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[Dick Jones]

Google Stadia should be the answer this question.

China is also the answer to your question. Do you really want China to control video gaming?

Well it looks for the MS emails v their PR spins, and MS' prior development history, I don't want a stagnant Microsoft to control video gaming either. Maybe China aren't the big bad when the US equivalent is just as detrimental to gaming.

 

[Brigandier]

They won't acquire studios but they'll absolutely acquire more publishers.

Once you pop you can't stop.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Well it looks for the MS emails v their PR spins, and MS' prior development history, I don't want a stagnant Microsoft to control video gaming either. Maybe China aren't the big bad when the US equivalent is just as detrimental to gaming.

Just out of interest, who is pushing the medium forward to you? Taking risks, trying new things? Not making safe games for the Marvel crowd?

 

[Dick Jones]

Just out of interest, who is pushing the medium forward to you? Taking risks, trying new things? Not making safe games for the Marvel crowd?

Consolidation is not moving the medium forward.

You thought you had a gotcha.

 

[SHA]

It's obvious, not making contents, it'll be too risky at this point.

 

[Bkdk]

If MS really want a major step to own the industry would be buying valve, will give them control more than buying ubi, EA, T2, sega, square enix, bandai namco, embracer, activision, zenimax combined.

 

[Fredrik]

If MS really want a major step to own the industry would be buying valve, will give them control more than buying ubi, EA, T2, sega, square enix, bandai namco, embracer, activision, zenimax combined.

You really think they would be allowed to buy Valve?
I don’t. It’ll never ever happen.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Consolidation is not moving the medium forward.

You thought you had a gotcha.

Well you made out that you didn't want stagnant Microsoft owning the stagnant ABK which has put all its resources to putting out an iteration of the same game for 15 years or so, so I was interested in who would be a better fit in your opinion?

Because of this deal, more people will get to play games on game pass. Owners of Nintendos next console will be able to play cod, more ABK games will come to steam and there will be deals with various cloud companies to be able to stream ABK content.

Consolidation sucks major balls but there's no denying that if Microsoft stick to the legally binding contracts they've signed, more people will have access to ABK content on more platforms than if the deal was blocked.

 

[DeVeAn]

You know, I know it’s a prick answer but please buy everyone. I wanna see all the salt from people who are so invested against it

 

[CuteFaceJay]

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?

Some will sell some will not.

 

[Dick Jones]

Well you made out that you didn't want stagnant Microsoft owning the stagnant ABK which has put all its resources to putting out an iteration of the same game for 15 years or so, so I was interested in who would be a better fit in your opinion?

Because of this deal, more people will get to play games on game pass. Owners of Nintendos next console will be able to play cod, more ABK games will come to steam and there will be deals with various cloud companies to be able to stream ABK content.

Consolidation sucks major balls but there's no denying that if Microsoft stick to the legally binding contracts they've signed, more people will have access to ABK content on more platforms than if the deal was blocked.

If? You honestly believe MS' horseshit after the emails came out. We know their tactics thanks to Matt Booty. They were caught by the bollix. They will break the contracts and we'll here clowns say we all knew Microsoft would break the contract. We had an email where they tried to break Notch's agreement.

This acquisition gives Tencent, Amazon and Apple the green light to buy up with no restrictions for at least 100bn more in acquisitions

 

[Fredrik]

This acquisition gives Tencent, Amazon and Apple the green light to buy up with no restrictions for at least 100bn more in acquisitions

Apple have too big market share on mobile for any big purchases, they can barely isolate their own store.
Amazon could possibly be allowed to buy something big since they don’t have a big platform already. Tencent too but the west will block that.
I’m thinking that Embracer is the big one, they don’t really have anything going against them besides owning many studios, at least until they build their own platform.

 

[Dick Jones]

Apple have too big market share on mobile for any big purchases, they can barely isolate their own store.
Amazon could possibly be allowed to buy something big since they don’t have a big platform already. Tencent too but the west will block that.
I’m thinking that Embracer is the big one, they don’t really have anything going against them besides owning many studios, at least until they build their own platform.

Considering they can look at the MS/ABK decision, the West can't block shit. The mobile and console market can easily be argued by Apple as separate as this case pushed Switch out of the comparable market so mobile is likely the same. Microsoft invited the competition they claimed they were against, into the console market.

 

[Fredrik]

Considering they can look at the MS/ABK decision, the West can't block shit. The mobile and console market can easily be argued by Apple as separate as this case pushed Switch out of the comparable market so mobile is likely the same. Microsoft invited the competition they claimed they were against, into the console market.

They didn’t succeed to push Switch into a separate market, judge had that in the ruling. Would mean Nintendo have monopoly.
Apple wouldn’t be allowed to gobble up a big publisher because they’re so big on mobile. Only way they would succeed is if they would only do it to get games for Apple TV and if that would be considered being a separate platform where Apple is tiny.

 

[Dick Jones]

They didn’t succeed to push Switch into a separate market, judge had that in the ruling. Would mean Nintendo have monopoly.
Apple wouldn’t be allowed to gobble up a big publisher because they’re so big on mobile. Only way they would succeed is if they would only do it to get games for Apple TV and if that would be considered being a separate platform where Apple is tiny.

Microsoft invited the other trillion dollar companies to the table. Another MS fuck up.

 

[FF:Enhanced_Reality]

That's the end game isn't it. With every acquisition Microsoft make they add more content to GamePass and reduce Sony's partners. And residual games left on PlayStation become income for Microsoft effectively and keep their competitors product as a form of income. It's mad really.

Microsoft showed with the released documents that they effectively plan to buy a few more publishers and plenty more developers so that's what they'll do. They've already overcome a huge hurdle with this deal, I can't see future deals being difficult to get over the line.

Especially with how woefully under prepared the FTC were.

 

[Allandor]

If? You honestly believe MS' horseshit after the emails came out. We know their tactics thanks to Matt Booty. They were caught by the bollix. They will break the contracts and we'll here clowns say we all knew Microsoft would break the contract. We had an email where they tried to break Notch's agreement.

This acquisition gives Tencent, Amazon and Apple the green light to buy up with no restrictions for at least 100bn more in acquisitions

Really emails ...
You really don't want to know what all in companies emails + chats. They are full of good, bad and even worse ideas. It only counts, what comes out at the end.

This is also why such emails don't have that great impact on the process. It has impact on the public if those get somehow leaked but context is always important in such cases.
And MS really knows they need competition, so they can't do what some here think they want to do because of some bad email ideas.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

My twitter feed is full of these. Just can't escape and have some peace of mind lol.

 

[mansoor1980]

My twitter feed is full of these. Just can't escape and have some peace of mind lol.

ABK is worth 70 billion , the rest not so much

 

[BootsLoader]

Mark my words, Microsoft will screw themselves with this acquisition.

 

[8BiTw0LF]

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

I think they're going for Capcom...

 

[bosnianpie]

All the mediocre games you won't have time to play for only $ 10.99/month.

 

[Dick Jones]

Really emails ...
You really don't want to know what all in companies emails + chats. They are full of good, bad and even worse ideas. It only counts, what comes out at the end.

This is also why such emails don't have that great impact on the process. It has impact on the public if those get somehow leaked but context is always important in such cases.
And MS really knows they need competition, so they can't do what some here think they want to do because of some bad email ideas.

Really?
Publicly Xbox head stated that Nintendo and PlayStation are not Xbox's competition but Amazon and Google were

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Doesn't See Sony As Competition Going Forward

Convenient

www.pushsquare.com

Yet, Xbox cancelled the PS5 versions of Bethesda games day one. Why cancel a non competitor version? The emails revealed in court confirmed that Phil's proclamation that games going on Playstation "case by case" actually meant no fucking way. How many more times do they have to be caught before you realise that MS' word can never be trusted.

 

[Allandor]

Really?
Publicly Xbox head stated that Nintendo and PlayStation are not Xbox's competition but Amazon and Google were

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Doesn't See Sony As Competition Going Forward

Convenient

www.pushsquare.com

Yet, Xbox cancelled the PS5 versions of Bethesda games day one. Why cancel a non competitor version? The emails revealed in court confirmed that Phil's proclamation that games going on Playstation "case by case" actually meant no fucking way. How many more times do they have to be caught before you realise that MS' word can never be trusted.

It is a company, nothing more. You can't trust them with everything. Btw, that goes for any company that just wants to make money, even Sony or Nintendo.

 

[Dick Jones]

It is a company, nothing more. You can't trust them with everything. Btw, that goes for any company that just wants to make money, even Sony or Nintendo.

So are we are in agreement that MS' words meant fuck all? If that's the case people are right to be worried by MS gobbling up the market and killing competition. It just accelerates the likes of Google, Amazon and Tencent to likewise gobble the market without restrictions.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

The question is why would MSFT do that? We saw from their shopping list that they have their own criteria in acquisitions.

Their final list was pretty small in the end.

 

[Topher]

Consolidation sucks major balls but there's no denying that if Microsoft stick to the legally binding contracts they've signed, more people will have access to ABK content on more platforms than if the deal was blocked.

That's a a big if considering MS is known to have renegotiated contracts post-acquisition to change multiplats into exclusives. And as far as I know their commitment to "ABK content" being on more platforms begins and ends with Call of Duty.

 

[HoodWinked]

i doubt Microsoft could engineer a gaming monopoly even with windows they couldn't manage to gain a foothold in PC gaming and needs to go through Steam.

 

[Snake29]

Mark my words, Microsoft will screw themselves with this acquisition.

Jup, all Xbox fanbase and fanboys are cheering for this are short sided. But in the end it will bite them and they will indeed screw themselves. They want Sony to compete? If Sony hasn't compete in their eyes for over 25 years with the lead they already have, then Sony will completely vanish Xbox from this earth before this generation ends if they are now gong to "compete" .

 

[Tomeru]

To answer the op question:

They run out of money.

 

[Hudo]

Man, they should buy me. I come cheap. Only 1 billion Dollars.

 

[Snake29]

MS will come up with excuses and playing the victim again after this acquisition. This is not the end for them, it's the start of everything. They will act as if they are they saviours and going to place PS in a bad spot. They will act as nice guys but at the same time continue fueling console wars again PS. Phil will be in all kinds of interviews again how they are for everyone.

We all know after all these documents, this is just their mask.

 

[Sanepar]

Mark my words, Microsoft will screw themselves with this acquisition.

They will not and they are just starting... there is only one company screwed and it is not MS.

 

[Gojiira]

Well they buy everything besides japanese companies, then what happen? You get everything on gamepass besides jp games? With rent culture dominating. No one will be buying games anymore. Who will not be on gamepass will be fucked.

They cant do that either, remember part of this ActiBlizz court case was whether or not the purchase was anti-competitive. After it closes Xbox will be the single largest publisher in the industry. It will be very difficult if not impossible for them to argue that further purchases arent monopolistic and anti-competitive.
No all they have done is given Playstation a free hand to purchase further studios/publishers. So Capcom, Take Two, Kadokawa, CD Project, expect one or a few of them to end up bolstering PS.
Personally I think Capcom and Kadokawa are destined for PS but we’ll see.

 

[Sanepar]

They cant do that either, remember part of this ActiBlizz court case was whether or not the purchase was anti-competitive. After it closes Xbox will be the single largest publisher in the industry. It will be very difficult if not impossible for them to argue that further purchases arent monopolistic and anti-competitive.
No all they have done is given Playstation a free hand to purchase further studios/publishers. So Capcom, Take Two, Kadokawa, CD Project, expect one or a few of them to end up bolstering PS.
Personally I think Capcom and Kadokawa are destined for PS but we’ll see.

Let's be honest regulators don't care. US and EU will approve anything they want. Ea is peanuts for them with a market cap of 35bi.

Most of casual players play fifa or cod. Vast majority of this market is casuals.

They only need EA now and it is over. You can't counter this move with Square, Capcom, CDPR.

Sony doesn't have money for EA even for T2. The only way they will stay as a platform is if someone with a lot of cash comes behind before EA is on MS hands.

 

[DenchDeckard]

If? You honestly believe MS' horseshit after the emails came out. We know their tactics thanks to Matt Booty. They were caught by the bollix. They will break the contracts and we'll here clowns say we all knew Microsoft would break the contract. We had an email where they tried to break Notch's agreement.

This acquisition gives Tencent, Amazon and Apple the green light to buy up with no restrictions for at least 100bn more in acquisitions

Yup, Matt Boory deffo showed his whole ass.

Tencent, Apple and Amazon, even MEta were already sniffing around all these companies...you must understand these conversations are always happening right? or do you think its all just big bad microsoft thats going to ruin it for everyone...it certainly seems that way.

 

[Dick Jones]

Yup, Matt Boory deffo showed his whole ass.

Tencent, Apple and Amazon, even MEta were already sniffing around all these companies...you must understand these conversations are always happening right? or do you think its all just big bad microsoft thats going to ruin it for everyone...it certainly seems that way.

Microsoft making such an acquisition now give all the other big fuckers free reign to sniff around the major independent publishers. Before it was maybe it could be a fight for them to launch into the market, but now its an invitation to buy up fucking everything. Your Amazon, Google, Tencent, Meta can say how can my 50bn purchase be anti-competitive when you allowed one of the console makers a 70bn purchase, I don't even have a console platform like MS? They would be well within their rights to ask that question. They will very likely win.

 

[DenchDeckard]

That's a a big if considering MS is known to have renegotiated contracts post-acquisition to change multiplats into exclusives. And as far as I know their commitment to "ABK content" being on more platforms begins and ends with Call of Duty.

I completely agree with this. I could see them doing something with other IP outside of Call Of Duty. It seems the FTC, Sony and everyone made it about COD at first...and so they focused on that.

 

[Sorcerer]

Microsoft soley reaching for quantity over quality. All these studios they don't have a clue how to manage. I bet the more studios Microsoft acquires the more the problem will spiral. I bet in 10 years Microsoft is still where they are now. 3rd place.

 

[RoboFu]

only companies that have been bought wanted to be bought. There’s a difference between “ buying up “ and “ buying those who were for sale “.

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s all still a huge gamble. You should probably worry more about mobile taking over than MS buying companies who want to be bought.

 

[Evil Calvin]

I wonder which console fanboy created this thread?........

I don't get why people just buy both consoles. They aren't THAT expensive and they are available (even cheaper with Series S). Unless you are in high school.

 

[vkbest]

In the next years, Tencent, diverse investment funds, google, maybe apple, MS and Sony will buy all.

 

[mansoor1980]

hexen to be xbox exclusive

 

[Calverz]

Yeah but third party games like CoD are literally funding first party Sony titles
Just look at the sale charts for playstation. Vast majority of the top selling games are all third party games like GtA, CoD, FIFA ect
Remove those and see what happens

Absolutely. This is why we see Sony now realy going hard on GAAS this gen. They need a fortnite, apex legends hit to continue to fund development for their triple AAA single player games. Their fan base expect 2-3 games like this every year and costs are spiralling to meet these demands. They continue to chase this model to continue their hardware sales in which they are reliant on.

 

[JCK75]

Not everyone is for sale.

 

[Gojiira]

Let's be honest regulators don't care. US and EU will approve anything they want. Ea is peanuts for them with a market cap of 35bi.

Most of casual players play fifa or cod. Vast majority of this market is casuals.

They only need EA now and it is over. You can't counter this move with Square, Capcom, CDPR.

Sony doesn't have money for EA even for T2. The only way they will stay as a platform is if someone with a lot of cash comes behind before EA is on MS hands.

Sorry but thats not how it works, regulators do care as the FTC and CMA proved.
And if you think CoD or anything EA has ip wise is more valuable than GTA, or Resident Evil or Monster Hunter well Idk what to tell ya…

 

[Slicker than your average]

Phil said they're not done with buying so expect more until there's nothing left. The monopoly will be fully created and then people will deluded themselves it's great, even when gamepass becomes $30 a month

 

[Lord Malachite]

I dunno but Sony's gonna Square and I'm gonna keep saying so until I'm right.

They might, they might not. The fact of the matter is, Square wants Sony to acquire them more than Sony wants to acquire Square. At this juncture, Square is effectively a second-party Sony developer that self-publishes. They put out almost nothing on Xbox, little on Nintendo, and their PC ports often run worse than their PS5 counterparts and usually come a good 12 months after the PS5 launch.

Square has been cozying up to Sony in various ways--the whole sale of their western studios and IP to Embracer was very telling. They got very little for those one the surface--but when you look into the details of the deal, the real payout was that Embracer paid off a large chunk of Square's debt. This new, leaner Square has been pushing PS5 exclusives with late PC ports (as Sony itself does), made itself lean and solvent (though shakier with a lot less IP under its belt), and gone so far as publicly praising Sony and the PS5. It's very much a mating dance--"Please acquire us Papa Sony we love you long time!"

If they can be had for relatively low cost, sure, Sony may very well buy them. But in doing so they won't get much out of Square that they aren't already getting. As long as Square keeps giving Sony all the milk, Sony doesn't need to spend the money to buy the cow. However, with yesterday's decision, it's pretty much been declared a free-for-all with no rules in the gaming space. If Square offers themselves up to Sony cheap, then I'd say Sony buys them purely out of fear that if they don't, Microsoft or Nintendo will. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that will be the big impetus between pretty much every developer and publisher buy out going forward--fear that someone else will beat the buyer to the punch.

 

[Wildebeest]

Apple are the biggest gaming company, but they don't need to buy anything in terms of game dev because it is all just a risky liability for them. In the days when Microsoft were really on top, Bill Gates saw game development the same way and wouldn't put his companies money anywhere near it, apart from the occasional thing like Flight Simulator. That was in the old days when they could think things like that the public internet would never take off because nobody would choose that over a private proprietary Microsoft network. They were not that wrong since Apple app store did it, not Microsoft.

 

[Basil King]

As long as the rest of the world has no interest in Xbox I see no problem with them buying up publishers until they start to have interest.

On the topic of Sony and Square. That’s almost a garunteed move Sony has to make just to keep Xbox from getting it and making their games come out on all consoles