It is gonna be Japan 100%. Microsoft want to grab as many publishers as possible - especially now before the regulators strike and the market is extremely fragmented.
I thought about Korea - Nexon or Pearl Abyss maybe for MMO - but with ATVI they will have the strong - incredibly strong - foothold in the region.
I think it is. Microsoft want to own the content and keep in Game Pass. If they don’t own the content then paying the development with the potential to lose the game from Game Pass is not worth it.
After Ryse and Sunset Overdrive debacles (also Alan Wake, Mass Effect, etc…), I think all global publishing games IPs are owned by MS, they don’t want IPs being kept as “hostages” by litigations with developers (or them being bought by others) anymore and rightfully so, remember Mass Effect would be an Xbox IP otherwise or Ori would be on PS if they hadn’t some control over it.
Especially nowadays you cant risk funding a new IP fully, have it take off but not own it, then have the studio that owns the IP and developed it get acquired by someone else.
Yeah, I added also the acquired part, they were burned majestically by Bioware acquisition for example. Mass Effect is on the map partly because MS funded it.
Isn’t that MS’s problem for not believing in the games and greenlighting sequels? From what I understand the studios wanted to continue the IPs with MS but MS just didn’t greenlight them.
They partially own IP I believe (or at least publishing rights). Otherwise they would not be able to keep on Game Pass (or maybe they pay some royalties or something). Owning IP is 100% better. Just like buying a publisher is better than making a deal.
Don’t disagree but I think there are exceptions where you can almost get the benefit of ownership without it. It certainly would make some studios happier while also MS gets benefits.
And no I don’t believe they pay any royalties for Ryse or Sunset Overdrive.
It depends case by case: MS reportedly wanted to do a Ryse 2, but only if owning the IP and Crytek didn’t want (so here it’s Crytek fault). SO is fully on MS, they didn’t believe in its potential and SO2 became Spiderman, lol. Bioware was bought by EA just when Xbox had the RROD (concurrently with Activision buying Bizarre and ending Project Gotham), Remedy was simply vastly inefficient (even with MS owned Quantum Break), etc…let’s say owning the IPs shields you from “surprises”.
Yes, and I know ownership is generally what’s better. But let’s take Techland like I said, what if their new IP is showing huge potential for access, and the studio says the want IP ownership in return for publishing rights, exclusivity, and let’s say first right of refusal for a sequel. Would that be a bad deal?
It does not prevent the team from making other games. Let’s say they developed Game X. It became successful, but they signed the deal to develop another game with another company and now Microsoft can’t force the team to make the second entry of the game because the team is busy. I mean something similar happened with Iron Galaxy?
I believe another reason for acquisition is also owning the workforce.
The SO IP belongs to Insomniac (and now Sony) but the publishing rights for it still belong to MS. Insomniac can make SO2 but not SO remastered, unless MS gives them the rights like Remedy with Alan Wake.
IMO the only way they should ever agree to publish a game without owning the IP again is if they stipulate that that IP will in no way ever come to a playstation platform in the future. Sure it diminishes the deal for the studio owning the IP, but ya gotta play hardball.
Another thing to consider - is how crazy it would be if Microsoft acquired Discord by now?
We know that the talks failed, but imagine Discord and then ATVI. Microsoft would own incredibly powerful platforms.
There’s still a possibility it could happen. They got some funding, and yes part of it was from PlayStation. But still as of this day Discord has refused to answer questions from the media if they are profitable or not. And they made in revenue in 2020 around $130 million with around 100 million active users and 300 million accounts total. So all those extra features they charge for such as Nitro, and server boosting. There isn’t a large audience there for it. I do expect the company to sell to someone within the next 3-5. They might have shot them selves in the foot after refusing the $10 billion deal from Microsoft. They might sell for less now if they can’t produce returns for their investors.
Sony’s funding is a miniscule there. I am pretty sure it is just the higher ups want to get more money by going IPO. Whether it will destroy Discord or not - who knows?
