It’s 2022 and Microsoft is within the strategy of tying up a deal to buy Blizzard. This isn’t the primary time the computing big has tried to purchase the corporate, although; in response to Ed Fries, who led improvement of the primary Xbox console, it’s truly the third.

In an interview with The XboxEra podcast, Fries is requested if there have been any “gaming acquisitions” he needs he’d been capable of full in his time at Microsoft. He’s surprisingly candid (and detailed) in his response (the video beneath ought to start taking part in on the related query):

The massive story right here for lots of people is that he says Microsoft tried to purchase Blizzard not as soon as however twice, which might make this the third try to purchase the corporate behind WarCraft and Diablo. I’m truly extra excited by Fries’ different revelation, although, the place he says Microsoft made an try to buy Westwood Studios, a reputation that may not imply a lot to youthful readers however which for a time was one of many largest and most profitable builders of PC video games on the planet.

From Dune 2 to Command & Conquer, Crimson Alert to Blade Runner, the whole lot Westwood touched turned to gold, so it was anticipated that huge corporations began sniffing round and making an attempt to select them up. And whereas it’s inconceivable to truly undergo one among these sliding doorways and see what life would have been like if Microsoft had purchased Westwood, it absolutely would have been a greater final result than the one we truly obtained, which noticed EA purchase them for $120 million in 1998 then shut them down solely 5 years later.

It’s additionally actually fascinating listening to Fries discuss concerning the motivations for each potential (and in the end failed) acquisitions: the real-time technique style, and simply how rattling huge and vital it was 20-25 years in the past. It was key to Microsoft’s personal efforts on the PC house on the time (with Age of Empires), and was the explanation each Blizzard (WarCraft 3) and Westwood (C&C) have been being checked out right here. It’s a pleasant reminder that as well-liked because the video games of immediately are, in 20 years time who is aware of what genres and experiences we’ll have moved onto!