Topic: Activision Blizzard King

Not sure many gamers know a gaming site called Royal Games.
Royal Games is the main mini portal to King.com, the gaming site Royal Games, has been online for 18 years, sadly the games got removed in December 2021 and they have sadly not returned, the games studio Activision Blizzard removed all of the games.
My question is this, if Activision Blizzard closes the games off, would Microsoft Xbox use a helping hand and save the Royal Games gaming site from closing altogether or will Microsoft Xbox continue to close the Royal Games gaming site?

@AlexAtwell Who knows? At this point in time, MS hasn't laid out their long term plans and can't really say either until its theirs to control. MS can reverse any decisions made by ABK - like no 'plans' to bring ABK games to Game Pass day/date, inc 'released' games like Diablo IV but MS will inevitably reverse the 'decision' of the OLD management that no longer has any say.

If I was to guess, I'd say it was 'unlikely' as Royal Games was King.Com rebranded to offer paid-entry tournaments for a chance at cash prizes up until 2019, after which this feature was disabled for new accounts. King announced in October 2021 that the portal would be shuttered in December 2021 in a phased removal of the available games. Players that still had funds available on the site would be able to continue to withdraw these funds for some indefinite time after games from the site had been removed. As King themselves shuttered Royal Games, maybe because of an investigation into them regarding 'payouts', and as MS has their own agenda with their own gaming sites, I would think its unlikely - but that's just my opinion.

@BaMozzy It’s just very strange in how the site is still up with all the profiles still visible as well as the community page still there, King even removed the goodbye message from the community page

@AlexAtwell As I said, at the moment no-one really knows.

No doubt MS has their own ideas, plans etc but can't discuss them or 'officially' tell King. As you know, the deal has come under some scrutiny and neither ABK or MS can really announce their long term plans. If the deal falls through for example, then its up to ABK whether they wish to continue with RoyalGames or not, if it does go through, then that will ultimately come down to MS.

We can speculate as much as you want to but its still just speculation. I don't think MS will continue with Royal Games - as you said, not many gamers probably use it and with some investigations into it, could be considered as tarnished and not required with MS's own services, sites etc.

Anyway, the point is that until the deal goes through, its much more likely that ABK are somewhat in 'Limbo' and MS can't take 'control' and discuss the 'future' with the Staff at ABK yet either. Therefore its unlikely that anything 'concrete' has been discussed, let alone decided so I doubt anyone can give you a definitive answer at this time. It could be months before you find out for certain what will happen to Royal Games...

No, Royal Games was a very popular site back in the day and still is now, I think it’s just because of this gaming community with Xbox most of the gamers from here will have been playing on controllers and PC’s but without playing online if you know what I mean.
Just have to make pot luck and see what happens but as I’ve said it’s very odd the site is still up and not closed.
Just have to wait and see on what Microsoft do once the deal goes through, baring in mind Candy Crush was the main key to this deal and Candy Crush is from both King.com and Royal Games.
I also read recently that ABK’s games will all be on the cloud, I’m guessing you never knew about that?

@AlexAtwell I have no idea how popular Royal Games is/was - From what I understand, King.Com was 'rebranded' to Royal Games and if I go to RoyalGames.Com - it states clearly Royal Games has closed all games as of 7 December 2021. Please click the King logo above to read about our live games.

I assume that it remains 'open' for those with accounts but as I never had an account, its closed down already.

King announced in October 2021 that the portal would be shuttered in December 2021 in a phased removal of the available games. Players that still had funds available on the site would be able to continue to withdraw these funds for some indefinite time after games from the site had been removed.

To me, that would indicate that King themselves decided to stop using 'RoyalGames' and reverted back to King and until we know what MS plans to do with their IP's, bearing in mind they want 'King' for their expertise in 'mobile' gaming as its the 'biggest' gaming sector and want to bring their 'big' games to those gamers too.

If we look at Game Pass for Cloud, its offering games that can't run natively on mobiles so maybe they will offer a Service with 'cloud' games and of course 'Mobile' games that run 'natively' - maybe even port some of their 'old' games to Mobile Hardware with Kings 'expertise' to build up their 'Mobile' audience. It maybe possible to run some OG Xbox or even 360 era games on Mobile hardware. Use Kings experience to make 'Mobile' games using MS owned IP's - they have tried to make Mobile Gears games (Gears Pop - which wasn't that successful) so you could see King being an asset for their 'Mobile' ambitions.

As for ABK's games in the Cloud, its incredibly likely that once MS owns ABK, the vast majority, if not ALL new ABK games, once any 'external prior arrangements' are honoured (Sony's deal with CoD for example), will be available to play in the cloud. As for 'old' games, I'm sure that some may well be playable too. MS have made deals with various companies - inc nVidiia GeForce Now to allow streaming of MS, inc ABK, owned games so you can play over the Cloud.

Cloud is something 'different' to 'mobile' gaming. Mobile gaming is games designed and built to run natively on 'Mobile' hardware - cloud is streaming games to ANY device but running in the cloud.

Anyway, from the research I have done, RoyalGames.Com was King.Com 'rebranded' and King decided to Shut RoyalGames down but are keeping it 'open' indefinitely for Account holders to withdraw any 'funds' they still have on that site. I can't access it because I was never a member - it tells me the Site is CLOSED and to go to King.Com instead. I assume you can access it because you have an existing account.

If Activision themselves closed it then more then likely after the deals complete MS will keep it shut. Reason being I can't see it as a big reason for MS wanting to purchase Activision-Blizzard. They aren't going to use their resources to bring some minute thing back that Activision themselves closed. They instead are going to be using their resources for like bringing CoD to gamepass and possibly fixing those games and quite possibly the Transformers games.

Now that's not to say that if Royal Games was popular MS may look into creating their own thing like it but to bring Royal Games back the chances are slim. More then likely once the deal goes through the site will be gone and it will redirect itself to Microsoft.

@Tusaki They just removed the games is all, the site was supposed to close in 2021 which it didn’t and then also in 2022 which it didn’t.
Royal Games needs HTML5 and Microsoft supports HTML5.
All players have their withdrawals now however, the site is still open.
If a site was closing nothing should be there but the site now still remains so in my opinion that is classed as open to me

@BAMozzy Royal Games needs the cloud to get all the games back on the site, it would be silly to get rid of really good games, Royal Games went downhill with their games when they removed 8 ball and 9 ball.
All players from Royal Games really wish Microsoft could see how much the games are missed immensely.
I myself grew up with Royal Games which used to be King.com.
I really do hope that Microsoft doesn’t ignore Royal Games and helps revive the site, Royal Games still has potential at being a really good gaming site again.
All Royal Games needs is the cloud and HTML5

@AlexAtwell The site is DEAD - it has already CLOSED!!!

I cannot get on the site at all as I was NEVER a Member and it clearly states the Royal Games 'closed' in 2021 and to go to King.com instead. It is completely closed to all but 'members/account holders'.

King themselves shut it and deemed it unnecessary, I would very much expect MS to deem it completely unnecessary too - especially as they have their OWN sites to maintain and not resurrecting dead 'pointless' sites. You may be 'passionate' about it but 'RoyalGames' and 'King' are basically the SAME and they don't want to keep 'RoyalGames' preferring to keep with their 'King' name instead.

I really don't think you understand the situation or what it really takes. The Cloud makes 'no' difference at all to whether RoyalGames 'lives' or not and MS has their 'own' Cloud service they want to promote with Games to increase their Subscribers. MS has their own store fronts and want to create their own Mobile gaming Store to rival Apple/Google etc

Why resurrect a dead site when MS can use those games in their sites, in Bing for example so that you are using a MS owned product/site to play MS owned Games (inc those made by King) whether they need HTML5 or not. King decided it wasn't 'worth' keeping RoyalGames open - and only 'remains' open for existing members to withdraw any funds they have left there.

You asked what we 'expect' MS to do with a site that King/ABK closed down nearly 2 years ago - a 'portal' for King games (who still have 'King.Com' ) - when MS are buying King in particular to break into the Mobile Gaming sector, use their Mobile gaming expertise to make Mobile Games for their IP's and get people into MS owned products/Services. Both myself and @Tusaki have responded with what we 'both' think and you keep arguing despite the fact that RoyalGames was deemed unnecessary by King, closed by King and has NO 'value' to Microsoft either as they have their own gaming sites and services they want these games for...

Locking this now.

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