Best case scenario, you get someone who can do both like Obsidian or Insomniac. I suppose the closest to these on the market right now would be IO.
2 Likes
I was going to say the same thing. You get someone like those two because they will give you games and also quality.
IO Interactive
Supergiant Games
Larian Studios
Asobo Studio
Moon Studio
These are the main ones that I can think of that fit this criteria. Supergiant releases smaller games, but they’re always of high quality. We’ll see with Moon’s next project.
3 Likes
Fixed. 
ThatGameCompany belongs there imo. Also much harder to get but From Soft is definitely there
2 Likes
Anyone else smell an acquisition this week?
3 Likes
I think you’ll find that Microsoft is building towards both… but they’re not mutually exclusive.
2 Likes
Oh, yeah, if we’re including non-independents I’d throw FromSoftware and ATLUS up there too.
ThatGameCompany is a good shout.
Honestly, hell, throw Housemarque in there too.
1 Like
I have really bad allergies right now so my sensometer is off…
7 Likes
I definitely smell something is up, maybe not an acquisition by Microsoft, but someone seems to be getting bought this week.
2 Likes
What gives you that sense?
IO, Square West, Super giant, moon
1 Like
I do…what’s Embracer Group been up to lately? They haven’t acquired a company in a few months so they’re overdue. lmao.
Joking aside, if Microsoft has acquired anyone, I would think that unless it leaks, they would save it for E3.
1 Like
Most of the time they announce it at e3. Very rarely is it not announced there
IOI within 6 weeks
My guess, there are going to announce a publisher at xboxs e3, then at Bethesda’s they will announce more aquisitions for them
If you were looking at Obsidian in 2017-2018, the same approximate distance in the past as Korra would have given you Obsidian’s Dungeon Siege 3 and Alpha Protocol. The latter has a cult following sure, but both games were total flops and critically trashed. I think it’s more reasonable to go by their recent track record.
Platinum’s quality fluctuated over it’s career mainly based on budgetary and timeline constraints, not a lack of talent. You say we should recall Korra in 2014, ok, but 2014 also gave us Bayonetta 2, which was very well received. Only one year prior, 2013 gave us Metal Gear Rising and The Wonderful 101. That’s a good 2 year period, even despite Korra.
From 2017 onwards, they put out 2 console/multiplat games, 1 remaster and 2 mobile games. So again, I don’t think we can really say they’re an inefficient developer unable to meet deadlines. Bayonetta 3 was announced basically at the point at which the project was greenlit by Nintendo.
As for quality, their 2 most recent console/multiplat games recieved an 88 and an 87 metascore, so people evidently were quite happy with it, even if individual preferences here may not have been in favor of Astral Chain.
I don’t think Platinum wants to be bought, I think they value independent. But I think Obsidian isn’t a crazy comparison to make. Obsidian was doing some pretty middling projects to stay afloat just like Platinum was (who can forget the top tier industry leading games like Pathfinder Adventures and Skyforge just two years before their acquisition?)
the folks haven’t bothered with xbox since bastion release on 360
they really skipped xbox one gen 
2 Likes
That’s a whole lot of hand waiving and cherry-picking to neglect to also mention Platinum managed to take several years’ of Microsoft’s money to produce jack shit. Furthermore, Obsidian only localized Skyforge, so you might want to take the snide revisionism elsewhere. Assuming a lot too with the conclusion that all of Platinum’s disappointments were down to budget.
Regardless, Platinum sabotaged their own relationship with Xbox and as I said, there are other Japanese studios not run by certified docks like Kamiya.
4 Likes
I think only IOI happens this year. A publisher if they get another will be in the future