Massive Shutdown

   I remember when Microsoft bought Massive back in 2006 and back then, I thought it was a smart deal. Google was ruling with its little text ads and advertising was on Microsoft's mind. Even if Microsoft couldn't catch Google in the online ads arena, they'd try their hand at inserting ads into videogames. Microsoft paid what appears to be $200+ million on Massive but in the four years since the acquisition, Massive's game ads have gone nowhere. EA brought in-game advertising in-house and Xbox Live took off. These two occurrences basically doomed Massive into obscurity.

   According to Mike Shields' article in MediaWeek from last week, Microsoft has shopped Massive around "seeking a high six-figure or low seven-figure deal" but no one appears to have bitten. I believe that Massive could have been big if they never sold out to Microsoft. I've seen time and again how companies with great potential that are acquired and folded into a huge corporation lose focus, lose momentum, and eventually lose everything. Add another notch to the gunbelt.