Timberwolf25
Member
The welcome vid from MS means that it is immediate from my understanding.
Sounds like they were just waiting for the CMA to sign the papers.
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Microsoft has Closed the Activision Blizzard King Deal
- Thread starter ManaByte
- Start date
Sounds like they were just waiting for the CMA to sign the papers.
Guerilla Munch
Member
First and only warning. Drop the console Warri g.
Imagine spending $100 billion on developers and publishers only to be in third place and have to give your flagship games away with bags of doritos lmao
Microsoft is malignant rectal cancer to this industry and I can't wait to watch them torpedo another half dozen established franchises with their hilariously out of touch management
Microsoft is malignant rectal cancer to this industry and I can't wait to watch them torpedo another half dozen established franchises with their hilariously out of touch management
Elder Legend
Banned
You sound very upset. Who hurt you?
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Kings Field
Member
Sweet. Looking forward to playing some of those titles I skipped the last couple years.
skit_data
Member
That reminds me of my worst phone ever: The Xperia X1. An unholy alliance between Sony and Windows Mobile.
It had tons of issues but the most obvious one was that every now and then it was impossible to charge the phone. The led indicator just lit up red instead of orange. You had to just keep taking out and inserting the battery over and over until it indicated it was charging. Usually took 10-15 minutes of constant removal/insertion of the battery. Absolute shit show.
Pretty wierd that that was the arrangement back then, Windows Mobile in a Sony phone. I promised to never buy a Sony phone or a Windows Mobile phone ever again because of that Xperia X1, and that's a promise I've kept.
Gavon West
Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
I'm sorry but. I still find it kind of comical how alot of people were clowning the warchest. Now that SOB has folks losing sleep because another publisher might be bought out.
Also. Just a few years ago, Xbox had about 4 or 5 studios trying to compete with Sony and Nintendo. Now they have over 30!! And quite arguably the best stable of developers in the industry. Like, phil wasn't kidding when he said "industry leading" stable of developers.
Now, this is just a whole new era for Xbox. Next gen is going to be utterly nuts. They'll practically be drooling heavy hitters from the gate. Just, crazy to think about..
Torrent of Pork
Banned
I've said a million times before if Sony announced Sly Cooper 5 I'd buy a PS5 right-goddamned-now.
Sly Cooper 4 is what caused me to spend an absurd amount of disposable income on a PS3 Slim. It was what caused me to be a PS4 guy until Sony decided only Xbox wanted to have competent mods on Fallout 4, and Skyrim SE.
Sly Cooper 4 is what caused me to spend an absurd amount of disposable income on a PS3 Slim. It was what caused me to be a PS4 guy until Sony decided only Xbox wanted to have competent mods on Fallout 4, and Skyrim SE.
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akaFullmetal
Member
Empire has won. Nothing drastic probably In the near future but in the long run this will probably be the start of the great consolidation. Other multi billion dollar companies can now jump in. Disney buying ea, tecent buying probably ubisoft and who knows who else will be gobbled up.
I really wished Microsoft used that money to grow new developers and add to the gaming world but we'll just see take away at this point.
Hawking Radiation
Member
Fucking hell bro, I could join X tomorrow and claim I was a Sony developer and post some shit like 'I'm in the know'.
These developers don't know shit. The only people with any knowledge of any acquisitions are sitting in the executive board at Sony
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Riky
$MSFT
Not backed up by figures.
What we actually know is Gamepass had at least 25 million subscribers. We know it now has another 11 million moves from Gold and that doesn't include people signing up for the likes of Starfield and Forza.
We know Spencer says the division is profitable despite already funding the biggest first party line up in history and leaked figures from the court back that up.
We know some Gamepass owners will not buy COD next year when it is on Gamepass but we know that it's likely to be a big Treyarch release and that people will still be paying full price on PlayStation and PC as well as the game increasing that day one revenue by releasing on Steam and Switch 2. That sounds pretty healthy to me.
Plus of course Activision already bringing billions in profit yearly.
I'd say that's a pretty strong position myself.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
The stable of developers they have are mediocre at best, and poor at worst. Having 30 of them doesn't make them suddenly exciting to the vast majority of the fanbase.
The uphill battle Phil will have is actually turning these poorly run mediocre/poor studios into something that can achieve top tier levels of industry quality. It's not easy. Microsoft has been trying to do just that for the last few decades to no avail.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Activision alone makes as much profit per year (about $2 billion), than Sony does as a whole gaming division (also about $2 billion profit).
The profit from Activision's WOW, COD, King mobile games etc... will keep MS in gaming forever.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
Ok, and McDonalds sells a lot of fast food. That’s not what I was arguing though.
Zathalus
Member
Xbox has plenty of good studios working for it.
Double Fine
inXile
Ninja Theory
Obsidian Entertainment
Playground Games
Rare
World's Edge
id
Tango Gameworks
Toys for Bob
Beenox
Infinity Ward
I'm not including Bethesda or Blizzard as the games they have released are controversial (despite good reviews and sales).
But if you think the list I provided are not good studios then you have a pretty narrow definition of what good means. Most Sony Studios won't even clear that bar.
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James Sawyer Ford
Member
The list you provided is significantly less impactful than those on each other rival platform.
They can still be “good”, but in their current state they are not producing even a single GOTY candidate eligible title. Rival platform holders produce them routinely.
Not all of them need to, but your average consumer is not really looking at those studios with great anticipation (excluding CoD’s mainstream legacy appeal)
I hope they become that someday, but after Bethesda’s recent output amongst other MS studio failings, I’m not holding my breath
Zathalus
Member
Now you are just moving the goalposts. You claimed that the developers they had were mediocre at best, when one look at the list I provided and the accompanying recent critic/steam review scores would clearly show that not to be the case.
GotY candidate basically limits Sony to two studios. Are the rest mediocre then as well? Insomniac is irrelevant because none of the games they make can crack the 9/10 meta? Sounds silly to me.
Xbox has been releasing and will continue releasing good games. Are they as good as the very best of Sony and Nintendo? Nope, but then again most of Sony and Nintendo is not that good either.
You can certainly argue that Xbox needs a flagship studio and franchise (Halo is no longer it, and Forza Horizon won't do it either). But that is entirely different from the conversation that Xbox has no good developers.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
Nope. Pretty much all the major studios from them, or partners, have released GOTY candidate titles. Including ND, SSM, GG, Insomniac, Sucker Punch, and Kojima
Mediocre doesn’t mean BAD, there’s no goalposts being moved
This kind of false equivalency is pretty hilarious. The reason Microsoft is in last place on the console front is precisely because their quality and appeal from their own studios is nowhere near as strong
Zathalus
Member
Only ND and SSM have released GotY quality titles. The rest are sub 9/10 trash. (Sarcastic obviously but Forbidden West barely got any GotY wins, Obsidian got one less for a indie game). Sucker Punch? Ghost of Tsushima wasn't even top 100 for the year on Metacritic. The last time Insomniac released a 9/10 game on meta was 2004.
Kojima isn't even Sony.
Right and the studios I listed are not mediocre either. I'm not sure how you can claim Sucker Punch makes GotY calibre games and then turn around and state the likes of Double Fine, inXile, and id are mediocre.
What false equivalency? Most Sony Studios are not as good as SSM or ND. This is quite obvious when look at metacritic scores. I agree that Microsoft studios are not that good either.
And yes, not having a stable release of good games is one of the reasons (but obviously not the only one) Xbox has not been doing well. The good games issue has only recently been addressed and the stable release is still up in the air. But they have a number of good studios under them.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
I said candidates, not wins.
At TGA, all of those studios have been represented in the last 4 years. And some have won it. Kojima studios would not be around as successful as they are today without Sony’s involvement.
Because with GoT Sucker Punch created a game that was worthy of TGA and ended being one of the best first party sellers with broad appeal as an AAA title; none of those studios you listed fit that bill. They’re good games, they’re not AAA games, and they’re not doing GoT numbers
The false equivalency that Microsoft’s studios can largely compete with those below the two studios you mentioned, they do not in their current state. On a blend of objective metrics like sales and metacritic. They are not the same
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Zathalus
Member
Oh we changing it to TGA candidates now? In that case 4 Xbox studios qualify. But TGA is not the authority on the best games for the year, the Metacritic ranking is far better at that if you want something close to objective as possible.
They can absolutely compete in Metacritic (and Steam reviews) and have been doing so for a while. Or did you not bother doing even basic research when calling those studios mediocre?
But now you bring up sales when talking about the quality of a studio? Moving those goalposts again? But sure, Infinity Ward shits on everyone.
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James Sawyer Ford
Member
Metacritic doesn’t differentiate between an indie game and an AAA game
any metric you use can be argued, but platform splits don’t lie. There’s a reason why Xbox is last and the gap is growing, and that’s because the studios you mentioned aren’t AAA or broadly appealing
Infinity ward is not exclusive and was never a Microsoft cultured studio. They are not indicative of any sort of Microsoft leadership direction or oversight
freefornow
Gold Member
Zathalus
Member
Man, I just pointed out that Xbox has good studios when you made the comment that they had none. I'm not here to argue who is winning the console race or what is AAA. I've pointed out a number of studios that Xbox has that make good games, that's that.
What is with you and just going on this wild tangents? Bringing up GotY, broad appeal, AAA sales, and now Microsoft leadership.
That has got nothing to do with your original point. Does Microsoft have studios that make good games? Yes. End of, your point has been debunked, discussion over.
Going on other points you mentioned, do they have good AAA games. Yes. Do they have studios nominated for GotY at the TGA. Yes.
I don't care for who is winning what or the leadership, or sales. I just jumped in to point out MS has good studios.
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Fredrik
Member
Nowdays I usually see you complain about the GOTY games so why are you hyping them up so much? Did you even like Elden Ring? What about TOTK for this year? BG3?
Can I ask what you are playing now? Like this weekend? Yesterday?
I mostly played Starfield yesterday, kept building on my ship and base, raided some outposts. Closing in on 150 hours played. Played Minecraft too and did the voting map with the parkour course. Fun times!
GOTY candidate or not, if people keep playing games then they aren’t failures and they don’t need to be in any GOTY talks to be great and important additions to a games library.
In Sony’s case many high profile games are story-focused games I play through once and often enjoy but rarely keep playing when the story is finished. They last a week or two and then I’m back to waiting for the next one, which might be awhile.
On PC, which is where I mostly play now, my most played games are No Man’s Sky, Elden Ring, Cyberpunk, Starfield and Skyrim. Open, non-linear, creativity, roleplaying, exploration. Key ingredients for me for a nice main course, then I jump in for a GOTY dessert on PS5 once or twice per year.
Edmund
Member
Wow. Really surprised to see even Nintendo fans raking Phil over the coals. Looks like everyone can see through his good guy/when everyone plays we all win facade.
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sendit
Member
Sly Cooper 5 would have one buyer.
elmos-acc
Member
There's two of us! I mean, Sly 5 is not the only announcement to make me jump into the 9th gen, but probably the only one to get me on board immediately. I got a Vita just to have a console to experience the trilogy since my PS2 is not in great shape.
RickMasters
Member
Not for me it ain’t.
I’m sad about the state of the world, with its rampant poverty, constant economic downturn, and the wars. I’m sad that radical leftists have turned America into a circus. I’m sad that France still has its colonial claws in parts of Africa….. though happy that is changing…..
But I’ll tell you what I’m not sad about…..I’m not sad about a multitrillion dollar company buying a multibillion dollar company. There are simply far more important things going on in the world. Don’t let video game industry politics make you feel emotional. It’s just a form of entertainment and the people who work in it are making tonnes of money. Worry about yourself.Save all that ‘ sad for the industry’ shite for the internet crusaders with no cause going on in their own lives to distract them from the business of companies who don’t even know they exist.
RickMasters
Member
Well according to gaf, MS paid off the unplayable (CMA) and some even now have this theory that Mike Ybarra was sent over there, to make the deal happen in the first place.
Gaf didn’t disappoint! Glad I signed up
RoboFu
One of the green rats
Sooo you are against or for this deal?
BacklashWave534
Member
It's a shame that some people are to stupid to realize how bad this type of monopolization is.
OmegaSupreme
advanced basic bitch
When can we expect the flood of games to hit gamepass?
Gavon West
Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
Bruh....you too, are notorious for peddling your substandard opinions as a fact -- like you believe in your own online keyboard warrior legend created by a whole ass two people on this forum. Peddle that shit elsewhere. You're obviously feeling the sting of the latest acquisition.
I can't believe you had the Gaul to say all 30 studios were mid. Even the hardest Sony fanboy knows thats bullshit. Congrats! You've graduated from barely tolerable to blocked. Have a good one chief.
Banjo64
cumsessed
From next year to next gen
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
So game pass when?
ManaByte
Member
All of those old COD games that they just fixed the matchmaking on and are BC that they put on sale last month will probably be put on Game Pass soon. Probably in a week or so.
Also the Tony Hawk/Crash/Spyro remasters, Crash 4, and Crash Team Rumble are all certainly coming before the end of the year.
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adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Probably some older ones as early as next months first drop, I reckon.
ManaByte
Member
With Bethesda they did a special drop less than a week after they closed.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
That is true. Tuesday is usually when they announce new batches of GP games, so two-ish days.
GrayDock
Member
We know that some games, like RE 7 and 8, can't be in gamepass because of clauses in marketing contracts with Sony.
'If' (big IF) the same clause exists in the Sony CoD marketing for the last 10 years, which is plausible because Activision itself said it doesn't like the gamepass model so it would be easy to ask them to agree with it, can those games be in gamepass?
'If' (big IF) the same clause exists in the Sony CoD marketing for the last 10 years, which is plausible because Activision itself said it doesn't like the gamepass model so it would be easy to ask them to agree with it, can those games be in gamepass?
Jigsaah
Gold Member
I don't understand why anybody would logically wish for Microsoft's failure at this point. Suggestion for the Sony fans...Since the deal is done, why not take the lemons and hope they can make lemonade. It means better games in the future or, the alternative, them basically destroying some very popular franchises. I mean this doesn't really threaten Playstation anyway.
That seems like a harsh reality to bear just for an opportunity to say "I told you so".
That seems like a harsh reality to bear just for an opportunity to say "I told you so".
Gavon West
Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
Have to disagree here. They dont need just one flagship dev house or IP. This will happen with playing the long game with more and more banger releases from multiple studios over a period of time. In fact, I'd say this transition has already begun. Xbox is literally at the point where they are too big to fail - hence all the recent purchases. I firmly believe (of course this is my opinion, I'm not Moses with ten commandments or some shit....) that in five to ten years time, we will be having VERY different conversations about the house that is Xbox.
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