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[Buggy Loop]

Giving the recent revelations regarding sales data of physical consoles, upside down manufacturing costs, etc. they’ll get as many as they legally can.

Why? To become the ultimate third party publisher. Sega couldn’t compete in the console market towards the end.

I see the same happening for Xbox.

Hence their push for cloud gaming and gamepass every where (where possible).

I know a lot don’t want to hear that, but you don’t keep bleeding money on hardware for the purpose of “just being everywhere”.

It’s the smart move. Eventually, your IP makes it onto competitors platforms.

I mean, being attached to one box which is often sold at a loss makes no goddamn sense.

I know Denis Dyack is a meme at this point, but back in early 2000’s on this very forum he said that eventually the concept of platforms won’t exist and he’s right (this once)

We’ll be PC/Cloud. Consoles as of now are just variants of PC hardware. If publisher wants to make an affordable PC box, okie, otherwise they should all run on whatever you have available, if it’s a phone (poorer countries comes to mind), why not? Why gatekeep games to a box? It’s an archaic way of thinking for how the industry came to be initially with very custom hardware. It’s no longer the case.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

The overwhelming majority of people who play games don't do it on their PCs or consoles. They do it on their phones.
With 5G becoming more common place, I think MS think that more people will be willing to play their games on their phones vs a typical mobile phone type game.
MS is all in on the cloud.
MS is also going to release a streaming box. Some people with good internet might be happy to pay only $100 and get a GP sub as their way to play games.
I think MS is intending to change the industry.
People were saying the exact same thing about streaming movies on your phone and TV. Infact, when the Australian government planned the infrastructure for the NBN they widely underestimated the requirements for their fixed wireless part, which led to congestion on the entire network, all because they never thought Netflix etc would take off.

this explains why MS can get away with so much bullshit.

 

[Maxwell Jacob Friedman]

Why are you trying to turn this into a console warring thread?
Instead of throwing out that tired anti MS meme, why not talk about the actual question? If it doesn't interest you, why post at all?

Because so far thatd what theyve done and I weep for future studios or publishers bought

 

[Jimmyisback]

Another publisher or two and Ms will take a break. So many of their studios have multiple teams and games. But there is a saturation point. Netflix learned this. So they cut back on spending.

 

[MasterCornholio]

I said match them. Not decimate them.

Well they would need Nintendo for that. With the current situation Microsoft is way behind Sony in Japan. Only buying Nintendo could fix that situation for them.

 

[damidu]

The overwhelming majority of people who play games don't do it on their PCs or consoles. They do it on their phones.
With 5G becoming more common place, I think MS think that more people will be willing to play their games on their phones vs a typical mobile phone type game.
MS is all in on the cloud.
MS is also going to release a streaming box. Some people with good internet might be happy to pay only $100 and get a GP sub as their way to play games.
I think MS is intending to change the industry.
People were saying the exact same thing about streaming movies on your phone and TV. Infact, when the Australian government planned the infrastructure for the NBN they widely underestimated the requirements for their fixed wireless part, which led to congestion on the entire network, all because they never thought Netflix etc would take off.

nah not even remotely same thing
i mean
the streaming of 45 min show on netflix or crashing candies at bus stop
vs burying 80 hrs to starfield.

a casual gamer, who doesn't bother to buy a console or gaming pc, will never see the value of subbing to gamepass if they only have time to play 2 of those games in a year.
you are thinking from perspective of a gaming forum visitor

not to mention gamepass will have to compete with netflix for subscription budget and time/attention of those same people.

 

[Azelover]

Making acquisitions is not the best way to go. Especially if there is a creative aspect to the output of the company. With rare exceptions, acquisitions hurt the morale of the teams, and it is very easy to lose talent. So you have to be very cautious with acquisitions.

 

[ReBurn]

this explains why MS can get away with so much bullshit.

 

[Fredrik]

Nothing other than most people now think it will go through from here on out.
Just interested in where this is all headed.

If it does come to that then MS can’t really do much else, I would say it’s (plan A) Activision Blizzard or (plan B) some other studios/publishers.

 

[cormack12]

The overwhelming majority of people who play games don't do it on their PCs or consoles. They do it on their phones.
With 5G becoming more common place, I think MS think that more people will be willing to play their games on their phones vs a typical mobile phone type game.
MS is all in on the cloud.
MS is also going to release a streaming box. Some people with good internet might be happy to pay only $100 and get a GP sub as their way to play games.
I think MS is intending to change the industry.
People were saying the exact same thing about streaming movies on your phone and TV. Infact, when the Australian government planned the infrastructure for the NBN they widely underestimated the requirements for their fixed wireless part, which led to congestion on the entire network, all because they never thought Netflix etc would take off.

They aren't the same market though and I think a big problem that console game developers/publisherd have is that they are thinking mobile gamers will move to GaaS.

It's a different market. It's like saying people who eat at high street pasty/chippy shops will all start patronising the new Michelin Star restaurant.

On topic, I think they've acquired what they need and now there needs to be delivery. There's no point over buying in the hope of striking it rich.

 

[Topher]

I doubt MS will go after any more publishers. Maybe some smaller studios. Either way, I personally think Microsoft needs to focus less on studio acquisition and more on studio management.

 

[Deerock71]

Beaten.

Same. :/

 

[kyussman]

Microsoft have decided that they are going to the biggest games company in the world, bar none.

They can certainly keep spending to become the biggest.......customers will decide if they become the most successful.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I do think ABK is the last big publisher MS goes after, and honestly I doubt it would have happened at all if ABK's stock hadn't taken a nosedive at the time.

There will be a few more targeted purchases in the future, but I doubt any more than single studios.

 

[Captain Toad]

We are having difficulty managing the studios we currently have. What is the solution? Just add more.

It's like the old commercial - "We lose money on every sale, but we make it up in volume."

 

[DrMano]

They will keep buying until someone gets fired over the loss f money and nothing to show for it....

 

[Fredrik]

I personally think Microsoft needs to focus less on studio acquisition and more on studio management.

No doubt. They have 23 studios, and how many internal studios has actually released anything substantial since the launch of the Xbox Series consoles?
6 studios?
I refuse to think the rest are all planning to release games the same year, some must be further along and ready to be shown soon so the summer event better be mind-blowing.

 

[Hunnybun]

I think they are probably after enough to deliver 2 or 3 really decent first party games a year.

Based on current output that'll probably end up being about 150 studios or so.

 

[Hunnybun]

No doubt. They have 23 studios, and how many internal studios has actually released anything substantial since the launch of the Xbox Series consoles?
6 studios?
I refuse to think the rest are all planning to release games the same year, some must be further along and ready to be shown soon so the summer event better be mind-blowing.

I'm most looking forward to their new 30fps Doom instalment.

 

[Supple]

Own 50 studios. Release 1-2 new exclusive games a year. It doesn't seem like a value prop.

 

[Neo_game]

IMO they have more than enough already. There is no point in spending million or billion $ buying studio if talents leaves. They need better managment and planning.

 

[Hunnybun]

They aren't the same market though and I think a big problem that console game developers/publisherd have is that they are thinking mobile gamers will move to GaaS.

It's a different market. It's like saying people who eat at high street pasty/chippy shops will all start patronising the new Michelin Star restaurant.

On topic, I think they've acquired what they need and now there needs to be delivery. There's no point over buying in the hope of striking it rich.

Yeah, absolutely. It's like people who say there are a billion or whatever gamers cos someone's nan plays Candy Crush Saga on Facebook.

No no no. There's obviously no very obvious dividing line, but it's still two broadly separate groups. Playing on a mobile is as likely to predict an interest in fucking baking as it is a desire to play a complex video game like Elden Ring.

 

[Ordnasella_Edadnirt]

I don't think that MS will stop acquiring anytime soon, their Gamepass Strategy relies a lot in games released in a consistent basis, so the obvious path is to acquire more. But like someone mention before that makes Xbox the "Gamepass Plataform" wich makes people to rely on Gamepass meaning that game sales may be damaged on the process and that allows Sony to make moves on third party publishers to pay for additional content on PS like Hogwarts Legacy or even skip Xbox and release as Console exclusive like Final Fantasy XVI.

 

[Thirty7ven]

Xbox fans living in their own fantasies for fifteen years and counting.

 

[light2x]

As many as it takes.

 

[suspicious mind]

Its about ip not studios.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Its about ip not studios.

games don't make themselves.

 

[SSfox]

They want to kill competition, so they will never stop until they achieve their goal.

Unfortunately for them and fortunately for passionate people they can never achieve it.

 

[suspicious mind]

games don't make themselves.

I go by what spencer and nadella have said before.

 

[GustavoLT]

Phil Spencer ir a mobile gamer... he doesn't care about AAA expensive games.

 

[Trekinspace88]

I can see MS buying 4-5 more publishers before finishing up with Purchases. I see them buying EA, Take Two, Sega, Capcom and maybe Square Enix and having a total of 60-70 studios in order to achieve their plans of having AAA exclusives games releasing on Gamepass every 2-3 months

 

[Robbinhood]

As many as regulators will allow them to, which is all of them because they are crooks and got paid millions...billions of dollars.

Btw anyone in the world can buy an XSX, stop spreading FUD they are hard to find.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I can see MS buying 4-5 more publishers before finishing up with Purchases. I see them buying EA, Take Two, Sega, Capcom and maybe Square Enix and having a total of 60-70 studios in order to achieve their plans of having AAA exclusives games releasing on Gamepass every 2-3 months

you can see that...

...how realistic do you think that vision is?

 

[The Stig]

Phil Spencer:

literally beat me to the punch

 

[Chukhopops]

This thread in a nutshell:

You should start letting it go, it’s not healthy…

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

This thread in a nutshell:

You should start letting it go, it’s not healthy…

 

[Facism]

As many as they need to be competitive after pumping infinite money into 4 generations worth of consoles and 3rd-party deals

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

If they could, they would buy all of them: "when you can't fight competitors, buy them"

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I can't see them getting any other big publishers, what's the point? If Activision goes through they clearly have "enough" empire building.

Maybe some smaller studios here and there over time.

With so much consolidation I'd be more worried about MS shutting down studios. It wouldn't surprise me to see big layoffs in the future for Bethesda

 

[Ozriel]

Mods, can we try and keep this about where people think MS is headed with their aquisitions and what the plan is for these studios and GP moving forward? It appears the usual.suspects are trying to turn it into a war zone by just posting bait posts.
Thx

You made a bait thread, though.

I’m not sure how you’ll convince anyone you didn’t know how this thread would go.

On topic, your ‘55 games’ maths is significantly off. Several of the acquired studios are mobile only, and IP like Cal of Duty ties down multiple studios.

 

[rapid32.5]

They can have all the studios they want, people still doesn’t seem to care about Xbox

It was amazing what they could produce for the original Xbox in 2 years.
We are in year three and it’s a wasteland with so many acquired studios.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Mods, can we try and keep this about where people think MS is headed with their aquisitions and what the plan is for these studios and GP moving forward? It appears the usual.suspects are trying to turn it into a war zone by just posting bait posts.
Thx

 

[SmokedMeat]

After they get Activision/Blizzard there’s really no point in going after anyone else.

There’s barely anyone left outside of Japan that has ip worth acquiring.

 

[Skifi28]

They can certainly keep spending to become the biggest.......customers will decide if they become the most successful.

At some point, you're big enough that customers don't have a choice. I imagine that's what they want, but it remains to be seen whether regulators will allow them to buy three quarters of the industry. Then again it's MS, so not exactly their first rodeo.

 

[Gambit2483]

If they could, they would buy all of them: "when you can't fight competitors, buy them"

MS has been using the "If you can't beat'em, buy'em" strategy for a while now. They're just going above and beyond with it at this point.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Microsoft has acquired talent and have the excuse to release Halo (a franchise people have lost faith in) every year.

 

[semiconscious]

They collect them and have nearly zero output

this. & it's extremely apparent, & genuinely weird...

 

[KormaChameleon]

Phil Spencer: Yes.

 

[Gobjuduck]

They will keep buying until they don’t feel the need to. They are still in third place, so they are going to keep buying.

 

[SoloKingRobert]

I think Microsoft will acquire Square Enix next and make Final Fantasy Xbox/Windows exclusive.