I don’t see Microsoft going after small independent studios. They can do it any time. They will go after publishers and big studios with legendary IPs. For now at least.
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yeah I agree, I could see a few potential exceptions like platinum but I think Microsoft’s main focus is IPs at the moment as it props game pass up way more
Think they’d still consider going mid-size/small in Japan because they really need to bolster their output there and I don’t think any of the big boys are looking to sell.
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How many IPs will MS have after activision goes through? I would think more devs to make the games would be the bigger priority now. I expect buying an independent dev to make the games would be much cheaper than buying more well established IPs
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I don’t see them doing that simply because small or mid-sized studio won’t move the needle and won’t make people to their platform. Do you subscribe to Netflix to play some small arcade game there? No.
They need the big splash in Japan 100% They will go big there.
a lot but buying publishers would get them studios and new IPs to add to game pass. Like toys for bob and Vicarious visions can give us a banjo kazooie and conker remake along side new banjo, conker, spyro and crash games. Along side that with CoD likely no longer being an annual franchise they will have a lot more studios free to work on other stuff so I don’t think its that big of an issue
ehhhh…I agree they need to make a big splash there but that doesn’t need to be their 1st move in Japan, escpecially when platinum is basically begging for someone to buy them and in turn being a relivitely easy pick up most likely. Not saying they won’t just buy SEGA or Square Enix or Capcom or Konami’s IPs 1st, just saying I don’t think it is a given to be their 1st move in Japan
Microsoft does not force developers to wok on any IP. If Microsoft buys a studio, they won’t enforce any IP on them.
Microsoft will own a lot of IPs, that’s true, but I don’t have a lot of expectations that the old IPs will be revived, unless the studio wants to do that.
They did some small moves in Japan already - them owning Tango and ID@Xbox program. We are talking about something that moves the needle and that’s gonna be an acquisition.
I think it will eventually happen, I don’t see a reality were Microsoft doesn’t buy someone major from Japan (if that be Capcom or Square Enix or SEGA), but what I mean is I don’t necessary think its their next publisher acquisition and if it isn’t them buying someone like platinum would be a smaller move which would help move the neddle
I think they are gonna strike the iron when it is hot. Now that the companies see how big the premiums are, they are more likely to sell.
Not every acquisition needs to be big and earth shaking. They need diverse content. I am not saying a studio that makes small arcade games, but there is a big window between that and Capcom.
half agree, I never said they won’t buy more publishers, I can nearly garentee they will continue, I just don’t know if they will target someone in Japan next. I think Microsoft want take two next but thats just me. Microsoft realistic could target any gaming company besides tencent
They are already doing smaller moves like getting Soul Hackers and potentially Persona in the future.
Their goal is to bring a lot of people to their subscription service. You can’t do that with some small unknown content. They still have that label that “Xbox does not have JPRG”, “go to Playstation if you want big JRPGs” etc. But they need that community that loves japanese games and that community should have the ensurance that they will get the big names on their platform (or at least no missing them).
For that they have to grab a publisher so the developers won’t ignore their platform. No matter how I dislike, for them the best acquisition is Square Enix. I prefer Capcom and Sega (both).
Yeah, they can target any company next. After ATVI deal, all bets are off.
I mean, you are not wrong. Square Enix is the only publisher which basically garentee’s the xbox major JRPG support and it would give them a big hold of RPG’s as a whole rather than just WRPG’s. I think Capcom is a better acquisition target all around due to their veriety but Square has a lot of benifits in their own right basically being the kings of JRPGs and if MS can work a deal out with disney they could get kingdom hearts locked into game pass if they acquired square because technically disney owns kingdom hearts
If I had to make 3 guess’s on their next publisher acquisition I would say Take Two > Capcom > Square Enix in that order but thats just me
Square Enix has a lot of IPs and one the most important things is that they have a lot of ties with other developers. If Square Enix stops caring about their profits - and the junk they are producing right now is due to that as they rely too much on FF14 - they make tons and tons of good quality games.
I mean just the last State of Play (before Hogwats) there was a bunch of Square Enix games and that is without recent Babylon’s Fall. And all those bigger games in the pipeline. The output of Square Enix is big (a lot of junk though)
I think the Xbox next moves will be around some consolidated studios: IOI, Crystal Dynamic and maybe ASOBO. No sure about Crytek or Techland.
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I like square enix, sure they can be hit or miss at times but they make some amazing games. They are in my top 5 publishers just behind nintendo and capcom, being tied or just in front of take two. Square has a lot of quality games and I love their recent final fantasy game style. Hell even forspoken which I originally thought looked awful looks really good now granted it could still use some more polish
So do they do nothing until Capcom, Sega, or Square Enix want to sell?
Is there no Japanese developer outside of the big publishers that you think would be a good add?
I would never mention the word acquisition again…I mean maybe for Platinum but I digress.
Microsoft won’t know if they are willing to sell without approaching them and for how much
non which would have the same impact or help solve the issues they have with Japan anywhere near as affectively granted their are good pick ups still just no where as good or as affective
They can’t do much without any acquisition to be honest. At best they can expect that certain third party games won’t skip their platform.
All of the good developers are basically tied to one or another publisher. It is either SIE, Bandai Namco, SE, Capcom, SEGA, KT etc. And most of the independent developers are either making Switch only or mobile games.
Microsoft really don’t have much choice aside just paying and getting the games from the japanese publishers on their platform. That’s basically it.