to purchase Activision Blizzard in January 2022. The primary focus seemed to be on corporate communications rather than gaming. Judging from official announcements and disclosed information, the acquisition might have deeper implications for the realm of cryptocurrencies than the metaverse itself.
When Microsoft publicized its agreement with Activision in January 2022, the metaverse was spotlighted. "This partnership will expedite the expansion of Microsoft's gaming sector and lay the foundational elements for the metaverse," Microsoft stated early on. Shortly thereafter, Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, emphasized, "Gaming will be instrumental in shaping the trajectory of metaverse platforms."
In a subsequent discussion with the Financial Times, Nadella expanded on his aspirations for the evolution of the metaverse. He mentioned:
Nadella's focus on the work dimension is quite revealing. Though he mentioned four aspects, he alluded to them as "all three," suggesting that he groups "meetings and games" together. Microsoft's metaverse solution, Mesh, which recently entered its preview phase, is framed as an extension to its Teams corporate communication tool.
Moreover, Mesh integrates a gaming element. Highlighting its capability, it promises to elevate "your 2D meetings to a captivating 3D experience." Furthermore, it stated:
In both the initiation and finalization statements of the deal on Oct. 13 from Microsoft Gaming, there was no mention of the metaverse. Furthermore, Microsoft Gaming's CEO, Phil Spencer, later clarified his subdued excitement for it in 2022.
During a chat with Bloomberg in August, Spencer expressed skepticism about the very definition of the metaverse, stating, "In my perspective, gamers have been part of the metaverse for the past three decades." He scarcely touched upon the Web3 metaverse, only revealing his reservations about play-to-earn models. He was also cited describing the metaverse as "a subpar video game" and remarked, "The idea of creating a metaverse that resembles a conference room isn't where I envision spending much of my time."
Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision, is quite optimistic about the metaverse. In 2021, he remarked, “The groundbreaking visions presented in Neil Stephenson's 'Snow Crash' and Ernest Cline's 'Ready Player One' are on the verge of becoming tangibly real."
On the day the acquisition of Activision was made public, both Kotick and Spencer were guests on CNBC. During this segment, Kotick commented, “We’re starting to gain clarity on the nature of the metaverse, and in this evolving landscape, it became clear that we needed various skills and resources.” Notably, Spencer refrained from discussing the metaverse during this interaction.
Kotick is set to stay with Activision until the year's conclusion.
On the other hand, Spencer seems more receptive to the idea of cryptocurrency. Alleged internal documents suggest that Microsoft harbored plans to embed crypto wallets within Xbox. Although Spencer downplayed these revelations, emphasizing the evolving nature of plans, he didn’t dismiss the leaked details. Should these cryptocurrency integration plans persist, it’s feasible that they might be extended across Microsoft's expanded gaming portfolio.
