Microsoft is rumoured to be considering a Warner Bros Interactive acquisition, nabbing Batman, Harry Potter
The world of corporate acquisitions can be a little murky and confusing at the best of times, but sometimes the best way to understand it is by looking at what's actually getting purchased.
AT&T, telecommunications giant, has reportedly been looking to sell the sizeable asset that is Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for around £3.1 billion; the gaming arm of Warner, it owns a few big gaming franchises and the rights to some as-yet untapped gems.
Although no one is expecting a quick process, it would seem that Microsoft has expressed firm interest in the purchase, according to a report from TheInformation. That would be an interesting, and frankly smart move from the console giant, which has long looked with envy at the exclusives that Sony's been able to muster.
The principle jewel in Warner's crown so far has been the smashing success that is the Arkham series of Batman games, starting with Arkham Asylum and leading up to Arkham Knight. That comes in the form of developer Rocksteady, owned by Warner.
Also in the package are Netherrealm and TT Games, which make the Mortal Kombat series and Lego games respectively, Monolith which has found success with its Shadow of Mordor games and Avalanche, which is rumoured to be deep into development on the first AAA game set in the Harry Potter universe for some time.
Between Batman, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Lego, you've got a whole load of the most successful franchises going, all under one umbrella.
If that package could be even partly converted into exclusive franchises, it would mark a serious uptick in the draw of Microsoft's Xbox Series X compared to the PlayStation 5.
Time will tell if any deal comes to fruition, or if any other corporations might look to hijack it, but this could be an exciting one for fans of the Xbox ecosystem to keep their eyes on.
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