Or just exit the cloud market in the uk.
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yeah, it’s not like theses studios has big games like cod. it only applies on T2 (GTA) and EA (EAS FC), if they gonna block because sonic on cloud gonna make cloud less competitive, it sounds very more absurd than the CMA decision on ABK
also people are underestimating MS, does one regulator that doesn’t know how the industry works will stop MS, a trillionary company?
EA doesnt hve FIFA license anymore
oh i forgot but i think the ea sports games are still big
It’s not that the CMA would try to convince everyone that Sonic is equivalent to COD, it’s that they would make something else up to block the deal. This acquisition isn’t about COD or cloud, it’s about MS being too big and they don’t want MS to get bigger. They could just say owning Sonic would give MS a monopoly on the “high speed platforming” gaming genre or something like that.
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Regarding the acquisitions of 2018, it should not be forgotten that most of these studios have grown enormously in recent years. Transforming a small independent AA studio into a first party AAA studio takes time and requires a complete reorganization of the company. As a reminder, Undead Labs employed 20 employees in 2018, they employ nearly 130 today. All of this does not happen with the snap of a finger. Inxile and Compulsion have nearly doubled in size since their acquisition and are working on much bigger games than their previous productions. It’s not a management problem, it’s just logical, and it’s all the more so for studios that already had games in development (Ninja Theory, Double Fine, Inxile, Obsidian) or studios that have just been created (The Initiative, Playground). I understand it’s frustrating for gamers who are waiting for more games (especially when releases are low), but it’s not the fault of these studios who are preparing good things for us, nor of Microsoft who has played the game by investing in their acquisitions. Time takes time.
Regarding acquisitions and the future of Xbox, I think it will unfortunately be more difficult than expected because of the regulators. While being very optimistic, I hope for the validation of ABK (which is not won) and the acquisition of SEGA, nothing more concerning the big publishers. Then Microsoft can focus on acquiring independent studios to develop the Xbox branch. Possibly small companies like Paradox or CDPR, but nothing big. Today, Xbox is slowed down by the CMA’s absurd decision. Microsoft will have to fight for ABK and I hope it will win despite the obvious difficulties.
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The problem is xbox isnt the same as last gen. Notice how xbox deals are for gamepass only.
Ms havent done an exclusivty deal that doesnt involve gamepass.
Right here. They shouldn’t, they aren’t, and they won’t.
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Second that. Third party deals are what stopped them from investing in studios during the 360 and when they did in Xbox one era it left them in a bad place since they didn’t own the rights. Heck many were pissed of the KOTOR remake going time exclusive to PlayStation and this ABK deal is another thing that shows all PlayStation bangers could evaporate with a snap.
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Exclusive is a loose term. Ms have signed exclusive deals this gen. A lot. Just not for anything significsnt on thr level of a deathloop or ghostwire
I guess Stalker 2 is the first.
Marketing wise they barely do anything. Scarlett nexus is the only one where i think they had a demo come out first and now exoprimal
Funny thing is, High on Life probably ended up bigger than Deathloop and Ghostwire
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The 360 era the thrid party deals helped them dominate and take back market share. The time to invest in 1st part would have been beginning of xbox one not the end. They didnt acquire all those studios until 2018. If they had done so in 2013. The series consoles would have triple the amount of exclusives right now.
Ms biggest mistake error for me and illl continue to say tjis so indont give a shit. Youve been in the industry now for 21 years and until you bought bethesda. Youve had 0 japanese studios.
They attempted to acquire Squaresoft in the late 90’s , hell they even tried to buy Nintendo. So it’s not for lack of trying. If there was any mistake it was not getting Sega back in the early 2000’s when they were still the Sega of old. But that was a different regime and has little to do with who is running it now. Had Phil Spencer been in Don Mattrick’s place during the end of the 360 years, last gen might have went very differently for xbox. But then again they still would have had to contend with being under Windows and Terry Meyerson so I guess there’s that.
reiterating that there is no point in ms buying exclusivity AND paying for a gamepass deal when a gamepass deal will suffice for the “big” games you guys all salivate over. and also, does nothing for me as a consumer since the vast majority of “big” third party games are hitting xbox anyway.
I’m not asking for continuous money hats, just every now and then. This isnt going to cost Microsoft a lot by doing it this way.
Sony obviously does this for a reason, they probably have the data to show for it. I can’t remember where I read it but I read somewhere that Sony basically killed sega with uncertainty.
This is what they are trying to do with Xbox. Every third party game there is now a question mark on it to see if there is an exclusivity period or if it’s coming to Xbox at all.
If I was a consumer I wouldn’t want the console where they are missing games sporadically. It’s a tactic Sony has been using.
I think once Xbox and their studios start dropping games all this talk will disappear. I don’t think money hats is the answer. There is even a new rumor of an upcoming Xbox exclusive that will release with a movie tie in. Wario64 on Twitter: “Kyu Blu Kelly (drafted by the Baltimore Ravens) says he’s signed a deal with Microsoft for a new video game (which will also have a movie based on the game), described as “A Seal Team Six that travels back in time to stop people from trying to change historic events” https://t.co/K38f8qgU3L” / Twitter https://twitter.com/i/status/1652418263165579264
I think Microsoft has 3 options:
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Mid-size Publishers such as SEGA would be great for Xbox. As mentioned before both Xbox and SEGA have been great partners with each other ever since the OG Xbox. I believe that SEGA covers most bases for Xbox including Mobile too as SEGA just recently acquired Rovio. A disadvantage is that regulators will most likely get involved even with an acquisition of SEGA and the CMA could block it for the same reasons as Activision on the bases of Cloud.
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Individual Studios just like how Microsoft used to do during E3 presentations (RIP E3). IO Interactive, Platinum Games, or support studios like Certain Affinity. They could go ahead and acquire Crystal Dynamic and Eidos from Embracer which would be a great addition given that Crystal Dynamics is helping out with Perfect Dark.
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Microsoft could acquire newly established studios that they see potential in, similar to PlayStation. An acquisition like this would most likely avoid any regulators getting involved.
I think options 2 and 3 are probably the best options for Microsoft as they would most likely not involve much or any regulation for it to be passed. But if Microsoft is able to acquire another publisher, I think it would definitely be SEGA.
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Mid sized studios would probably be over the 90 million dollar threshold at least on the west, which would require regulation. But I don’t really think they would stop MS from making “small” acquisitions in the west.
Honestly, mid-sized devs are cheaper in Japan so if they were to go that route, I’d want them to start there.
Would it be possible to circumvent regulatory agencies? Example - Buy Netherrealm for a value of 80 million and make some licensing deal with Warner covering the real value.
I’d assume there’s laws to prevent/ penalize this.