This week Microsoft confirmed what fans had been speculating for weeks: they have purchased Lionhead Studios for an undisclosed sum of money.  If you play console games, you’ll remember them as the makers of Fable.  If you’re in to PC games, you’ll remember them as creators of the Black & White games and The Movies.  If you’re geeky enough to know the names of players in the video game industry (really, I’m just typing this to assert my own geekitude to you people.  My geek is far bigger than yours!), you’ll know this as the acquisition of Peter Molyneux, a visionary in the industry.  He may not always deliver, but he’s more creative than most industry mainstays, and that’s saying something.

Also, Microsoft cut a deal for an exclusive game role playing game for their Xbox 360 with Square Enix.  The game will be developed by Tri-Ace (Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean, Radiata Stories).  Game Arts, another RPG maker (Grandia) and Square Enix collaborator, will be making a new shooter for the system as well.  Ok, so these last two announcements aren’t acquisitions, but given Microsoft’s current release schedule for the 360, consider this a hat trick.

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12343 (Microsoft buys lionhead)

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/700/700394p1.html (Tri-Ace)

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147242.html (Game Arts)