Everytime i see people use eye emojis in this thread
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I don’t think it was ever an actual rumor. More just something people tossed around as “would make sense.”
I think it was a popular idea around the time people were discussing WBIE the first time.
SE Europe is also a notable publishing arm - SE Europe is the division that manages Life is Strange, Just Cause, and Outriders for example. I believe it’s also the “true owner” of the Hitman IP (which was granted with exclusive licence to IOI), and enjoys ownership of Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and all other legacy Eidos IPs (including the glorious Daikatana).
If you bought them, you’d probably also want to buy Deck 9 to integrate, and possibly IOI also.
Correct, it was long time speculation but never any evidence or even a firm rumour.
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Hmmmmm Cd huh?
Hear hear.
Here is a theory I am entertaining. After the (utterly unwarranted) backlash from some sections of the media over the ‘inorganic’ Zenimax purchase, MS is not going to buy someone without working with them on a project first. Here are some possible purchases:
Asobo
An obvious one to start with. Working together on Flight Sim.
Image and Form
The Gunk as a true Xbox exclusive suggests the possibility.
Avalanche
Contraband as an audition for acquisition.
IO Interactive
‘Project Dragon’ to become a mainline Xbox franchise.
Crystal Dynamics
My prediction: gets purchased (perhaps alongside the rest of SE Western Operation) mid-way through PD development if things work well. Gets merged with The Initiative to form The Crystal Initiative . Just so you all know, I am going to be using the term ‘The Crystal Initiative’ to describe the collaboration throughout Perfect Dark’s development until it catches on, and if it doesn’t catch on, I am going to keep using it anyway just to be annoying.
If all of the above come to fruition, I think MS would kind of be ‘there’ in terms of where it needs to be in first party.
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Isn’t this more of a sign that they are not being acquired ? Perhaps MS kicked the tyres a bit and didn’t get much traction on an acquisition. So instead they entered into this deal.
I think it is probably more a sign of where The Initiative is. It must be incredibly hard to build up a team and get a new team working smoothly together during covid. Hiring as well can only be hard now. Getting Crystal Dynamics involved with a preexisting team that has not only worked on a similar game but also with the head of the studio before makes sense.
Darrel Gallagher will already know a huge amount about the team at CD.
I really don’t think MS care about whether the media think an acquisition was organic or not.
Those exclusive deals exist not as auditions but because acquisitions are really hard and complex. Plus not everyone wants to be acquired.
Not saying that none of those studios you named will not be acquired but more so that exclusivity doesn’t necessarily translate to acquisition.
I get that some people think MS doesn’t care about public perception, and like all corporations, spend hundreds of millions on PR and marketing for nothing.
I continue to disagree. 
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Acquisition or not, I hope this doesn’t mean we won’t have a new Tomb Raider game this gen.
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Oh they definitely care…but I just don’t think with the whole “organic” thing. Like trying to acquire Blizzard right now, hell no.
It seems like Square Enix has some serious issues. They let go of studio that used to do ports for PC, now CD is doing side job for Xbox…I believe that either Square Enix is gonna be bough or it will lose some “fat” for sure. I give 2023 as a deadline for some Square Enix “event”
MS is buying Sega so Relic and Creative Assembly are coming 
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Nixxes was not a part of Square.
But the essence of your argument might be correct. They do seem to have serious issues. And this might be a good quick way for them to get some external cash. Whether that ends up in an acquisition is another story.
100%
Lets just hope SE board of directors love money more than nationality .
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Nah. Square Enix is currently in Capcom during the Xbox One launch stage. They clearly aren’t in the best of shape but if they make a few exclusive deals they can prop themselves back up and make a comeback.
Remember Capcom back then even had investors pushing that they sell off to MS and Phil had to reject it publicly. Now Capcom is back to being a juggernaut. Square can do the same moves. Just coast on others paychecks and then let the new FF16 game bring in the success like RE7 did for Capcom.
There are actual operational advantages to working with a studio and then acquiring it as well, it’s not just a matter of public perception.
You can bet that the Playground acquisition was smooth as silk, as they were already working full time for MS and the only change was on paper. With any other studio, there’s going to be more of a bedding in and adjustment period.
If the Crystal Initiative collaboration works well, assuming hypothetically SE were open to selling, it would be a natural formalisation of the relationship. There’s every reason to believe it will be a smooth working relationship as most of the key staff will have been hired by Darrell Gallagher and worked under him for years.
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Everything I hear out of Square Enix in recent years paints a picture of an organisation that doesn’t want its western wing anymore. They make more money off their Japanese output, and seem to put unrealistic targets against anything the western side does and then declare it a failure.
Could be a mutually beneficial move for MS to take them off their hands.
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Even on Japanese side they make money - in gaming - mostly from MMO no?
Anyway, another cash injection for Square Enix. They are really bleeding money.
Pretty sure you’re both thinking of Drew Murray.
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yea
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