If true, this is pretty insane. Adding that many people to the payroll is quite crazy for Microsoft for any initiative...nevermind one division...specifically the gaming division. Investors are all about Microsoft cutting staff and that’s been their goal with AI, automation etc. Can’t see any of their major investors being on board with this unless Nadella is selling them on the upside of gaming. For Microsoft to be making this kind of investment, they see the upside of Xbox dwarfing anything from their past including the 360’s high point.
The ongoing cost of additional employees is a far bigger concern to investors than the initial expense of buyouts. Microsoft is more all-in than I thought...and I thought they were going to be aggressive.