
Microsoft is the dominant force in business software, and a giant player in cloud computing. On Tuesday, the company made clear that its ambitions were even bigger, saying it planned to buy the powerhouse video game player Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion, in a deal meant to position the company for the next generation of the internet.
The acquisition, Microsoft’s largest ever, would catapult the company into a leading spot in both the video game industry and could strengthen its hand in the nascent world of virtual and augmented reality.