Microsoft is not primarily a game publisher. They develop the thing the games run on, while they also own other studios that publish and develop games.
That’s vertical integration for a company that also happens to own other vertically integrated assets. Not horizontal just because other game publishers exist under Microsoft.
Yes exactly. It’s obvious when you compare the pre-merger relationship between Microsoft and ABK to, say, the relationship between Microsoft and Sony. The latter is very competitive, whereas the former is more symbiotic
How is a games publisher buying another games publisher not horizontal integration?
Microsoft is not primarily a game publisher. They develop the thing the games run on, while they also own other studios that publish and develop games.
That’s vertical integration for a company that also happens to own other vertically integrated assets. Not horizontal just because other game publishers exist under Microsoft.
Yes exactly. It’s obvious when you compare the pre-merger relationship between Microsoft and ABK to, say, the relationship between Microsoft and Sony. The latter is very competitive, whereas the former is more symbiotic