Microsoft's recipe for success in the gaming business

Photo

The gaming industry is currently one of the strongest players on the global market with potential for the future. This strong performance promises investors rosy future prospects and encourages them to enter the industry. Microsoft was one of the first companies to venture into the market. The tech giant began making acquisitions and developing its own games console back in the 1990s. 

Development of the gaming industry into a billion-dollar business

Card, dice and board games dominated the gaming culture of many regions of the world for centuries. However, the idea of combining machines and gaming in the 19th century drastically changed gaming culture. First, mechanical slot machines came onto the market. Then simple video games such as Tennis for Two invented. However, the hardware was still underdeveloped and difficult to access for the average citizen. This situation changed in the 1990s. Computers and the internet were now available to the masses, which visibly accelerated the production of new gaming products. 

Innovative games flooded the market, while the classics were rapidly digitized. Two of the most successful digital integrations were poker and chess. Digital poker rooms emerged which, in addition to the gameplay, still offer their customers a broad spectrum of knowledge ranging from poker rules to the latest news from the gaming scene. Chess servers were developed for chess fans, bringing together players from all over the world on the Internet. These still exist today and promise users a comprehensive range of training programs, live streams and tournament organizations. 

The new market for computer and video games, on the other hand, has grown to incredible dimensions over the years. Today, there are countless gaming products, services and genres on the market. In 2022 alone, mobile games generated an annual turnover of around 91.8 billion US dollars and accounted for 50 percent of the global gaming market. Console games took second place with global sales of USD 52.2 billion, while PC games came in third with USD 36.5 billion. Behind these immense sums are successful hardware and software companies that continuously invest in technical innovations. Tech giant Microsoft is one of the most important names. 

Microsoft's path to market leadership

Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates together with Paul Allen and Monte Davidoff. It entered the market as a software company with a focus on operating systems and the aim of increasing the accessibility of complex technologies for people. Ten years after its foundation, Microsoft launched a new product under the name Microsoft Windows 1.0 the first graphical user interface for its MS-DOS environment. In 1989 Windows 2.11which is already Microsoft Word contained. The decisive years of growth were the 1990s, when computers and the Internet were introduced into normal households. The final breakthrough came in 1995 with the release of Windows 95which is characterized by Internet Explorer also enabled a simple connection to the Internet. The operating system Windows and the office software package Office became the market leader in the personal computer sector. 

INSERT IMAGE HERE >>> https://get.pxhere.com/photo/laptop-computer-mobile-technology-tablet-color-gadget-surface-brand-media-multimedia-microsoft-touch-screen-computer-monitor-tablet-computer-display-device-flat-panel-display-923855.jpg>>> Photo

The Windows manufacturer in the gaming business 

The 1990s also saw Microsoft's entry into the gaming industry. One after the other, the tech giant bought promising development studios such as Aces Game Studio, Bungie and Ensemble Studios on. The entertainment program was accompanied by Windows spiced up. The 1995 version already had the games Solitaire, Minesweeper, FreeCell, Hearts and the MS Flight Simulatorwhose rights had already been bought up in the 1980s. This was followed in 1997 by the release of the real-time strategy game Age of Empires from Ensemble Studios. At the same time, the Windowsmanufacturer worked meticulously on a proprietary games console, which was finally released in 2001 under the name Xbox was realized. 

Growth through acquisitions and investments in the Xbox have proven to be successful business strategies for Microsoft in the gaming sector. The most important deals in recent years have been with the successful studios Mojang and Bethesda Softworks completed. For correct Chaos in the gaming industry Microsoft's interest in the 2022 Activision Blizzardthe market leader for computer and video games. Despite difficulties with international regulatory authorities and protesting gamers' associations, the purchase was finally sealed on October 13, 2023.

In recent years, the investments in the Xbox The focus is not only on improving the hardware and updating the associated user interface. The focus is primarily on expanding the Internet offerings for the games console. The most important products include the Xbox Networkwhich provides a multiplayer system for gaming as well as downloads of games, demos and trailers. Another important factor is the subscription service Xbox Game Pass. This was launched in 2017 and promises its users a wide range of different games for a monthly subscription price. 

Since the 1990s, Microsoft has been investing in the growing gaming industry and trying to expand its global reach. Through spectacular acquisitions and clever investment in the company's own Xbox the success-spoiled Windows-manufacturer seems to have achieved its goal. Today, it is an important competitor for other gaming giants such as Nintendo and Sony in the billion-dollar games business.