It seems Microsoft are not done yet with buying up more games companies as the tech giant looks to be eyeing up further buyouts. Not content with splashing out on ZeniMax Media, the owners of Bethesda, and easily breaking records with the enormous $68.7 billion deal for Activision Blizzard King, Xbox is still in the game for more mergers and acquisitions.
Keeping track of such complex business interests and operations is no easy thing, so bringing in someone to oversee these future acquisitions makes sense. Microsoft is doing exactly this, as it published a job listing this past weekend advertising such a role (thanks VGC).
The role is 'Manager, Gaming Strategy & Development' with the description detailing that the "Gaming Strategy & Development team serves as the corporate strategy function for Team Xbox". The role calls for the prospective candidate to "partner closely with the Gaming Leadership Team to identify and evaluate transformative growth opportunities".
"Our charter includes helping to answer Microsoft Gaming's most challenging business questions, leading Gaming's M&A program (e.g., Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, Double Fine, etc.), and identifying and understanding key industry dynamics", the ad continues.
Whoever lands the role, and the ad has already had 14 applications, will be "developing and evaluating the business case for content & technology acquisitions (M&A)", among other responsibilities.
This comes at a time when M&A in the games industry is reaching fever pitch with analysts predicting consolidation as the sector grows and matures. Video games are an enormous business and is predicted to grow further with new markets in mobile and around the world. Last year saw a record-breaking $85 billion in mergers and acquisitions and it's been predicted to reach an astonishing $150 billion this year, which has been helped by Sony's deal for Destiny maker Bungie, Take-Two's buyout of Zynga, and Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Business is predicted to continue at a similar pace as companies eye yet more deals. Just very recently, the French games giant Ubisoft was talked about as a potential acquisition for private investment firms. Sony is widely predicted to make more deals as it tries to keep pace with its Xbox rival. While with this job post, it's clear that Microsoft is not finished wading in the waters of M&A.