Microsoft building and acquiring new studios

Microsoft has announced today that they are acquiring Playground Games, Undead Labs, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games. For those unaware, Playground is best known for the Forza Horizon series, Undead Labs with State of Decay, Ninja Theory for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and Compulsion for We Happy Few. This move shows the commitment that Phil Spencer has for the brand moving forward, with a focus on strong first party exclusives mixed with a varied 3rd party lineup.
In addition, they announced that they have created a new MS Studio in Santa Monica called The Initiative. It will be led by Darrel Galager, an industry veteran. All of these moves are extremely promising for fans who have been clamoring for new exclusives.