| Hey, this is Vlad in Tokyo. A seismic shift could be coming to the video game world: Microsoft Corp. is in talks to acquire gaming-chat platform Discord Inc., according to a Bloomberg report Monday. While people familiar with the discussions say no deal is imminent, it's easy to see why Microsoft would jump at the chance to gobble up the ascendant platform—even at a $10 billion price tag. Discord, which allows gamers to communicate via voice, video or text, now counts more than 100 million active monthly users. For context, that's more than 10 times the population of my native Bulgaria. As Microsoft looks to expand its video game business and promote its Xbox Game Pass subscription, adding that audience of gaming enthusiasts would be a huge prize. Right now, Discord's service is largely free, though it has its own upgraded subscription offering, Nitro. The perks offered by Nitro could be smoothly incorporated into Microsoft's Game Pass. Also important: Discord has long relied on Google's cloud infrastructure. For the Redmond, Washington giant, claiming all of Discord's bandwidth-hungry video, voice and file-sharing interactions for Microsoft Azure could be a win all by itself. VentureBeat first reported about interest in Discord, which like many gaming companies saw the pandemic supercharge usage numbers. That also broadened its ambitions. In June, the platform's founders said in a blog post that they wanted it to be a good "place to talk" rather than purely a gamers' salon. People stuck at home have increasingly been relying on the platform for study groups, dance classes, book clubs and other virtual gatherings. There could be huge potential there—as evidenced by the buzz over the audio-only chat app Clubhouse, which has a $1 billion valuation at barely a year old. But Discord's gaming DNA is likely still the key selling point for Microsoft and all other would-be buyers. It was the arrival of a hit video game that truly sent Discord skyward: In September, people playing Among Us, the spaceship-based multiplayer sensation, primarily used Discord to coordinate with teammates via voice chat, spiking downloads. Discord also can now integrate with Amazon.com Inc.'s Twitch, making the service a key addition to social gamers' online software suites. Microsoft has not enjoyed much success in its past social-gaming endeavors, as evidenced by the failure of its Twitch rival called Mixer. It also owns Skype, which used to be the verb for video conferencing until Zooming took over in 2020. But past performance is not destiny. Acquiring Discord now helps Microsoft in myriad ways, including keeping it out of the hands of a rival like Amazon, which has successfully stewarded Twitch since acquiring it in 2014. For a company that's rich on cash and hungry for users, it could be a harmonious fit.—Vlad Savov | 
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