BREAKING: Microsoft Acquired Activision/Blizzard For $70 Billion

[Quebsenuef]

Originally Posted by charmedangelin

Key word is existing agreements. I doubt this will be the case for future titles. COD maybe the exception, but every other title including crash will not be published on Sony's platform. And if I were Sony I would not agree to any contract they put on the table. I would challenge the acquisition first. Sony's investors are very worried given how much Sony's stock went down. Yes the markets aren't great in general, but multiple sources are faulting Microsoft for Sonys particular fumble. The markets reaction to Microsoft s announcement can be a big indicator on of how much the video game industry will be impacted and how dramatic the landscape will change due to the acquisition.

I really do not want this to happen at all. Yeah Phil may try to make agreements, but that doesn't mean it will be that way forever. They aren't putting out $70 billion for nothing.



But now we know that Phil had to make a call to Sonys investors because they were completely freaking out over this. This is the biggest evidence that this deal should not be approved by the department of Justice. Phil wouldn't need to make such a call if it won't dramatically change the landscape of gaming. Sony has a lot of merits to go after Microsoft if it chooses to do so and put pressure on the DOJ to reject the acquisition.

I think you’re making too much about this whole thing. I think it’s bad but not as bad as you’re making it out to be. Crash and Spyro most likely aren’t getting any new games and if they do I doubt it’ll make them rise to the level we saw them at in the 90’s. Their time to shine has past and I’m saying that as a huge fan of both of them.

Sony going after Microsoft for the deal can’t be done because even with the deal Sony is still ahead of Microsoft. Sony is first and Microsoft is third now. The PS5 has been the most sold console even with supply shortages and PlayStation exclusives like Spiderman, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Uncharted, etc remain top of the line, defining video games of their generations. All Sony needs to do is continue what it does best: Offer the best of the best of the best games as exclusives. Maybe even develop their own shooter game to rival COD and keep some of that on PlayStation if Xbox will take it all.

I’m not worried at all for PlayStation. If anything Xbox has a track record of ruining their exclusives and tossing them away. Doesn’t shock me that Xbox can’t make their own amazing AAA games and instead chooses to buy out the competition.

[charmedangelin]

Activision has done a lot more then just Crash and Spyro. Activision has been a top thrid party developer making lots of their party games for multiple consoles. They are a major player in the industry having not just worked on their own games, but also assisting with first party titles. Activision becoming a part of Microsoft is massive blow to gaming in general, but especially in Sony's case because they own a lot of major IPs that yes, was published mostly on Sony's platform.

Sony's investors would be freaking out and requiring a phone call from Phil if this didn't mean that Microsoft could cripple a part of Sony's business with a snap of a finger. Monopolies like this are a massive threat to not just Sony, but game development in general.

Again though we can't do anything about it, we just gotta hope the DOJ will.

Edit

And the fact you said Microsoft doesn't do good with the devs they have is another reason to worry because they will just throw all that money from Windows at another dev studio. Whose to say they won't try to purchase Capcom and make Resident Evil exclusive?

[Uzi master]

While they have done a lot, they've recently focused almost entirely on CoD. The fact they have a lot of IP's that they're sitting on means that a change in management is unlikely to make the situation there worse.

Of course I'm not fan of exclusives, but Sony has far more of those at the moment, so it's unlikely Microsoft securing anything less than, well, more than Sony, could trigger anti-trust laws. At least in America.

It's unlikely they could buy Capcom specifically; Japanese companies don't really want to be bought out by American ones, and their government is far less likely to approve of it.

By the way, the only bad history I know of Microsoft with it's Devs was with Lionheart and Rare. Sucky, but also kinda old news, what's been going on with their more recent Dev acquisitions?

[AntRaidsTombs]

I don’t know if this has been posted here already but from Phil himself and he also wants to revive Guitar Hero. CoD will be fine lol https://twitter.com/geoffkeighley/st...602108929?s=20

[dg1995]

They should revive the True Crime franchise.

It was one of the only proper GTA rivals.(Sleeping Dogs was supposed to be it's 3rd game but it was vastly inferior than True Crime 2 in terms of open world design.)

[Quebsenuef]

Originally Posted by dg1995

They should revive the True Crime franchise.

It was one of the only proper GTA rivals.(Sleeping Dogs was supposed to be it's 3rd game but it was vastly inferior than True Crime 2 in terms of open world design.)

Oh man, True Crime Streets of LA was a pretty good game. I remember it fondly

[AntRaidsTombs]

Ah I remember True Crimes: Streets of LA and those damn awful concubines lol.

[jajay119]

Originally Posted by Quebsenuef

I do like the idea of Xbox buying Activision/Blizzard to save it from some other party entering the gaming sphere. We have the Trio now of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. I’ll lump PC into Microsoft as well.

Could you imagine if Amazon wanted to buy Activision/Blizzard and making COD exclusive to some sort of Amazon device? Or subscription? They’re already too big to handle.

As a gamer the whole thing still rubs me the wrong way but with the way Activision was running things into the ground I’m glad it went down the way it did. I’d hate to see Google, Amazon, or whoever taking over Activision and changing that up. Best of luck to everyone from here on out. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn evil haha

Good point. Netflix and Amazon have shown interest in joining the game sector recently with Netflix going as far as to remove their Stranger Things assets from Dead By Daylight to fascilitate their own crappy ST 'game' on their platform.

Whilst this might appear as monopolisation on face value, I actually don't mind that if it keeps it in the family so to speak. The last thing we need is yet another subscription service pushing in extra costs.

[dg1995]

Originally Posted by Quebsenuef

Oh man, True Crime Streets of LA was a pretty good game. I remember it fondly

My most favorite part of Streets of LA was it's bad cop game game over ending and I liked it's soundtracks.

I prefer True Crime:NYC over streets of LA even though the former is much buggier.

[charmedangelin]

Again the DOJ needs to take action

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...games-industry

Not only did they comment about appeasing Sony's fears, but now they are talking about how they "trust" Nintendo not to ruin the gaming industry. Gmafb, this is purely Microsoft flexing it's muscle and showing off how much power they have with the Microsoft acquisition of Activision.

The funny thing for them is that Nintendo could couldn't care less as Nintendo's CEO has stated that Nintendo is not in competition with Sony or Microsoft. And that's true as for decades Nintendo has done their own thing and continues to exist as a separate operator within the gaming industry.

Phil also made a statement about Valve, it's really sickening to me.