Microsoft Aims to Buy Gaming Company Activision for $69 Billion

2022-01-20

00:00 / 00:00
复读宝 RABC v8.0beta 复读机按钮使用说明
播放/暂停
停止
播放时:倒退3秒/复读时:回退AB段
播放时:快进3秒/复读时:前进AB段
拖动:改变速度/点击:恢复正常速度1.0
拖动改变复读暂停时间
点击:复读最近5秒/拖动:改变复读次数
设置A点
设置B点
取消复读并清除AB点
播放一行
停止播放
后退一行
前进一行
复读一行
复读多行
变速复读一行
变速复读多行
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1
  • Software maker Microsoft is buying the video game company Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion in one of the biggest technology deals in history.
  • 2
  • Microsoft announced the agreement Tuesday and said it is expected to be completed in 2023.
  • 3
  • The deal must be approved by government regulators.
  • 4
  • Activision Blizzard produces a series of popular and profitable video games including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.
  • 5
  • Microsoft is the maker of the Xbox gaming system and is expected to add those games, along with others, to its subscription service.
  • 6
  • If approved, the deal will turn the software maker into one of the world's largest video game companies.
  • 7
  • It is expected to better position Microsoft to take on other major videogame competitors like China's Tencent and Japan's Sony.
  • 8
  • The deal is also expected to help Microsoft better compete with technology companies developing equipment and systems for a future "metaverse."
  • 9
  • Metaverse is a term used to describe a non-physical world in which individuals can interact through different kinds of virtual technology.
  • 10
  • Among the companies that have confirmed the development of metaverse technologies are Microsoft, Facebook's parent Meta, Google and Apple.
  • 11
  • In announcing the agreement, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said gaming is expected to play an important part "in the development of metaverse" systems.
  • 12
  • Experts said the deal will turn Microsoft into the third-largest video game company in the world, a position formerly held by Japan's Nintendo.
  • 13
  • Only Sony - maker of the PlayStation gaming system - and Chinese technology leader Tencent are bigger.
  • 14
  • Microsoft's Xbox already develops and produces its own games.
  • 15
  • But the deal with Activision Blizzard will give the company control of many additional games.
  • 16
  • This is likely to raise questions about whether Microsoft could shut out competitors by restricting Activision games to its own Xbox system and Windows-powered computers.
  • 17
  • Nadella, however, promised this would not be the case.
  • 18
  • He said the deal would actually help people play games "wherever, whenever and however they want."
  • 19
  • Daniel Ives is an industry expert with Wedbush Securities.
  • 20
  • He told The Associated Press that Microsoft "needed to do an aggressive deal" because the company has plans to greatly expand in streaming and metaverse development.
  • 21
  • Ives added that the size of the deal is likely to bring closer attention from regulatory agencies in the United States and Europe.
  • 22
  • One group, Public Citizen, criticized the proposed agreement.
  • 23
  • The group's Alex Harman called on the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to block the deal.
  • 24
  • "If Microsoft wants to bet on the 'metaverse,' it should invest in new technology, not swallow up a competitor," Harman said.
  • 25
  • The deal came after Activision Blizzard faced months of accusations involving sexual misconduct at the company by several top managers.
  • 26
  • There were also employee accusations of workplace discrimination and unequal pay.
  • 27
  • The company has said it is still investigating and dealing with the accusations.
  • 28
  • On Monday, Activision Blizzard said it had fired or pushed out more than 36 employees for violating company policies and disciplined 40 others since July.
  • 29
  • In a conference call with investors, Nadella did not directly speak about the misconduct issues.
  • 30
  • But he did talk about the importance of company culture.
  • 31
  • "It's critical for Activision Blizzard to drive forward on its renewed cultural commitments," he said, adding, "the success of this (deal) will depend on it."
  • 32
  • I'm Bryan Lynn.
  • 1
  • Software maker Microsoft is buying the video game company Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion in one of the biggest technology deals in history.
  • 2
  • Microsoft announced the agreement Tuesday and said it is expected to be completed in 2023. The deal must be approved by government regulators.
  • 3
  • Activision Blizzard produces a series of popular and profitable video games including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush. Microsoft is the maker of the Xbox gaming system and is expected to add those games, along with others, to its subscription service.
  • 4
  • If approved, the deal will turn the software maker into one of the world's largest video game companies. It is expected to better position Microsoft to take on other major videogame competitors like China's Tencent and Japan's Sony.
  • 5
  • The deal is also expected to help Microsoft better compete with technology companies developing equipment and systems for a future "metaverse." Metaverse is a term used to describe a non-physical world in which individuals can interact through different kinds of virtual technology.
  • 6
  • Among the companies that have confirmed the development of metaverse technologies are Microsoft, Facebook's parent Meta, Google and Apple. In announcing the agreement, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said gaming is expected to play an important part "in the development of metaverse" systems.
  • 7
  • Experts said the deal will turn Microsoft into the third-largest video game company in the world, a position formerly held by Japan's Nintendo. Only Sony - maker of the PlayStation gaming system - and Chinese technology leader Tencent are bigger.
  • 8
  • Microsoft's Xbox already develops and produces its own games. But the deal with Activision Blizzard will give the company control of many additional games. This is likely to raise questions about whether Microsoft could shut out competitors by restricting Activision games to its own Xbox system and Windows-powered computers.
  • 9
  • Nadella, however, promised this would not be the case. He said the deal would actually help people play games "wherever, whenever and however they want."
  • 10
  • Daniel Ives is an industry expert with Wedbush Securities. He told The Associated Press that Microsoft "needed to do an aggressive deal" because the company has plans to greatly expand in streaming and metaverse development.
  • 11
  • Ives added that the size of the deal is likely to bring closer attention from regulatory agencies in the United States and Europe.
  • 12
  • One group, Public Citizen, criticized the proposed agreement. The group's Alex Harman called on the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to block the deal. "If Microsoft wants to bet on the 'metaverse,' it should invest in new technology, not swallow up a competitor," Harman said.
  • 13
  • The deal came after Activision Blizzard faced months of accusations involving sexual misconduct at the company by several top managers. There were also employee accusations of workplace discrimination and unequal pay.
  • 14
  • The company has said it is still investigating and dealing with the accusations. On Monday, Activision Blizzard said it had fired or pushed out more than 36 employees for violating company policies and disciplined 40 others since July.
  • 15
  • In a conference call with investors, Nadella did not directly speak about the misconduct issues. But he did talk about the importance of company culture. "It's critical for Activision Blizzard to drive forward on its renewed cultural commitments," he said, adding, "the success of this (deal) will depend on it."
  • 16
  • I'm Bryan Lynn.
  • 17
  • Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
  • 18
  • We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
  • 19
  • __________________________________________________
  • 20
  • Words in This Story
  • 21
  • regulator - n. a body with the responsibility to control an activity or process, especially by using rules
  • 22
  • subscription - n. an agreement that you make with a company to get a publication or service regularly and that you usually pay for in advance
  • 23
  • virtual - adj. used to describe something that can be done or seen using computers or the internet instead of happening in a physical place
  • 24
  • streaming - n. the continuous transmission of video files from a server to a viewer
  • 25
  • bet - v. to risk money on the result of a game, competition, etc.
  • 26
  • misconduct - n. behavior by someone in a position of responsibility that is morally wrong or breaks the rules while doing their job
  • 27
  • discipline - n. the control of people's behavior by using rules and punishments
  • 28
  • renew - v. to arrange to continue an official agreement or set of rules