That is not at all fun for me to imagine. I don’t generally mind acquisition talk but I don’t get the fervor so many seem to have to drastically consolidate the industry. It’s weird.
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Yeah, it’s how I feel because 9000 people and counting lost their jobs. However, it does provide an opportunity for Microsoft or others to save them from Embracer.
That’s fair, I don’t think consolidation is always necessarily a bad thing. Yes it can result in job losses but it can also result in saving jobs/products and producing better products.
Outside of Xbox which we know has struggled to regain market share (resulting in PS returning to many of their anti-consumer practices) I have also had it at work.
We were basically restricted to three product suppliers for our specific software requirements, one gigantic global supplier and two smaller suppliers which struggled to compete. Just before COVID the two smaller suppliers decided to merge and they have just demoed their new joint software product which I honestly think may surpass the quality of the giant which means they now need to step up.
Back to Xbox I think an acquisition like SEGA would be fantastic for Xbox & consumers. Many people considered Xbox the spiritual sequel to Dreamcast and they really need the backing to dip back into their amazing game catalogue which is just collecting dust.
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Started playing my first Yakuza game (LADG) because of gamepass. Kiryu is a cool protagonist, but other than that it defiantly has clicked for me. I understand why fans of these games, and Persona as well are hyped they are on gamepass. But I have came to realize my fondness for Sega is nostalgia from playing the Master System, Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast games. I’m kind of souring on a SEGA acquisition, other than hardware branding with Sega retro editions. 
Japanese developer wise, I only like FromSoftware and Team Ninja, which are doubtful acquisitions.
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I understand where you are coming from, but let’s say Embracer for an example says if they don’t find a buyer for a studio, they will close them down and say Microsoft could buy them, isn’t that better than the people being out of a job?
Plus, we know once they work for Microsoft their benefits are better too.
I want to stress I’m not attacking you, just saying an honest question.
Sometimes the alternative is worse, so I’m just trying to do a little devil’s advocate.
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I’ll often joke (troll) that they should buy SEGA and Capcom but the reality is I think only SEGA would be the appropriate one. Capcom is a little too large at the moment in terms of size and relevancy. They are making moves like a big publisher would including having their own internal engine used across games.
Whatever the case I think a Japanese publisher would be incredibly important in order to create a competitive console landscape.
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Since SEGA will take time I’m now willing into existence the acqusition of IOI, asobo and CA.
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Add in CD and Eidos and you have the whole Eidos gang back together, that’s what I call perfection 
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It would be hilarious if Xbox created “Eidos Interactive” and put all three under them again - maybe with similar studios like Ninja Theory, Remedy and Asobo.
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I was thinking branching off the Initiative and placing all of them under it would make a great wing of XGS with Darrell running it.
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The Eidos gang ain’t back together until John Romero is ready to make you his… Friend.
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Whilst Tom Hall works on a sequel to Anachronox.
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I 100% agree, I’m hoping we see something from Perfect Dark soon, I think it’s been a while (3 years?) since the last trailer.
Thing is can’t they just hire the team that is working with them instead of buying the studio. The Initiative is not CD after all neither is Playground Eidos. I’m just saying as they might just want to buy studios less than 100 million dollars and these 2 studios don’t seem to fit. They might go for something different from Embracer like 4A studios. Publishers may still be their thing also and Sega keeps saying at least in the open they are good which makes one wonder why they keep going on about this. Other Sega in Japan, South Korea would be a good place and I’d say Blueside the developers of the KUF games would be best. I think they are in need of financial help and could probably be picked up for a steal maybe even less than 100million another would be Pearl Abyss but that’s a pretty big publisher, but they have amazing looking IPs even that Doke V game seems like it would be the new Pokemon for kids.
There is no telling whether or not they will always be available to work for hire. Xbox has gotten screwed over relying on hiring studios on multiple occasions.
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This ^^
We know there’s over 100 CD employees working with The Initiative, plus another bunch from Eidos working on Fable.
It’s not going to be cost effective long term to hire them independently and it’s also quite risky (the parent company gets acquired, goes bankrupt or cause lay offs etc).
Long term it’s going be way more cost effective to acquire them, plus they get more IP, tech (engines) and in house talent (which can also provide advice/support).
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I’m not saying work for hire but just make what you have a complete studio. Hire them to become one with the Initiative, they were originally planning on hiring a team to form the studio anyway. Same way they had about 40 to 60 or more leave they can just fill those positions. Somehow, I just think with CD working on a Tomb Raider for Amazon buying them might be difficult especially as Amazon seems interested in exploding the franchise through other entertainment media. I just think it’s a cheaper fix sure they forego the CD IPs but do they need them.
Maybe so but they have the entire team already together. To me it’s just an option worth considering.
Hmm, employee poaching at such a significant scale would be considered quite unethical, I can see all the bad press now, it would basically destroy an entire studio. This is all assuming many of these employees don’t have non-compete clauses (or similar) in their contracts.
Their IP’s could be massive under Xbox, imagine Xbox hiring Amy Hennig for a Legacy of Kain reboot.
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I would have hoped and expected them to learn from those mistakes and put fairly air tight clauses in the contracts related to continued work on the games even with a change of ownership for the studio
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The one thing that has and continues to interest me about the whole crystal dynamics/eidos situation is why no one else seemed interested. Imran khan was reporting they we’re on the market since Avengers struggled and only embracer was willing to do a deal in the 18 odd months SE was shopping them. The studios financials never looked great but they’re talented studios, with some excellent IP tied to them and there were a ton of companies shopping for talent in in the time frame.