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Microsoft: Call of Duty and other popular AB games will continue to be released on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms beyond current agreements

Lot of people looking really dumb right about now. I bet Microsoft knew their purchase may get blocked if they didn't keep COD on other platforms. Taking the biggest game in the world that releases YEARLY away from others is a whole other game compared to taking Bethesda games that barely anyone bought anyway.
 
Jimbo right now,

SourWeightyAmericankestrel-size_restricted.gif
 
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Kerotan

Member
Well that's pretty much confirming cod for the gen. I guess I will keep playing it.

I believe they're only doing this because they feel they have to otherwise there will be massive objections to future purchases if they remove it off playstation.

Sony owning bungie buys them a little leverage but I feel they still need an entire publisher as insurance and maybe even force MS to start releasing Bethesda games on playstation again.
 
Did you even read it? The whole piece is literally about regulation and what commitments they're making to keep regulators on board.

I did read it; extreme measure, though. Regulators would have to look at the gaming space as solely the console market to think the acquisition would put Microsoft in a monopolistic position. Which would still be very hard to argue because Xbox only constitutes roughly 25% of the console market in terms of the platform holders.

Wonder how much clowns like that washed-up comedian played into this ringing up phones to Congress over the weekend. Also might as well get ready for the deluge of clickbait channels and websites spinning this into Microsoft leaving the console business and going 3rd-party, because you know those hot takes are coming.

Well that's pretty much confirming cod for the gen. I guess I will keep playing it.

I believe they're only doing this because they feel they have to otherwise there will be massive objections to future purchases if they remove it off playstation.

Sony owning bungie buys them a little leverage but I feel they still need an entire publisher as insurance and maybe even force MS to start releasing Bethesda games on playstation again.

Damn so Xbox just simply isn't allowed to compete, huh? What conditions would Microsoft be forced in to put Starfield, the next Fallout, Elder Scrolls etc. on PlayStation? And why would Sony have to trade up so little to make this the case? How would Sony even be the ones in the driving seat to bring about such a decision?

Free on Gamepass/70 on PlayStation. Its the ONLY thing that makes sense. And is a win win for MS.

We'll see. There is definitely a subset minority of PlayStation-only players who will choose to buy the games on that platform rather than invest into Xbox or GamePass, when otherwise they might've considered it, so those are potentially lost longer-term customers for Microsoft even if in totality they are minuscule in number compared to the wider market.

That said, it certainly is a strategy, and should at least work for a decent share of the market who are more price-conscious. This makes me a lot more curious about Sony's plans for their live-service games, though. It's possible a lot more of those could be multiplatform (as in multi-console) than I'd initially of thought. Guess we'll see down the line.
 
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I like how biassed all the industry is towards Japanese companies and against Ms in particular.
“as we start the process of seeking regulatory approval in capitals around the world for our acquisition of Activision Blizzard.”

Microsoft has a history. Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft are closely watched. Dont take it personally fam.

 
Some folks just got reality checked....

FLK06WOXsAo-kD0
Some of you can’t read either it doesn’t state in there that future games will be on other platforms. It said that they will continue to make those games that already exist on those platforms available post the expiration of those agreements so they can continue to be played. Nothing there is saying all future games will be multiplatform
 

octiny

Banned
Wow thats huge. I wonder if they made a deal with Sony. Something like we will continue to make CoD for PS but starting in 2022 or 2023 new content will be able to launch on Gamepass Day 1. Ofcourse This is assuming PS even has a deal to keep CoD off Gamepass.

This is exactly what I think happened.
 

reksveks

Member
Even Phil knows the FTC won't buy that for 1 second and he's already in full damage control mode 🤣 Big Tech is shook 🤣
of the FTC that's spent half of annual expert witness case on just the Meta case this year?

I am interested in see what games actually come of PS5/6.

By the way, King makes 3BN in revenue and gives almost 1Bn to Apple and Google. That's the money that MS wants to fight over imo.
 
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I did read it; extreme measure, though. Regulators would have to look at the gaming space as solely the console market to think the acquisition would put Microsoft in a monopolistic position. Which would still be very hard to argue because Xbox only constitutes roughly 25% of the console market in terms of the platform holders.

Wonder how much clowns like that washed-up comedian played into this ringing up phones to Congress over the weekend. Also might as well get ready for the deluge of clickbait channels and websites spinning this into Microsoft leaving the console business and going 3rd-party, because you know those hot takes are coming.

They don't just look at present-day monopolies. That's what people misunderstand about their job. They needed to set precedence if MS goes and swoops up any other big publisher in the future too.
 

Majukun

Member
Called it. You cant just cut ur COD playerbase in half and think thats a good business decision.
Good news for all gamers. Press F to pay respect to all fanboys dying inside today.

Hopefully this is the path for a furure where one day all games can be played in any platform.
not sure how it is a good business decision when you spend almos 70 bln dollars to get what you already had.
and revenue doesn't really matter since before recouping from such and expense through profit (not revenue, profit) a good decade would pass at least, and we might not even have an xbox console anymore since it's share of the market is starting to get irrelevant day by day at this point..these deals were their chance to go back in the race..now it seems the plan is just going all in with gamepass and let the console side of xbox die...but even that doesn't explain why wouldn't go for gamepass exclusivity and secvure millions of new subscribers

as i said before, maybe it all makes sense, just not to me.
 
They've had to make concessions as I said would be a possibility. They're telling you in black and white and you still can't accept it
Nah. We can even bet on it. Though we don't even need to bet on it. We have Bethesda as the example already - Starfield, future TES games etc. won't be coming to Playstation. But for example Quake Remaster did come to Playstation and so on.

We already went through it with Bethesda, so I don't see it any different. I wonder when next time Microsoft acquires Capcom, the same people here will say the same thing again lol
 
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Nah. We can even bet on it. Though we don't even need to bet on it. We have Bethesda as the example already - Starfield, future TES games etc. won't be coming to Playstation. But for example Quake Remaster did come to Playstation and so on.

We already went through it with Bethesda, so I don't see it any different.

Bethesda wasn't big enough to catch regulatory eyes

A $68 billion acquisition was. Which should have been obvious to you armchair analysts from the start
 
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Majukun

Member
They bought probably for a long term investment, not to please a bunch of stupid fanboys.
even long term before they recoup in pure profit from 68.7 bln dollars a good decade would probably pass

exclusivity would have secure more share on a declining console side and secure at least a bunch of millions subscribers to gamepass

microsoft at the moment paid an exhorbitant amount for very little return, even long term

Seem like great news to everyone.
indeed it is, even though it makes no sense to me
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Some of you can’t read either it doesn’t state in there that future games will be on other platforms. It said that they will continue to make those games that already exist on those platforms available post the expiration of those agreements so they can continue to be played. Nothing there is saying all future games will be multiplatform

And you are somehow reading words that I didn't even type. Where is this "all future games will be multiplatform" nonsense coming from? Certainly wasn't me. So why are you even quoting my post?
 
even long term before they recoup in pure profit from 68.7 bln dollars a good decade would probably pass

exclusivity would have secure more share on a declining console side and secure at least a bunch of millions subscribers to gamepass

microsoft at the moment paid an exhorbitant amount for very little return, even long term


indeed it is, even though it makes no sense to me
You don’t make a $70 billion acquisition just to “recoup” the money you “spent”. How are there so many smooth brains on this forum.
 
revenue and profit are not the same, while the money spent on the acquisition is atm a pure loss.

before they manage to squeeze70 bln dollars of pure profit from cod and the other franchises, a lot of time will pass.
They would have put that money back before this deal closes. They company made 18billion back in the bank last quarter. What the hell are you talking about.
 

Majukun

Member
You don’t make a $70 billion acquisition just to “recoup” the money you “spent”. How are there so many smooth brains on this forum.
isn't that exactly my point?
exclusiv ity would have benefitted both console sales and subscriptions to gamepass, giving them a reason to spend all that money conscious that the will not see a direct return in the near future.
instead they abandoned this chance to go for exclusivity, and they will just continue having what they already had , profiting from those franchises sure, but with now 68.7 bln dollars less in their bank account
 

Ezekiel_

Banned
Boom.


So asides from Overwatch Playstation has really lost absolutely nothing from this deal right? Because shit like WoW and Candy Crush or whatever were still never for playstation.

It's every ABK game :
To be clear, Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision. And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform.
 
isn't that exactly my point?
exclusiv ity would have benefitted both console sales and subscriptions to gamepass, giving them a reason to spend all that money conscious that the will not see a direct return in the near future.
instead they abandoned this chance to go for exclusivity, and they will just continue having what they already had , profiting from those franchises sure, but with now 68.7 bln dollars less in their bank account
Ok you’re right dude. Microsoft, one of the most profitable companies ever, just made a poorly advised acquisition now they’ve sabotaged their efforts. The analysts at Microsoft didn’t see this somehow, only a NeoGAF poster has that kind of foresight.
 

Kacho

Member
I dunno about Diablo(and Warcraft). Is their fanbase that huge nowadays? I don't think they are on the same level of farming as CoD.
Not on the same level as CoD, few games are. But Diablo 4 will be big and it's an always online social game with cosmetic MTX out the ass. Seems like a lock for multiplat.
 
Some of you can’t read either it doesn’t state in there that future games will be on other platforms. It said that they will continue to make those games that already exist on those platforms available post the expiration of those agreements so they can continue to be played. Nothing there is saying all future games will be multiplatform

You know what, re-reading that it does sound a lot like their statements on the Zenimax stuff. I.e games currently available on the platforms will continue to be made available, and updates will be published on those platforms as well. Games currently in deep development (especially any with timed exclusivity deals) will pretty much be released as they are on the current platforms and those contracts will be honored.

But it actually doesn't say anything about them releasing new installments on current Sony or Nintendo platforms (I'm sure some will be, though); these statements are always cleverly written with a lot of lawyer doublespeak, though. Both takes can be right if you justify them a certain way I guess.

They don't just look at present-day monopolies. That's what people misunderstand about their job. They needed to set precedence if MS goes and swoops up any other big publisher in the future too.

That's true, but what possible monopoly scenario would Microsoft have potentially created, if they provide the games on other platforms like PC and yet other devices via xCloud? Or would the regulators only be looking at this from a "traditional" console space of purpose-built gaming machines? If so, why?
 
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The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Screenshot-20220209-183220.jpg
i never thought I would see the day where some guy on twitter had more common sense than the average people in this thread.

But let's keep circle jerking and all act surprised and say "Holy shit no one saw that one coming" when Microsoft announce that these games will be exclusives.

This is the Bethesda deal all over again, and Gaf already forgot about it.

Bethesda bought september 2020,spencer says we love multi platform.

March 2021, acquisition went through, whoopsie these games are exclusive my mistake.
 

Majukun

Member
They would have put that money back before this deal closes. They company made 18billion back in the bank last quarter. What the hell are you talking about.
net revenue for both 2020 and 2021 are both at 8 bln

 

Ezekiel_

Banned
Good news for PS owners - I’m still suspicious that it’s with the caveat of ‘if they allow GP’, but we’ll see.
If MS made a Gamepass version with only their first party, like EA Play, why would Sony refuse that? There's already a different version of Gamepass for PC with different games available.

Playstation gamers could play MS games on their favorite platform, Sony would get a cut from the subscription and MS could potentially increase their sub numbers. It's a win-win-win.
 

sainraja

Member
Some of you can’t read either it doesn’t state in there that future games will be on other platforms. It said that they will continue to make those games that already exist on those platforms available post the expiration of those agreements so they can continue to be played. Nothing there is saying all future games will be multiplatform
".....on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision. And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo's successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for..."

Most of the conversation was centered on COD. Not every IP that Act/Blizz has will be multi-platform. But in that paragraph they say it in plain english that any popular games in addition to COD will be.
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Things can change in a few years. Nobody knows for sure.

But if it holds true and COD and Diablo come to PS systems, well there you go.
 

Aenima

Member
not sure how it is a good business decision when you spend almos 70 bln dollars to get what you already had.
and revenue doesn't really matter since before recouping from such and expense through profit (not revenue, profit) a good decade would pass at least, and we might not even have an xbox console anymore since it's share of the market is starting to get irrelevant day by day at this point..these deals were their chance to go back in the race..now it seems the plan is just going all in with gamepass and let the console side of xbox die...but even that doesn't explain why wouldn't go for gamepass exclusivity and secvure millions of new subscribers

as i said before, maybe it all makes sense, just not to me.
One word. Microtransactions. MS owning CoD will now cash in all that MTX money from all the playerbase. Cuting that in half would not only be bad for business it would also be bad for CoD as an IP when there are alot of multipltform shooters in the market printing money.
They are also cashing in the game sales at full price in other platforms.
 
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