Hows does Sony respond to Microsoft now? (With big fonts ITT!!)

Which publisher should Sony buy to counter Bethesda acquisition?

  • Square Enix

    Votes: 29 35.8%

  • Konami

    Votes: 9 11.1%

  • Sega

    Votes: 4 4.9%

  • Bandai Namco

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • Capcom

    Votes: 23 28.4%

  • Devolver Digital

    Votes: 4 4.9%

  • Warner Bros.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Atlus

    Votes: 7 8.6%

  • Koei Tecmo

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 505 Games

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Deep Silver

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • THQ Nordiq

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • Total voters
    81
I'm actually more interested in how purchases like this are going to shape how GamePass develops as a service.

See, here's the thing: I can see how buying a multi-plat publisher like Zenimax works for MS. They can leave the business running largely as when the found it, but now place mega-franchises such as Bethesda's day#1 on GamePass.

Seems like a pure win; gonna drive subscription uptake, make it easier to stick MTX in every corner for additional recurring revenue due to lowering the perceptual bar to entry, etc.

The thing is though, these big titles are going to lock-down a significant percentage of the entire subscriber base, potentially over quite some time. Which really isn't a good thing for smaller titles also on the service at the same time. How are those guys going to make money when MS has first-party offerings coming in at a steady clip? Suddenly its not going to be such a sweet deal, especially given the relatively constrained storage capacity of the new gen's SSD's making keeping a large static library more difficult.

Yes, streaming will be an option, allowing people to quickly get a taste of things, but realistically they aren't going to get paid much for a short burst of play between people sinking hundreds of hours in the next Fallout or whatever.

What I'm getting at is the heavier MS involvement in content programming for GP, the worse it gets for everyone else. Food for thought.
 
RoboFu said:
MS are not short sighted. its the long game. When the times comes that you only have turn on your tv or whatever device it is... and choose your gaming app, MS wants EVERYONE WHO LOVES ELDER SCROLLS AND DOOM TO PICK THIER APP. Cutting that user base down by locking out playstatrion users now doesn't make any sense. Its not about selling consoles today.
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If you're not locking out PS to sell more XBox + Game Pass, why spend $7.5 billion? They will never make it up if they let these games' sequels and future IP go to PS5/6.
 
Sony is fucked. Doom, Starfield and Elder Scrolls all gone. They cant buy anything that MS cant also afford. Their best choice is to go hide in a corner, cry and hope MS doesnt buy anything else.

Microsoft isnt fucking around anymore.

Sony's best choice is to go home and invest in first party. Make multiple teams. Give directors their own teams. And make games PS5 only. No more cross gen trash. fuck that noise. If Sony launches an actual next gen looking horizon, spiderman, god of war and the last of us, they will be able to compete just fine. if they are launching these games on PS4 and PC, they are fucked.
 
If Sony went not and bought Capcom for example, they would be labelled anti consumer. Lol you know it's true.
 
They don't.

You don't make massive acquisitions utilizing large amounts of capital for a partner you're already working with if you're doing just fine. MS clearly felt they had to make a move like that.
 
Tripolygon said:
So you go from Sony does not have 7 billion cash lying around to spend to they can't spend it? If it makes business sense they will spend that type of money. And these kinds of purchases are not financed with just cash reserve, they take out loans and leverage stocks. Any financial institution will be willing to make that loan as they stand to make a big return on that purchase.
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Maybe go back and read what I said. You missed a very important part. Hint: the last part.

Having the ability to and actually being able to are different things. I could go buy a Ferrari tomorrow if I want to, but it would be a bad idea financially.


LittleBusters said:
I think Bungie is a logical acquisition. Sony doesn't have the cash to buy Take 2 Interactive.
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Bungie don't want to be bought.
 
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Graciaus said:
You people act like Sony isn't going to wipe the floor with Xbox again in total sales.
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you are delusional.
if ps4 can only manage a 2:1 sales ratio to xbox when it launched weaker and more expensive, and bad pr.
compared to now where they have a cheaper, and a more powerful console, 24 more studios, gamepass
yea, keep dreaming
 
Aladin said:
Microsoft 1500bn$
Sony 100bn$
Activision Blizzard 60bn$
EA 35bn$
Take two 18bn$
Ubisoft 10bn$
When you buy a company, you have to offer in excess of their market cap.
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Holy shit in that case Bethesda was a fucking steal.
 
SlimySnake said:
Sony is fucked. Doom, Starfield and Elder Scrolls all gone. They cant buy anything that MS cant also afford. Their best choice is to go hide in a corner, cry and hope MS doesnt buy anything else.

Microsoft isnt fucking around anymore.

Sony's best choice is to go home and invest in first party. Make multiple teams. Give directors their own teams. And make games PS5 only. No more cross gen trash. fuck that noise. If Sony launches an actual next gen looking horizon, spiderman, god of war and the last of us, they will be able to compete just fine. if they are launching these games on PS4 and PC, they are fucked.
Click to expand...

Do you really believe Sony is not going to get the Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Doom and Fallout series? They probably had a deal locked in place where they still get those titles before the takeover. Besides, Microsoft is not dumb enough to limit their revenue stream.
 
Sony would be better off buying Konami franchises (Metal Gear, Silent Hill & Castlevania) and creating studios to work with Sony Japan to develop them.

Kojima Productions would be a great acquisition but, would Kojima stray from releasing games on PS? Fund his next game for exclusivity and it ties the company to PlayStation for Next Gen. Would it be cheaper than buying it outright?

Square Enix would be a good fit with PlayStation and their franchises would benefit under Sony's leadership.

Capcom would be awesome but I think it would require some deep pockets.

I feel the hit on losing Shinji Mikami, Doom, Prey & Dishonoured. I dont think there is a dire need to rush and add to the portfolio yet as Sony are still in the driving seat for next gen. Jim Ryan should take his time and value whether buying big is the right gamble.

TLDR-buy Konami franchises and build studios to develop them along with Sony Japan.
 
Sony doesn't make acquisitions just to impress fanboys. Last year they bought Insomniac and that was one of the most smart business moves they did.

I assume if they make another acquisition they will take their time and pick the one that makes the most sense for them.
 
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They're probably Quaking in their boots thinking about the potential Fallout of this. I imagine they'll respond with the utmost Rage so as to not risk being left Dishonored.

They'd better Prey the new studios don't embrace the Evil Within Microsoft and embrace the New Order so that they can work together to Doom Sony into Oblivion.
 
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You've got it backwards.

This is an answer. From MS to Sony buying exclusive deals and going to all the studios in the industry asking them what exclusive shit they can sell Sony.

So this is an answer, just not from the plastic box team you wanted an answer from.
 
JohnnyFootball said:
I always find these over reaction threads amusing. As long as Sony has strong 1st party games, they will be a force to be reckoned with. They need to do what they do best, they don't NEED to respond.
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JohnnyFootball said:
Something else.

THis acquisition is huge, but other than a headline it does very little for MS TODAY in terms of immediately making things available on Gamepass. It will likely be INCREDIBLE on down the road, but it's not something that immediately benefits gamers.
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Although, I do admit that getting rid of Jim Ryan probably won't hurt. He may be a good bean counter, but he is very underwhelming in the communication department, seems far out of touch with gamers and feels like an empty shell. Give Jack Treton, Andrew House and Shawn Layden a call.
 
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I don't think Sony should by anything. They could found new first party studios and risk giving them even more freedom in creating their own games. I think this would be more beneficial in the long run for sony...
 
I don't think Sony really have to do anything. They are still in a great position to dominate next gen, and I doubt this move will change that much in the long run. Bribing companies into timed exclusivity has never worked out particularly well for Microsoft in the past, and frankly, I have no respect for a game company whose only contribution to the gaming industry is buying successful gaming companies with dirty PC os monopoly money and then forcing them not to release on their competition for X months / forever instead of working hard to build studios from the ground up and creating a strong suit of first party studios like Sony did for the last four generation. Besides , as many people stated, Bethesda has kinda been on a downhill slope for the last couple of years , so I'm not even sure i'm looking forward to their next games all that much, as they will have to win me over and prove me they still have what it takes to make memorable games that are not buggy messes.

Besides, the acquisition is mostly irrelevant to me as I'll still get these games from PC anyway, which I would have done anyway since who in their right mind buys a buggy Bethesda game on consoles where they can't mod / fan patch all the billion issues... And I'm 95% sure MS can't afford to make it console exclusive only (meaning these games will come to PC anyway in the worse case scenario).

Now imagine if Microsoft would have spent that 7.5 Billion dollars actually funding and creating new gaming studios, in effect contributing to the gaming industry / creating new jobs / new IPs they could own for the next few generation ... Instead of once again bribing an existing , successful developer into a deal that only restricts the amount of copies they will be allowed to sell on all platforms and creating ZERO jobs / new ips / not making MS any stronger in terms of true exclusive... But screw that , why work hard to create IPs when you can just buy something that sells and contribute nothing to the industry yet again... GG microsoft , I guess... You bribed another successful dev into making games for your hardware.
 
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I highly doubt they're going to announce they've bought a studio in response to what Microsoft has done. If anything was/is announced, it's something that was surely already in the works.

That being said, I honestly don't think Sony needs to do anything. Microsoft has fuck it money, but Sony has exclusives that they don't. But it's creating good competition.
 
aliadiere25 said:
Do you really believe Sony is not going to get the Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Doom and Fallout series? They probably had a deal locked in place where they still get those titles before the takeover. Besides, Microsoft is not dumb enough to limit their revenue stream.
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Todd Howard's parting gift was PS paying for marketing deals on Bethesda games and siphoning that money out of the studio before he sold to Microsoft. Best of both worlds... for him 😂
 
They don't need to respond....there is no need to panic.

Everyone has been saying for years how Bethesda are on the decline.

Whereas Sony make generation-defining, award winning exclusives time after time after time.

To put it in perspective, on Day One of the PS5, you can buy Demon's Souls.... a game that will be better than anything Bethesda put out this generation or the next!

It's all good.
 
So I don't play Bethesda games, but this is huge for microsoft.

IMO like someone said earlier, Bluepoint makes the most sense as Sony's next get.

Then depending on how Returnal does get Housemarque
 
MiguelItUp said:
I highly doubt they're going to announce they've bought a studio in response to what Microsoft has done. If anything was/is announced, it's something that was surely already in the works.

That being said, I honestly don't think Sony needs to do anything. Microsoft has fuck it money, but Sony has exclusives that they don't. But it's creating good competition.
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I finally feel for the first time that Microsoft is truly on level terms with 1st party(at least on paper). Obviously XGS has to start delivering massive hit games to truly be on the same level. They need their own God of War, Spiderman, Uncharted games that sell 10 million+ each.
 
Keep doing what they've been doing. Make good games, and secure good exclusives. They should only acquire studios that will compliment their portfolio, and offer games that appeal to their userbase. And only do so when the price is right. Spending money is only a good idea if it moves the needle. They have mindshare and marketshare, and Bethesda and other Zenimax studios haven't proven to be system sellers. Right now, they want games that move units, and they already have those kinds of games in-house. Just invest the money in the existing teams to increase bandwidth to churn out more of the hits.
 
M16 said:
you are delusional.
if ps4 can only manage a 2:1 sales ratio to xbox when it launched weaker and more expensive, and bad pr.
compared to now where they have a cheaper, and a more powerful console, 24 more studios, gamepass
yea, keep dreaming
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Strongly disagree. The only generation Xbox stood a chance was with the 360 since the PS3 fumbled hard. Even then they still passed them. Xbox is mainly relevant in the US while Playstation is worldwide. The average person doesn't know anything about what you even posted.
 
Its Square Enix if anything, they cant get Capcom because they make a lot of cash off of PC/Xbox and they also publish a game called Monster Hunter on Nintendo systems

They cant get NamcoBandai because they have a very good relationship with Nintendo, they probably dont want to be sold, and if they did go up for sale you can bet your bottom Dollar Nintendo would get in their first and stop it, Namco was actually Iwatas White Whale, he always wanted them because he thought they could work well together, Smash yet again proves he was right

Square though, well they have a very good relationship with Sony they are super tight since PSOne days so if a deal happens, its gonna be with them
 
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Arkam said:
Blue POint I would agree with. Kojima Productions I would wait on and see what his next game is actually. If good money hat with option to buy. Death Stranding was an experience (understatement!!!) but it took forever to make and its oddity and marketing were so novel that it will be hard to repeat. But if he can.....
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I'd argue Kojima would actually be a good asset on his own because of his vision. Death Stranding did make a profit apparently, so it' all good.
 
I don´t think Sony has to respond. They have allready a star line up of some of the best development studios in the world and we know that the output of sony exklusive games will be bigger than this gen. No need to worry.
 
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