Microsoft munches Massive Inc.
Just when you thought Microsoft could get no more massive, The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft is acquiring New York-based video game advertising company Massive Inc. for between $200 million and $400 million.
We're not sure what took the Journal so long. We totally saw this one coming, like, four months ago.
What's that sound? It's a cash register ringing up revenue stream #17 for Microsoft's growing gaming business.
Don't remember the others? Here's a refresher on just the Xbox-related streams: (1) Xbox Live subscriptions; (2) royalties from Xbox Live Arcade titles (direct digital distribution 4TW); (3) Xbox Live sponsored weekends; (4) Peripherals; (5) That "artist of the month" music video distribution deal that we've never bothered to write about but that you can be sure Microsoft is getting paid handsomely for; (6) royalties on every Xbox 360 game sold; (7) direct revenues from first-party game sales; (8) Movie trailers (surely, Microsoft's not paying movie theaters to place trailers on the 360); (9) DirecTV on the 360; (10) Xbox gear; (11) game-to-movie royalties; (12) Sound tracks; (13) books based on games; (14) digital tchotchkes purchased with Microsoft points; (15) royalties on content packs and episodic game content (16) sales of the consoles themselves...
