One of 2022’s biggest gaming crazes has taken the unexpected form of a word puzzle. TitledWordle, the game has players around the world trying to guess a daily five-letter word in six tries or fewer.Wordledoes tell players when the word they have guessed has the correct letters and whether the letters are in the right place, but it can still be a mind-bending exercise and a good way to get the brain cells firing in the morning. Despite the frustration it can evoke,Wordlehas quickly managed to amass millions of daily players, and it has become an internet phenomenon.
Wordleis currently a free game, but things may change in the future since The New York Times has announced that it has acquired the game from its creator, Josh Wardle. The New York Times is an American daily newspaper, and although the site has a high readership, it is paywalled behind a subscription fee. While the purchase may seem odd to some, it falls into 2022’s pattern of companies buying up games and studios in hopes of cashing in on their skyrocketing popularity.
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The New York Times Buys Wordle
Wardle is a Brooklyn-based software engineer who once worked for Reddit.He first madeWordlepublicin October 2021, and it did not take long before it spread like wildfire. The popularity of the game is catalyzed by the fact that players can share their daily results online without spoiling the answers, allowing players to brag about how well they did while encouraging their friends to try and do better.
The New York Times Follows a Common Strategy in 2022
In January, there have been announcements of historic acquisitions within gaming. Microsoft announced that it would be acquiring Activision Blizzard for close to $69 billion, and should the acquisition go through, Microsoft will be the third-biggest gaming company by revenue, placing it behind only Tencent and Sony. The acquisition will also mean that several iconic gaming franchises will now fall under Microsoft’s umbrella,includingCall of Duty,Overwatch, andWorld of Warcraft.
Sony has also been busy, which has led to the recent announcement of the company’s planned acquisition of Bungie for $3.6 billion. The acquisition is a noteworthy one, as Bungie is responsible for theonline first-person shootersDestinyandDestiny 2. Sony has stated that Bungie will remain “an independent and multi-platform studio and publisher,” which suggests that gamers should not have to worry about Destiny becoming an exclusive franchise.
A Consolidation of Power
For some, this paints a bleak picture where the gaming studios of the world are all owned by a few powerhouses, and there is evidence that this may be the future awaiting gamers. Jim Ryan, who is president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has stated thatthe Bungie acquisitionis not the last, and gamers “should absolutely expect more.” This consolidation of power may not be a good thing for gamers, as it could reduce the innovation that comes with competition and increase the rift between platforms if exclusives become more plentiful.
