Today, we’d like to introduce Activision—a legendary name in the gaming world. If you have even a little interest in games, you’ve probably heard of them. But how many people truly understand their greatness and influence?

Activision isn’t just any game company. It was founded in 1979 in California and broke the norm that “only hardware makers develop games,” becoming the world’s first third-party game developer. In other words, Activision is the origin of today’s common practice of third-party developers creating games for platforms like PlayStation and Xbox!

There’s even a dramatic backstory to Activision’s founding. Developers at the major company Atari, unhappy with poor working conditions, left to pursue their ideals—and thus, Activision was born. Talk about a rock-and-roll origin!

They not only survived the massive industry crash known as the “Atari Shock” in the 1980s but continued to grow stronger afterward. This wasn’t just luck—they were able to ride out the rough waves because they had true skill and innovation.

In 2007, they announced a merger with France’s Vivendi Games, and the following year launched anew as “Activision Blizzard.” Yes, that’s the Blizzard Entertainment we all know!

This move helped them surpass former industry leader Electronic Arts (EA), reclaiming the title of the world’s largest game company. It was like a classic comeback story—rising back to the top of the industry.

But Activision’s greatness isn’t just about size or history. They also singlehandedly revived the nostalgic “Crash Bandicoot” series in recent years.In 2018, they released “Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy,” delighting longtime fans.

Their commitment to preserving such IPs (intellectual properties) and updating them to suit the times continues to captivate the hearts of gamers.

Then in 2022, a game-changing announcement shook the industry: Microsoft announced the $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard! This was one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the industry.

By 2023, the acquisition was complete, and Activision officially joined the Microsoft family. This means Activision will now be part of Xbox Game Studios and grow even more powerful. In other words, from now on, they will gain even greater power as part of Xbox Game Studios.

If you had to sum up Activision’s appeal in one phrase, it would be: “A spirit of constantly embracing change.” They’ve made history-defining innovations, overcome hardships, and continuously moved on to the next stage. And it’s not just about getting bigger—they truly know how to capture the hearts of us players.

The next game you play might just have Activision’s passion behind it.