With the next generation of gaming consoles on the horizon, Microsoft Studios has been gobbling up high-profile developers, and it's continuing that trend today with the acquisition of Fallout: New Vegas studio Obsidian Entertainment and Wasteland 2 company inXile Entertainment. Obsidian and inXile represent some of Microsoft Studios' most notable acquisitions yet, especially when taken together. Obsidian is responsible for Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, South Park: The Stick of Truth and the Pillars of Eternity series, while inXile is behind Fantastic Contraption, Torment: Tides of Numenera and the upcoming Wasteland 3, which raised more than $3 million via crowdfunding platform Fig in 2016. There's rich history between Obsidian and inXile, as both studios are the product of a 2003 developer exodus from original Fallout house Interplay. They have an agreement to share tools and technology with each other, and Obsidian even helped inXile develop Wasteland 2. "While they do share a common heritage, the two creative teams at Obsidian and inXile are very different," Microsoft said in a statement. "They will continue to operate autonomously and bring their unique talents, IP, and expertise to Microsoft Studios as they build new RPG experiences for our players and fans."

There are three main contenders in the video game console market, and each one has unique advantages and drawbacks. The PlayStation 4, for example, is easy to use: Sony has made a powerful console designed to appeal to as many players as possible, and its gamble has largely paid off. While Microsoft clearly wants just as many people playing Xbox One, it's tackling the market via its ecosystem, which is more open than any of the other consoles. The Xbox One supports cross-play with Windows 10, and its built-in livestreaming architecture, Mixer, is an impressive tool. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch is a strange treasure, packing less power than the other two systems but making up for this technical loss with an innovative hybrid design.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. "Microsoft Monday" takes a look back at the past week of news related to Microsoft. This week, "Microsoft Monday" includes details about Scalebound getting cancelled, the StaffHub app getting added to Office 365, two employees suing Microsoft over PTSD claims, the reduction of Windows 10 data collection, new features that will be included in the Windows 10 Creators Update, confirmation of the Game Mode in Creators Update and much more!

Tonight marks the 3rd annual Game Awards hosted by Geoff Keighley, the premiere event for honoring the best, or at least most acclaimed, video games of the year. The Game Awards were previously known as the Video Game Awards, which have been around since 2009. The Game Awards have taken on a distinctly different tone than before, however, under the stewardship of host Geoff Keighley. Here's everything you need to know about the 2016 Game Awards, including where to watch, when the awards are airing, and what to expect from the show, as well as a list of nominees in ten different categories. This year's award ceremony begins tonight, December 1st, beginning at 8:30 pm ET.

Microsoft shares surged 5% in early trading Friday,and passed a high set in 1999, helped by enthusiasm for progress in its cloud business. SAN FRANCISCO -- To hear him tell it, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is out to do more than just sell products. Time to stop gobbling it down and to start cranking it out. "The last 10 years have seen a lot of innovation indexed largely toward content consumption," Nadella tells USA TODAY. "But the next 10 will be indexed toward content generation. It'll be about what we can create."