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[SoggyBiscuit]

Microsoft is buying the entire gaming industry. Phil Spencer is like “sexual assault, count me in”:

Xbox head Phil Spencer is 'evaluating relationship' with Activision Blizzard

Xbox boss is “disturbed and deeply troubled” by happenings at Activision Blizzard.

ftw.usatoday.com

Phil just said, fuck it. I'll fix them myself.

 

[ParaSeoul]

 

[Phase]

More consolidation is never good. We may benefit from it in the short term, but long term this will make it worse for gamers.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

More consolidation is never good. We may benefit from it in the short term, but long term this will make it worse for gamers.

This is boom time right now eventually there will be another bust unfortunately.

 

[Papacheeks]

Oh guys....

Did Microsoft just get videogame rights to Blade, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Deadpool, Ninja Turtles and Transformers???????

Marvel has final say. And similar to Film rights after so long, if you dont make any games the rights revert back. And what was the last Marvel game through Activision?

 

[Orta]

If MS can drop $70bn on Activision what is to stop them going for T2? According to Google it has a market value cap of $18bn. Even if they didn't want to sell its a PLC and MS could launch a hostile takeover. Surely exclusive rights to GTA and RDR would be preferential to shite like Tony Hawk and Crash Bandicoot.

 

[Krappadizzle]

All those juggernaut selling games really gives MSFT some clout to kinda hold Sony to task. You want those games on PS5? You can have them...if you let us put gamepass on the PS5.

 

[BlackM1st]

Watch mircosoft will be hit with a antitrust lawsuit again

Sure. Maybe. Why not. But Disney bought 20th Fox and nothing happened. I doubt that MS is worried about any lawsuits.

 

[fart town usa]

Guys,I'm freaking out.....I've just recieved an e-mail....I've been aquired by Microsoft,what does that even mean?

It all makes sense now.

 

[Chris_Rivera]

You know Kotick wanted this because he was getting pushed out. He will get an insane payout and live out his life as the real life leprechaun demon.

 

[Robb]

That’s absolutely insane news. Never expected this tbh.

 

[JLB]

Deal is going to complete on 2023. Stay calm Vice.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

green rats be feasting well tonight.

/s


This is massive news no matter what way you look at it. Genuinely not many games on acti/blizzard that I truly care about but this is going to have massive implications for years to come, Sonys move next.

 

[Nester99]

This would have been big a few years ago back when i cared at all about blizzard/activision.

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

If MS can drop $70bn on Activision what is to stop them going for T2? According to Google it has a market value cap of $18bn. Even if they didn't want to sell its a PLC and MS could launch a hostile takeover. Surely exclusive rights to GTA and RDR would be preferential to shite like Tony Hawk and Crash Bandicoot.

This is the biggest acquisition ($ wise) in the history of Microsoft, 2.5 times as big as Linkedin (their 2nd biggest acquisition) I don't know if they're planning on making another similarly sized one any time soon. This seems more like a one off as far as "mega-publishers" go

 

[RJMacready73]

fuck never seen that one coming... holy shit MS just keeps adding more and more devs to team Xbox..

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Why? Let MS waste money. Sony and Nintendo will continue to make new franchises and build their studios.

But Microsoft is building a ton of new IP, and has more NEW IP announced than Sony does currently, if we're being fair. Microsoft isn't pursuing any one strategy, but ALL OF THEM.

Xbox has 35 videogame studios (many containing multiple teams)

 

[Moses85]

 

[oldergamer]

No they can't LOL! Some of you guys are getting a little weird about this. MS would have to shell out over $200 Billion to buy Sony.

MS is a 3 Trillion dollar company. if they wanted, they could afford it. It won't happen, but just to consider.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Anyone photoshoppy-good enough to do an updated pic of all the IPs that MS will now own?

 

[Xander3116]

Am i the only one who doesn't really care about this? lol

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

Thousands of soy faces with beards and open mouths are making Youtube videos as we speak.

We need a best-of thread for this.

 

[Honey Bunny]

Bros what is the most anyone has paid for anything and where does this rank?

 

[Starfield]

 

[rofif]

who the fucking cares about people not happy in their office work on the other end of the world?
Go to the police, change job, go to the WORK LAW OFFICE... whatever.
I hate people pretending to care for the "poor it workers". This is BS. Where are people caring for me?!
fkn snowflakes everywhere

 

[Papacheeks]

But Microsoft is building a ton of new IP, and has more NEW IP announced than Sony does currently, if we're being fair. Microsoft isn't pursuing any one strategy, but ALL OF THEM.

Here's the thing. So far Microsoft has shown nothing of these new IP from these new studios. And outside of Bethesda/Obsidian we dont know what the quality.

 

[Andodalf]

This is the biggest acquisition ($ wise) in the history of Microsoft, 2.5 times as big as Linkedin (their 2nd biggest acquisition) I don't know if they're planning on making another similarly sized one any time soon. This seems more like a one off as far as "mega-publishers" go

People said that they would never spend to buy any large pub. Then they said they’d never do it again. Now your saying they won’t buy a bigger thing again.


Pretty sure you just confirmed Xbox Buying the entirety of Japan

 

[sendit]

Deals like this were already in play behind the scenes, probably before the allegations/sexual misconducts were made public.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Am i the only one who doesn't really care about this? lol

No, but you cannot argue getting CoD is gigantic, It is not my cup of tea any more but in my teens/early twenties it was like crack to me.

 

[Salmon Snake]

This is fucking crazy.

 

[ReBurn]

Expected to be finalised some time in 2023 so don’t get your panties in a twist about Activision games being on GP any time soon.

Fiscal year 2023, so sometime between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

What? The whole deal that happened is in fact because of the scandal? Their stock prices plummeted, mass walk outs across all studios, tons of higher ups have left. Board partners were literally wanting Bobby to sell his remaining stocks back and be removed from the board. The whole decline of the brand has a whole lot of do with the scandal. Mainly the actual "CASH" SALE.

Bobby wanted to cash out and not be involved with this anymore.

Both things can be true at once; the scandal probably did help with the pricing of the deal for Microsoft, that is true. However, anyone denying the brand power of COD alone is absolutely digging their head deep into the depths of the Earth. That is one of the highest-grossing IPs in the entire industry alongside GTA, Fortnite, and Minecraft.

At the end of the day, as long as Microsoft listens to the employees and actually helps clean up the screwed-up parts of the studio culture while not infringing on their creativity (which IMO probably means not putting every single Acti/Blizzard studio on COD for starters), then this arrangement should work out for the best. Hopefully it also means we can get a new Crash Bandicoot.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

But ms spends zero energy on console wars.... just nearly 100 billion dollars now. Wowza.

 

[Durask]

All those juggernaut selling games really gives MSFT some clout to kinda hold Sony to task. You want those games on PS5? You can have them...if you let us put gamepass on the PS5.

I wonder.
For next generation MS goes: you guys can make your Playstation 6, we don't need to make the new Xbox, we'll just put our Gamepass app on your PS6.

 

[acidagfc]

Why not buy a fucking Nintendo at this point? It's a measly $55B currently.
Now that would be a banger Gamepass value!

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Attention players: XBox is not a platform for free speech! VBucks will be rewarded to all who report the vile free thinking degenerates. All heil your new tech emperor Phil Tiberius Spencer!!

 

[Sanepar]

Whats is chance Europe doesn't accept the deal?

 

[Dibils2k]

Why not buy a fucking Nintendo at this point? It's a measly $55B currently.
Now that would be a banger Gamepass value!

Nintendo games in 4k 120fps

 

[tmlDan]

Bros what is the most anyone has paid for anything and where does this rank?

its pretty high up there

 

[fart town usa]

Am i the only one who doesn't really care about this? lol

Same, it's a big deal and will make a big splash but it doesn't affect me in the slightest.

Sometimes it pays to mostly retro game and be minimally invested in current gen stuff.

As others gave mentioned, the only acquisition that would really affect me is Capcom.

 

[Camreezie]

Absolute madness , so they're paying 10 Bethesda Zenimax's. Crazy move , this is gonna shake things up , you would think Sony and Nintendo will make moves to counter this somehow

 

[Wildebeest]

Somebody still believes that the Acti-Blizz well hasn't run dry, at least.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I wonder how many people are calling this a monopoly again, even though it's not much different from Embracer Group's or Tencent's various acquisitions and people barely ever lift an eyebrow over those

If that's indeed what it is, then let the courts decide. But if there was a risk of it being such a thing, I doubt an attempt at the deal would've been made in the first place. And FWIW, it's not much more of a resource acquisition for Microsoft than buying both Funimation and Crunchyroll were for Sony, if just looking at the acquisitions within their respective industries.

 

[Marvel14]

Diablo/Doom crossover looter/shooter FPS (Destiny clone) is may new dream game now.
---------------

An important thing to remember is PlayStation has sold CoD likely more than CoD has sold PlayStation. many gamers will just switch to what other game is available. it hurts Sony, but at most it just a 10-15% shift in market share. Maybe Sony and EA will see an opportunity for a Respawn military FPS.



Almost impossible to monopolies creativity. It's different to patent protected software IP. MS paid a heavy ransom for Acti+Zenimax. Sony need to invest 5% of what that cost and they will have more than doubled their 1st party output. Sony under pressure is a good thing for gamers.



Yah, they have been on costing mode for a while. the double Acti/Zeni punches are almost like the PS3 crisis. hopefully it forces a new evolution.



Removing the library from PlayStation is what will bring more subs to gamepass. It's the whole point.



Intel is still available. they do x86 and also GPUs now. at worst Sony would just go back to designing their own chips again, there is much more know how available in the open talent market today compared to 15 years ago..

It's not creativity that is being monopolised but brands and intellectual properties that represent a large share of the market.

By making these exclusive to one platform MS intends to grow its market share and enhance its market power.

Sure competitors can use creativity to develop competitive alternatives but consumers are creatures of habit. If you are a fan of some of these tentpoles but don't game with MS, you will now have to.

 

[Andodalf]

I love how theirs a bit less salt this time cus so many people have gotten themselves banned or simply given up after last time

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Fiscal year 2023, so sometime between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.

Even better

 

[Nocturno999]

I’ve just realised.

No more annual CODs.

Praise the sun.

Imagine just MW2 being updated for a few years instead of killing it to let other mediocre sequels in.

 

[Solarstrike]

Knew this was coming. It has to be done to protect the IP's. $70 Billion is too cheap though. Merchandising has to be considered? It's one reason why Star Wars does so well every. single. year (merchandising). And there's a whole lot of money makers in the Activision-Blizzard portfolio. $100 Billion or no deal

 

[Alebrije]

This is industry changing news and will set the tone for the next decade.

At this point, Sony would have to acquire Take Two or EA to compete.

Nope Sony has momentum has better IPs , Microsoft bought IPs and created Gamepass tho compete....they are bleeding money in order to reach Sony.

If Bethesda+Activision+Gamepass delivers to Microsoft what they forecast... well videogame industry will be like 20/30% for Nintendo and 30/40% for Sony or Microsoft...

Do not see a company with more of the 60% of thearket and the other 2 strugling ....

 

[tusharngf]

Roughly 8-10bn in revenue and operating income is 3.2-4bn annually off the last 6 months

There is cod mobile as well beating the crap pubg mobile in some regions.