Microsoft is going all in on RPGs. By moving to purchase Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment, Microsoft is adding two top notch publishers to their stable. Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment are known for making immersive RPG experiences with great story lines.
With titles such as South Park: The Stick of Truth, Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords the acquisition of Obsidian Entertainment will provide more content to entice gamers and enthusiasts to try XBOX Game Pass. InXile is no slouch with titles including Wasteland 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Bard’s Tale IV and the upcoming Wasteland 3.
By adding publishers, this allows for momentary title exclusives for the XBOX console and the opportunity to generate revenue from cross platform activity. This will build mindshare gamers who may opt to use Microsoft services personally and/or professionally. These business moves are also about adding talent to the collective. Great storytellers and talented engineers creating great content that people are willing to pay for in order to be entertained.
As has been the case in recent history, the companies will be run as standalone entities tasked with doing what they already do. Whether it has been LinkedIN or GitHub this has the playbook to ensure a more seamless integration and reduce the risk for the business move failing because it does not generate the synergy and ROI that was expected. Existing customers and partners will also be reassured that API access, availability on platforms, and general services will not change overnight.
