Microsoft Reportedly Readies $16 Billion Bid to Acquire Valve / Steam

[HellRazor]

Rumors have recently surfaced suggesting that Microsoft is considering a significant acquisition bid valued at approximately $16 billion for Valve Corporation, the entity behind major gaming franchises such as Half-Life and Portal, and operator of the Steam Store, the leading digital distribution platform for PC gaming.

Microsoft's interest in acquiring Valve is part of a larger plan to strengthen its foothold in the PC gaming industry and venture into the handheld gaming sector, areas where Valve has made significant strides with its Steam Deck product. If Microsoft were to acquire the Steam Store, it would gain a major source of revenue and solidify its position in digital distribution.

Microsoft Reportedly Readies $16 Billion Bid to Acquire Valve / Steam

Rumors have recently surfaced suggesting that Microsoft is considering a significant acquisition bid valued at approximately $16 billion for Valve Corporation, the entity behind major gaming franchises such as Half-Life and Portal, and operator of the Steam Store, the leading digital...

www.guru3d.com

 

[notdart]

I hope not; MS is such a shitty company; who knows what crap they would do - probably force everyone to surrender their first born then release all your PIA info to the North Korean.

If Valve did sell out i would at least hope they could find a better buyer.

 

[Shagnak]

From the article:

Let me reiterate that this news-story currently is nothing more than a rumor.

Fecking better be just a rumor. Hands off!

 

[JDR13]

As they like to say at the Codex, this is pure decline.

 

[Couchpotato]

Yeah sounds like an April's Fools joke and some Microsoft CEO's wet dream. Anyway even if it were true I'm sure the FCC would block it as they tried with the Activision deal.

Also their probably in the red or owe investors a ton of money right now.

 

[sakichop]

It's just a rumor and a bad one at that. Only 16B? Gabe would laugh them out of the room.

 

[Drithius]

16b is indeed too cheap. That is a helluva lot of user data.

 

[num4!vr34umu5t4r!]

I would like this if they would make something like game pass but for steam with all steam games.

 

[JFarrell71]

I don't think Microsoft is any shittier than any company its size, but I would not want to see this happen. This sort of constant consolidation is never a win for consumers.

 

[Redglyph]

It's just a rumor and a bad one at that. Only 16B? Gabe would laugh them out of the room.

How much do you think it's worth?

EDIT: He would laugh them out of the room just for suggesting he come back to MS, though.

 

[Thrasher]

All I know is that ESO has gone downhill since MSFT’s acquisition of Zenimax.

 

[Carnifex]

May this stay in the rumour bin for all eternity.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I don't believe it just because it's only 16 billion. No way are they worth only that.
Plus at how unlikely Gabe is to sell, no way would they low-ball them like that.

 

[Vaelith]

It would be believable if the figure was more on par with reality. The Acti-Blizzard bid was something like $70~ billion, can't imagine Valve/Steam "only" costing them $16 Billion.

Sounds like some kind of troll copypasta that got retweeted enough times for some people to take it as real.

 

[Redglyph]

I have no idea how you people estimate how much Valve is worth, and it's not only here as I saw similar posts all over the Internet. For my part, those values are completely abstract. Besides, I don't have access to their financial statement, and even if I had them, I wouldn't know where to start.

According to Bloomberg, Valve is worth $6.9 billion, and other website that I don't know well estimates it at between 3.2 and 7.7 billion. Of course, there's also the strategic component.

Be that as it may, they have a unhealthy structure and atmosphere, and I really wonder how they could work as a subsidiary of a big company like MS. I personally wouldn't touch Valve with a 10-ft pole if I were them. I would be shocked if that was anything else than a fake rumour, especially after the Blizzard struggle. Unless MS is only interested in the distribution platform (and not the people) as a reaction to Sony's changes. I also doubt that, on their side, Valve would be interested.

It's probably just clickbait by someone who stumbled on the old 2020 email leak.

 

[Couchpotato]

Correct MS probaably had a meeting years back and Valve was mentioned, but ultimately they went a different route. Basically bought Bethsedsa and Activision.

 

[HellRazor]

I personally wouldn't touch Valve with a 10-ft pole if I were them. I would be shocked if that was anything else than a fake rumour, especially after the Blizzard struggle. Unless MS is only interested in the distribution platform (and not the people) as a reaction to Sony's changes. I also doubt that, on their side, Valve would be interested.

If there is any truth to this rumor, I'm sure MS is much more interested in the infrastructure and the near-monopoly on digital games distribution Steam enjoys.

I imagine that it is at least true that Microsoft is interested in aquiring them. It's the kind of power move that would transfer Steam's near-monopoly on digital games distribution to Microsoft. (Not that this would necessarily be a good thing for anyone aside from Microsoft)!

Also, 16 billion dollars is a shit-ton of money. A lot of people could retire on that!!!

 

[Vaelith]

On the bright side, it couldn't be bad for anyone if all Steam games were part of the GamePass sub.

 

[Couchpotato]

Well they spent 13 billion buying Bethsedsa and 68+ billion buying Activision.

That's a huge amount of money so that 16 billion is nothing.

Anyway getting more Steam games would boost GamePass.

Though like said already if true it won't get government approval easily.

 

[JDR13]

Also, 16 billion dollars is a shit-ton of money. A lot of people could retire on that!!!

Gabe Newell and his group that own Steam are already so wealthy that I can't imagine they're going to be swayed by money alone.