People seem to be losing sight of why Microsoft will be considering more acquisitions - Game Pass. Game Pass needs exclusive content, whether you’re on Xbox, PC, or streaming. Acquisitions are meant to bolster that platform, allowing for subscribers to enjoy more content on whatever device they choose.
Acquisitions have also seemed to be helpful for studios that previously were struggling financially, and the games have benefited from the extra resources. I recently finished Wasteland 3, and hearing Brian Fargo talk about the stuff they were able to add to the game with Microsoft’s backing, it’s much better for it. In his interview on Dropped Frames, he explicitly says, “the game is 10 Metacritic points better because of Microsoft” and that’s not something to scoff at.
Yes, it seems as if the GDK came in a little hot, and current games are underperforming on Series X. Also consider that we’re in a pandemic, and many developers are still working from home. This stuff takes time to iron out, and this has hardly been an ideal year for ANYONE.
Anyway, I personally hope to see some more acquisitions, if it’s the right fit for the studio and for Xbox. Whichever box ends up winning this generation doesn’t matter to me as much as there just being a lot of great games to play, and acquisitions help that.
That’s not how you run a company though. MS has a roadmap for everything. Buying more studios wouldn’t have any impact on what’s currently being made or the timetable for game releases.
I know it’s hard for fanboys to understand, but MS isn’t perusing web forums trying to decide how they should react to every little thing. They have a plan, and it spans years into the future. They might pivot if they feel a deep need for something (like some of the deals they made when they realized Halo Infinite was going to be delayed), but they’re certainly not asking themselves “how do we counteract Sony this week?”, or “how do we appease the Xbox fanboys this week?”.
I’m sure they’re just as annoyed as fans are that some cross gen games aren’t “running better” on the Series X, but the situation is what it is and all they can do is keep moving forward. Passing on a great opportunity to acquire talented developers/studios when you have the means simply because a couple of cross gen games “run better” on your competitor’s platform would be silly.
Precisely, I’m not sure why some of the conversation started being dictated by Game Core or perceived lack of output. Game Pass, and the need to maintain (and increase) subscriptions requires consistent, and diverse, content. Games take an average of 2.5 years to develop, so Phil and company are out making deals and purchasing studios with those factors in mind.
This is a two-pronged argument. Insomniac is one of the best developers out there, and BP is known for their amazing remakes. When Sony acquires BP very soon, it just add another incredibly talented development studio to their already formidable lineup. As for third party games, those developers are going to do the minimum they can, and it is in these games that everything looks basically the same. Framerate issues can be patched, if the developer cares enough to do so.
I have faith in Playground, Obsidian, Coalition, and the Initiative. I think they are on the level of some of Sony’s best studios. Problem is that NONE of their games are going to be available for another couple of years. If you don’t like BC, and MS does it VERY well, shouldn’t have bothered with the Series X to begin with. Me, I love the BC feature and have plenty to play until the good stuff comes out in several years.
Sony’s lineup over the next year until MS can get their crap together is on another level - that cannot be denied by the most avid fanboy. Doesn’t mean they are the best long-term play.
MS needs to use the IP’s that they have access to, before they try to acquire new ones
Keep in mind that The Initiative and Playground’s RPG team are making their debut titles. I’d expect something in the vein of Jedi Fallen Order from them, solid experiences with the potential for greatness in subsequent sequels. Now, Ninja Theory and Hellblade II, I see that being GOTY material whenever it releases unless the competition is particularly tough that year.
I agree. Fable will probably be on the level of HZD. Well liked, high 80s MC, GOTY nominee but maybe not winner. No need to despair if there isn’t a 9 in front of it.
Developer quality matters a lot, and I think that Fable will deliver the goods. I’m sure Hellblade will look good, but wasn’t really too impressed with the first’s gameplay. Hope they learned for the sequel so we get a better product
First, I don’t see why Sony would buy Bluepoint, their studios are creative, they make new IP, they can reboot IP, Bluepoint can’t do it, they’re just good at remaster games, they don’t touch level design, they don’t create art direction, they just put better texture on an existing game. Demon’s souls boss are still very forgettable because Bluepoint don’t change them. Not a critic, they’re really good at their job but I don’t think Sony will acquire a studio who haven’t prove his quality on gameplay/level design/art side…
I think MS have a better line up of first party studio than Sony, studios like ID Software, Arkane, Playground are high tier, MS have a more high tier studio than Sony since they bought Bethesda and they have more potential high tier studio than Sony. We should see some games from them in 2021, obviously not the big gun like Fable, but I’m sure Xbox is going to have a pretty solid 2021 even if Sony have a better line up, Xbox is going to have a really good too.
MS don’t have to stop buying studios, their studios are working and they can buy new studios too, they can do both
The only reason MS will continue to buy is because of Amazon and Google. I don’t think they will stop - I just think they should. They certainly have enough IP in the background that they never use as it is. However, MS has always been good at spending money - why should the Xbox division be any different?
As for BP, Sony is going to purchase them unless BP backs out. And BP wants to work on a AAA game that is original - something they can safely do under the PS umbrella
And there is nothing wrong with some healthy discussion. You definitely don’t have to agree with me
I don’t think its just about amazon and google, although that certainly helps. I think its about surety, for all we know all the publishers in the world may collectively decide to boycott gamepass for some reason in the future, I highly doubt its going to happen but it could. Microsoft, IMO want to get to the point were there first party alone can carry the weight of gamepass, of course with a bunch of awesome indy titles / smaller games with a wide back catalog. By having all that dev capability in house it derisks gamepass substantially.
Sure it would have been cheaper to just pay zenimax to make everything day one on gamepass, but it might be more money in a decades time, and likely would. That sort of cost increase that other publishers would be demanding is impossible to accurately predict. In comparison, even though there is a much higher upfront cost to purchasing zenimax, forecasting the running costs of the entire company well into the future becomes trivial, I could do it in a spread sheet in 5 minutes. This makes forecasting the profit that gamepass will make much easier, and the forecasts will be much more accurate, the costs for things like payroll and building rents are much less variable day to day.
Bluepoint is a valuable partner even if they only ever remake games from now until they end of time. However, they have been increasing staff count and capabilities over the last 5 years. They collaborated with Japan Studio on the Demon’s Souls remake, and I suspect their next project will not be a remake. I’m thinking more like a sequel to Demon’s Souls or Bloodborne, both IPs that are owned by Sony and for which they could use a technically talented Western Studio to drive the development on (again probably in collaboration with Japan Studio).
I think it’s fair to say that MS has an approximate number of studios they want to own in mind, a quantity they believe will be able to put out content for Game Pass at a reasonable rate. They are still looking to buy because they haven’t reached that number yet, not because they just want to own a bunch of devs.
I still think MS will try to acquire Bungie and Asobo but even if they don’t they still have so many studios now that it’s only a question of when are we going to see those games they’re working on, sadly we probably have to wait a while for summer 2021, I’m very interested to see what Avowed, Hellblade 2, Fable and the Initiative’s game will be like because they’re most likely next gen games.
I can’t agree, I think MS buy studios first in the goal of increase content for gamepass. I think the only “protective buy” (for own the studio instead of an other GAFA) are publisher like Bethesda, maybe if Amazon try to acquire EA, MS are going to buy them instead of Amazon because they don’t want Amazon to own a publisher but if Amazon want studio like Techland or IOI, I can’t see MS trying to outbid them if they’re not interested in the studio first
They have lot of IP in background yeah, like Banjo , but I’m suscribe to gamepass so I want more studios buy to have more content. Yeah that’s the MS way, put a lot of cash in important department
I don’t think Bluepoint want to work on a new IP because every interview I see of the head of studios, he talk about the importance of remake/remaster. But maybe I’m wrong, I don’t watch every interview of him.
Even if they want to work on new IP, Sony usually give them budget, see if the game do well, then buy the studio. That the way they buy the majority of their studios. So if Sony was going to acquire someone, I would bet on Housemarque, Sony give them money and they grow to make Returnal, if the game do well I can see Sony fund a sequel and buy the studio if the sequel do well.
what they need right now is to fund games or make a deal with third party devs publishers or independent studios doesn’t matter.
they need more to fill the gaps. there is no guarantee Fable or Hellblade 2 won’t be delayed
MS can ill afford to give SONY a year’s advantage in terms of betting looking games, bigger AAA In-House efforts, we don’t need another Xbox One Vs PS4 scenario. MS needs to come out fighting hard early in the New Year and hopefully, 3rd party stuff will look better with the toolchain more established. Turn 10 have had like 3 to 4 years and 343 over 5 years we need to start to be seeing games that really show off the Hardware, I’m just amazing Turn 10 couldn’t show off more of Forza.I do have faith in Ninja Theory to deliver the goods, they are the best developer in the UK IMO and I think Hellblade 2 will rival GOD OF WAR for a single player game with a strong narrative and world class visuals
Here’s hoping RE 8 will be one of the 1st 3rd party games to look better on the Series X Vs PS5
I do know games have a long lead time. But C’mon Turn 10 have had Forza 8 in development for over 3 years, 343 had Halo Infinite in development for over 5 years and The Initiative had their project going for 3 years (Ok its a set up studios) Turn 10 really should have more to show off than just 3 seconds of a replay.
The SONY fanboys on Reset Era and Neo Gaf are having a field day and it’s not great PR because at the moment its the PS5 in the ascendancy on Digital Foundry and on the forums. MS is being dictated too by the PS fans, no way did HALO Infinite look anyway near as bad as made out and I’m sure of you took a screen grab of an AI character Demon Souls remake at a certain point it might not have the most amount of detail used on the face.
TBH MS should let the people or say the Press (Like IGN/DF) play Halo Infinite for 10 or 20 mins because the gameplay looked the best in years. Do that and start to show more of Hellblade and Forza 8 (or whatever the title will be) Get some momentum early in the new year
, but I’m suscribe to gamepass so I want more studios buy to have more content. Yeah that’s the MS way, put a lot of cash in important department