Just one day after Epic Games acquired Kamu, the anti-cheat software development company, comes the news that Microsoft might be making an acquisition of their own – Obsidian Entertainment.
According to a story on Kotaku, one source close to the deal told them that it is “90%” finished, while another person noted that “It’s a matter of when, not if.”
Obsidian Entertainment has worked on several hit games such as Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Fallout: New Vegas just to name a few. Unfortunately, they also have their fair share of cancelled games. This rather significant number of cancelled games put them into something of a financial crisis which forced them into crowdfunding a game on Kickstarter. That game turned out to be Pillars of Eternity, a title that would turn out to be massively successful, breaking the record for highest crowd-funded game at the time.
The widespread critical acclaim and sales generated by Pillars of Eternity saved the company from an early demise, but Obsidian Gaming still lacks a certain level of stability that larger developers like Blizzard or Epic Games have.
Despite the fact that both Microsoft and Obsidian refused to comment on the possible acquisition in IGN’s request for a response, the decision seems highly beneficial to both parties and would be shocking if it were not to occur. With Microsoft’s support, Obisidan would have access to a vast amount of financial resources ensuring that they would never need to depend on crowdfunding to create another game again. At the same time, Microsoft would add a new PC-game developer with numerous successes into its family – an area that they were looking to strengthen according to what a source close to the company has revealed to Kotaku.
Until the deal is finalized, it’s unlikely either company will formally comment on the acquisition. If the “90%” completion rate turns out to be true, it should be only a short while before we receive an official press release from both companies. Until then, stay tuned!
Featured Image Source: GoG
