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[Walter Matthau]

I imagine the next big move will be Sony scooping up one of the major Japanese developers.

As a Nintendo fan that will actually sting a bit more since Activision isn’t that much of a presence on Nintendo consoles these days beyond some Crash stuff.

I expect a feeding frenzy these next few years across the industry with Nintendo probably being the only first party mainly sitting on the sidelines.

 

[SlicedBread3]

Remember FF7 has yet to appear on Xbox as well.

The number of Final Fantasy games isn't the important part. Which is that Sony don't own the IP and therefore don't control the future of Final Fantasy. They have to negotiate with a third party which Microsoft (and potentially others) are free to negotiate with as well.

However as far as COD is concerned they would need to negotiate with their main competitor. That is a very different situation.

Keeping it off other platforms is the same effect. Until MS takes multiple entries in a major established franchise off of PS, I find this fair.

Might be the same "effect" (for now) but it's not the same "result" as was claimed. Sony do not have the power to block the IP from other platforms, only certain games.

Whether it's fair or not is a different argument.

 

[docchicken]

Until MS says they are buying another major publisher (they have given no indications on that), you can’t assume it’s relevant or important that they may make a few more purchases. They could be moon studios, crystal dynamics, or something smaller.

What are you even trying to argue? That they specifically didn't say a "major publisher?" They also didn't specifically say "small studio/publisher." You're equivocating a minor detail the point is that they can do whatever they want if this is cleared, and they may as well do so.

 

[Ronin_7]

You can only buy if a company wants to sell.

Microsoft could buy Nintendo if Nintendo wants to sell & nothing can actually stop it lol

 

[Dick Jones]

Agreed. Amazon are the real threat - if they want to be... and I'd imagine they won't let Microsoft and Tencent have it all.

Microsoft went from being #3 to being possibly #4 in the next gen or so.
Nintendo, Apple, Tencent and Amazon.

I think Nintendo is insulated from this shock but Sony will suffer by future third party acquisitions. It could end up with who ends up with buying Playstation. That will be disgusting with the suitors available.

 

[8BiTw0LF]

I imagine the next big move will be Sony scooping up one of the major Japanese developers.

Absolutely. Probably Capcom.

 

[Dick Jones]

You can only buy if a company wants to sell.

Microsoft could buy Nintendo if Nintendo wants to sell & nothing can actually stop it lol

At least you remember MS' attempt to buy Nintendo

 

[twilo99]

At least they let PC players have the games without having to wait for years and it seems like Nintendo players are also going to get a benefit from the Activision deal..

With Sony, we all must buy playstations otherwise we are out in the cold.

 

[93xfan]

What are you even trying to argue? That they specifically didn't say a "major publisher?" They also didn't specifically say "small studio/publisher." You're equivocating a minor detail the point is that they can do whatever they want if this is cleared, and they may as well do so.

No point in arguing with you as you just make baseless assumptions on what’s going to happen.

Actually, you’re right, it’s the end of PlayStation. Sell your console while it’s still worth something and get an Xbox ASAP.

 

[gothmog]

You can only buy if a company wants to sell.

Microsoft could buy Nintendo if Nintendo wants to sell & nothing can actually stop it lol

Who wouldn't want to sell with Microsoft overpaying?

 

[docchicken]

No point in arguing with you as you just make baseless assumptions on what’s going to happen.

Actually, you’re right, it’s the end of PlayStation. Sell your console while it’s still worth something and get an Xbox ASAP.

Lol, were you reading what I was typing? So you weren't making assumptions?

You're being (seemingly intentionally) obtuse as to the topic at hand.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Sony to announce the purchase of square in t minus 5...4...

 

[twilo99]

Who wouldn't want to sell with Microsoft overpaying?

Overpaying for Nintendo?

Such thing doesn't exist.

 

[DeepEnigma]

At least they let PC players have the games without having to wait for years and it seems like Nintendo players are also going to get a benefit from the Activision deal..

With Sony, we all must buy playstations otherwise we are out in the cold.

Now's Nintendo treating them PC players?

 

[Lokaum D+]

So then nothing has changed today. And no monopoly. Thanks for confirming.

if by buying two of the largest gaming companies ( Activision and Zeni ) of the market doesn't set a precedent on how thing may gonna end, i dont no what sets it, but u are right, for now nothing has changed, lets wait for now and see what MS ll buy next.

 

[Negotiator101]

SEGA, Capcom, Konami, EA...
What will stop MS from buying their way to the top?
Activision was like the big wall standing between them and everyone else, and now the wall is down, what will happen next?

If it goes through, I imagine they wouldn't be allowing to buy another publisher but they'll probably buy more studio's here and there.

 

[yurinka]

Regulators can't stop a 40B EA merger if they fail to stop 70B merger.

Regulators can stop any acquisition, independently of their price.

Regulators stop acquisitions whey they are monopolistic actions or that would cause a monopoly. But this isn't the case at all of MS acquiring ABK. And wouldn't be the case of them acquiring EA after it.

EA and ABK have a pretty small market share in gaming. Specially in PC and mobile. And in console and game subs MS is the last one on these races, and the addition of ABK wouldn't change things.

If after several big acquisitions MS would become a clear market leader and would try to acquire someone that would mean that others wouldn't be able to compete against them properly (something that isn't the case at all right now) then regulators would stop them.

Either ways gaming industry is heading for the next crash and we deserves it

No, gaming is better than ever and will continue growing in both revenue and userbase. Also, the industry never had any crash. A handful top US companies went down in US in the '83 but that's all, many others were blooming or started to bloom in 1983-1985 specially in Europe and Japan.

 

[93xfan]

Lol, were you reading what I was typing? So you weren't making assumptions?

You're being (seemingly intentionally) obtuse as to the topic at hand.

You keep saying MS can now do anything, as if they won’t have increased scrutiny after this deal.

You also make the point that they want to buy more studios. That won’t matter until we know which ones.

 

[Zannegan]

Yes, they will continue making acquisitions as they can.
No, they won't be allowed to buy up the entire industry.
Eventually, much of what they have bought today will become irrelevant, retro IP.

 

[docchicken]

You keep saying MS can now do anything, as if they won’t have increased scrutiny after this deal.

You also make the point that they want to buy more studios. That won’t matter until we know which ones.

Yes, if this deal passes, they have cleared their largest hurdle to an even more aggressive M&A spree. Expect to see more; they even said so themselves.

As for the second line, you started naming studios/pubs, I didn't.

 

[Skifi28]

Now's Nintendo treating them PC players?

They are kind enough to have terrible hardware that can be emulated on a potato. Part of me wants to think Nintendo is giving a nod to the PC bros.

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

MS’s attitude in the eyes of everyone. Seriously though…they will not buy the entire industry. Not possible. So people should not fear.


I think MS wants to be the Netflix of gaming and be platform agnostic. The future is you have more opportunities to play more games easier Than any previous Generation. …BUT…

Here is a little food for thought…there is one company that MS fears. Truly. A frien-enemy.

The more MS buys, the easier it makes it for APPLE TO BUY NINTENDO, DISNEY, NIKE, Netflix. Whomever they want. Actually, Apple could actually buy them all. But Apple won’t either, it is not in their ethos currently.

Steve Jobs hated gaming. Apple Traded Bungie and Marathon aka Halo to MS as part of the deal to get MS Office on iMac. But whomever replaces Tim Cook when he retires may be the merger and acquisitions CEO of Apple. Time will tell. As I have said for ten years now. Apple is the true only buyer for Nintendo, should that day ever need to happen.

Also, not for nothing. The majority of companies MS has acquired historically have turned to absolute S#%@! Time will Tell!

All this acquisition says to me is…
1.) Gaming industry is headed for a crash and these big players already know. Games cost too much $$$ to develop and the development cycle is FAR too long.
2.) Due to #1, these games need to be on as many platforms as possible. To recoup the money And maximize profit. Will it be on a Gamepass type service? That is how MS see‘s the future. We will see how Apple, Nintendo, Sony, Google, and Valbe view it going forward.

 

[justiceiro]

Pretty sure Japan has laws that makes that way more difficult. Also, tecent has bought way more game companies than you can imagine.

 

[Lokaum D+]

at least i m glad for not buying D4, ll play on my GamePass once they release it.

 

[THE DUCK]

Or you could focus on the positives, in that it puts MS in a position to actually compete better with Sony and Nintendo, and competition is good for gamers.
Imagine an all Sony or Nintendo world with $150 games and $700 consoles........this is all much less likely with another big competitor staying in for the long fight.

 

[dem]

They should be buying companies like IO interactive...

Not large enough to raise an eyebrow. Very recognizable IP. Even the mobile hitman game was good.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Or you could focus on the positives, in that it puts MS in a position to actually compete better with Sony and Nintendo, and competition is good for gamers.
Imagine an all Sony or Nintendo world with $150 games and $700 consoles........this is all much less likely with another big competitor staying in for the long fight.

 

[Lokaum D+]

Or you could focus on the positives, in that it puts MS in a position to actually compete better with Sony and Nintendo, and competition is good for gamers.
Imagine an all Sony or Nintendo world with $150 games and $700 consoles........this is all much less likely with another big competitor staying in for the long fight.

or imagine Sony and Nintendo games going price up because their focus is on quality and not quantity and u can only play their games on their consoles.

 

[Historia]

How can I proceed to be this dumb.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Or you could focus on the positives, in that it puts MS in a position to actually compete better with Sony and Nintendo, and competition is good for gamers.
Imagine an all Sony or Nintendo world with $150 games and $700 consoles........this is all much less likely with another big competitor staying in for the long fight.

Xbox is truly the saviour of gaming

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

Pretty sure Japan has laws that makes that way more difficult. Also, tecent has bought way more game companies than you can imagine.

Saudi PIF fund is the second largest owner of Nintendo stock now. Yes, there are laws in Japan. But it doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

Tencent is an also a great example!

 

[thismeinteil]

If this circus proved anything, it's that the politicians of today are just filled with hot air. They love to wag the finger at companies and government agencies doing wrong, just so it looks good on TV, but they do nothing.

 

[Damian black]

Next they'll try to buy rockstar. When they own cod and gta, what can sony realistically do?

 

[solidus12]

As a PlayStation gamer, how does Xbox buying more studios benefits me?

They keep saying they want to bring more games to people.

Regarding the Bethesda acquisition, they said it’s not about removing games from PlayStation…

Thank god I don’t play Bethesda and Activision games.

 

[Silent Viper]

Toothless cowards. The check must have cleared at the CMA. So much corruption in the free market.

I just hope the CMA doesn't accept their new terms, whatever they are, or people stop buying COD one day and it dies, that would be great.

MS has always been a cancerous company.

Hehe Damn the hate is strong here. They hurt you or something?

 

[Neo_game]

Who wouldn't want to sell with Microsoft overpaying?

If that is the case then why don't they buy Valve, Steam.

 

[cebri.one]

Imagine being Phil Spencer and know about all the stans that will defend you for free. They even call him Phil, like he was his friend.

 

[itsjustJEFF]

apple

Microsoft can just keep buying up the market... that might be considered a Monopoly. If/When this deal goes thru, MS will sit for a little and look at something small if anything.

What this does do is set a precedent for the likes of Apple/Google to potentially jump in and force their way into the gaming industry. Will they? who knows. Can they? Sure can. The FTC would have no recourse to block a deal of a magnitude potentially equal to, or even bigger than this one, as Apple/Google have little to no market share in the "premium" gaming market.

 

[cebri.one]

If that is the case then why don't they buy Valve, Steam.

Private company, GabeN won't sell. Plus other partners he found the company with.

 

[Lokaum D+]

As a PlayStation gamer, how does Xbox buying more studios benefits me?

They keep saying they want to bring more games to people.

Regarding the Bethesda acquisition, they said it’s not about removing games from PlayStation…

Thank god I don’t play Bethesda and Activision games.

but they are bringing games to people, u just need to be on their eco system.

 

[Kataploom]

Anything MS purchase going forward will probably be investigated since they now own a lot of the industry. I don’t think MS in particular will be allowed to just buy everything.

I think what’s worrisome is that this deal opens the doors for other major players, like Tencent, to just go crazy. Soon 95% of the industry could potentially be owned by 4-5 different companies.

This is what I think, if they try to get another big publisher 10 years from now I don't think that's a problem, but next year right after they got two big publishers and one being literally the biggest publisher, I don't think they'd have it easy if that was the plan.

 

[cebri.one]

but they are bringing games to people, u just need to be on their eco system.

What games from ATVI were not on Xbox?

 

[Silent Viper]

As a PlayStation gamer, how does Xbox buying more studios benefits me?

They keep saying they want to bring more games to people.

Regarding the Bethesda acquisition, they said it’s not about removing games from PlayStation…

Thank god I don’t play Bethesda and Activision games.

Xbox gamer can ask same question when Sony gets 3rd party game as exclusive.

As far as ABK goes, Nothing changes for PS gamers, they will still get same 70$ CoD minus exclusive content and marketing rights for Sony.

Deal actually benefits MS first and foremost, and it also benefits Gamepass users on PC and Xbox.

 

[Crayon]

Best case they eventually fuck off to mobile.

 

[Raven77]

SEGA, Capcom, Konami, EA...
What will stop MS from buying their way to the top?
Activision was like the big wall standing between them and everyone else, and now the wall is down, what will happen next?

You are literally coming to complete opposite conclusion of the outcome of this. When this deal gets completed it will GREATLY DECREASE their chances of acquiring anyone else of any notable size.

That's how acquisitions/ monopoly prevention works.

 

[Murdok]

 

[Hawking Radiation]

So this deal is going through huh?

Well happy I'm jumping off gaming as a hobby. I wish PlayStation and Nintendo well in a market where Xbox can be allowed to buy up anything and everything. Microsoft wants a monopoly in this space and they're prepared to bulldoze their way to that end goal.

 

[zeroluck]

Microsoft please buy Take2 so I can get GTA 6 day one on PC.

 

[pasterpl]

I think IO interactive will be [8next after their RPG releases. Asobo with their flight sim relationships + 2-3 other smaller studios. Or maybe they will try to go bit bigger and try to get capcom.

 

[solidus12]

Xbox gamer can ask same question when Sony gets 3rd party game as exclusive.

As far as ABK goes, Nothing changes for PS gamers, they will still get same 70$ CoD minus exclusive content and marketing rights for Sony.

Deal actually benefits MS first and foremost, and it also benefits Gamepass users on PC and Xbox.

Because MS doesn’t do third party exclusives

They even call them Launch exclusives.

+ we’re talking about few timed third party deals versus acquiring 2 whole publishers with their suite of development studios…