Episode 273: The Microsoft Takeover

Activision Blizzard isn’t the only thing Microsoft is taking over. The company that Bill Gates built is all over this episode of the Random Nintendo Podcast, too. We share impressions of former Xbox-exclusive indie The Artful Escape and revisit the Microsoft-owned Banjo-Kazooie within Switch Online + Expansion Pack. We then turn our attention to Microsoft’s next move, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and break down what it means for us gamers, for Nintendo, and for the industry as a whole. Plus, we go beyond Redmond for some light Kingdom Hearts shenanigans.

What’s your take on Microsoft buying Activision? Tell us know in the comments. If you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. You can also follow us on Twitter @RandomNintendo.

As always, we’ve included links below for more on the news and games discussed in this episode. Each link also lists a time stamp to easily locate segments of interest. Enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:16 — 41.3MB)

News

• [0:01] Kingdom Hearts 1-3 Are Coming To Switch Via The Cloud February 10 (GameSpot)
• [0:03] Fans Think a Kingdom Hearts Hotel Room Might Be Important to the Series’ Plot (IGN)
• [0:31] The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Coming To Nintendo Switch Online Next Month (Game Informer)
• [0:36] Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion (TechCrunch)
• [0:47] Bobby Kotick Considered Buying Game Websites To “Change The Public Narrative” Around Activision (Nintendo Life)
• [0:49] Xbox CEO Phil Spencer discusses reviving old Activision games after Microsoft’s acquisition (The Washington Post)
• [0:59] Activision’s Next Three Call of Duty Games Will Be on PlayStation and Xbox (Bloomberg)
• [1:08] Is Microsoft building a gaming monopoly? (The Verge)
• [1:10] Kao the Kangaroo (2022) Announced (IGN)
• [1:15] Microsoft-Activision: What Satya Nadella has said about the metaverse (CNBC)

Games

• [0:01] Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece (Official Site)
• [0:10] The Artful Escape (Official Site)
• [0:20] Banjo-Kazooie (IGN Game Page)
• [1:10] Kao the Kangaroo (Official Site)