With ABK cloud streaming rights gone for the next 15 years it might be best not to push too much into streaming until the competition is there besides with A.I and miniaturized tech streaming might not be needed. I do in fact wonder if TVs will sooner or later begin having in built APUs as digital gets bigger. We’re beginning to see phones with gaming capabilities.
I bet - I do not know - that MS did not engage into cross-dev development with CD on Perfect Dark without a clause of “first offer” in case of CD being sold. I think this is the same with Asobo. It would just be a precautionary move.
Sega was already interesting to MS for mobile, PC and console properties. Now that they are in trouble, they seem to cross check all flags for an offer, if you remember Phil’s criterion for buying studios.
In my opinion, Sega is the most undervalued publisher in the market.
They have Football Manager, total War, Sonic, Persona, Yakuza, they have worked on plenty of RTS IPs for MS including Halo and Age of Empire, they are sitting on tons of IPs. Add the success of Sonic on theaters recently, it is huge.
I do not want Sega to be bought for exclusivity, I am fine staying multi platform, as proposed by Phil in his memo of recent fame, but under MS, Sega could grow and hire and produce much more. I want to get back the Sega of the 90s, where every release was an experiment and worthy of being tried.
To add more salt.
Sega is now in a special weak case. They have invested in some Super Game projects that require money and success. At the same time, Sammy has just bought some pachinko companies meaning they see more benefit in investing in their original business than on video games.
I see potential for divestment and getting back their autonomy.
If they keep doing bas I think its a matter of time before MS snatch them. SEGA covers every other aspect MS needs in the market and if they buy asobo and IOI along the way I wouldnt complain :3
IOI is in their watch list, as well as People Can Fly , Behaviour, Paradox, Sega and many more.
This gives me hope that MS wont let IOI be snatch away by others
The documents leaked were very informative about the mindset of MS in 2021. We have no idea on how relevant they are in 2023 considering they are two year old and MS bought ABK.
IO is in their FINAL watchlist, so they are very much considered.
I think they’ll focus on mobile stuff, japanese & games now.
They’ve got big triple A studios some of which have smaller teams within them to make smaller games (grounded, pentament etc). Id be happy with crytek, remedy, IO etc but they’ve got studios that are making big triple games a plenty.
If I had to priorities I’d say 1 - Japan 2 - Mobile 3 - Filling the triple gaps (fighting game, Platform, etc)
If they did by a non Japanese triple A studio I’d assume it be those from Embracer for the reasons already mentioned.
If Square makes another exclusive to Sony, I bet they will make an offer to Sega.
They bought Bethesda after 2 Sony exclusives and Sony trying to secure Starfield.
ABK was having a very big commercial relation with Sony that was hurting a lot.
Sometimes, something happens as a reaction.
PS : I think trying to buy Square would be an aggressive move, and Phil is opposed to that, so Sega would be the choice.
Theres a publisher that covers all this and also adds to PC in a big way
I think Korea may be the easier target in the east and has a similarily large market to Japan
Korean market is like half the size of Japan and I don’t think Korean games have had the worldwide appeal that Japanese games have had. Might be easier for Xbox to get marketshare there though.
I think it’s an emerging market with potential. Lies of P was made by a Korean studio and any other year it would have potential of being nominated for goty. I think Korean studios mainly made online games, but it’s clear there’s potential there
I feel like IOI would already have happened by now they were one a handful of studios that were mentioned in finalist category.
Doubtful. Everything was frozen during ABK trial and things will not change for a long time. It took 8 months after Bethesda closure to announce the ABK deal. I doubt new acquisitions will happen before next year.
And technically, FTC is not done yet.
I hope I’m wrong I would love IOI under Xbox, yeah I don’t like the huge gap between acquisition and I wish that would change.
9 months, 1 year, this is not long for a corporate roadmap. MS just made a deal implying commitments for 15 years.