lh032
I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
does it matter? Microsoft is still going to acquire other publishers anyway, its better than nothing
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Ampere Analyst expects Sony to react to Xbox’s Activision deal with a major acquisition of its own
- Thread starter adamsapple
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hinch7
Member
At the moment Sony doesn't need to do anything. CoD is bound for PS consoles for at least another console generation and perhaps beyond. And Xbox isn't really competition for them at this point. Saying that, if Microsoft keeps chipping away and blocks off more studios, Sony will have to respond as to not hold the bag. Then there's murmurs of Disney wanting to get into gaming. Urgh, its all so shitty.
Pedro Motta
Gold Member
CDPR would be the best choice to start.
simdog461
Member
To everyone saying "Sony is doing just fine", you are absolutely correct- right now.
But that will change if Sony doesn't proactively make moves.
Microsoft has made it no secret that they will continue to make acquisitions.
It will be death by 1000 cuts for Playstation if they keep losing their key development partners.
PS doesn't have the number of studios required to be self sufficient on 1st party titles, they HEAVILY rely on 3rd party revenue share.
Much harder to go the Nintendo route when PS is known for premium AAA games that take 5+ years to make. The number of BIG studios required to make that happen is far more than what they have now.
You'd need 5 studios with the output of insomniac, in addition to all the ones they have now, to even come close.
As much as this consolidation era that we are in sucks, it is now inevitable that more consolidation will happen, by both Microsoft and others (Disney as an example). So wanting Sony to sit out of it is unrealistic. And to be honest, would you rather have Tencent, or Disney, or NBC or Amazon be the ones buying up publishers instead of Sony or Xbox?
If Sony doesn't want to/ is unable to join in, then they will be an acquisition target themselves sooner or later (at least the PlayStation division might be).
Make no mistake though, if Sony wanted to buy someone like a Take Two, they would have 0 issues raising the required capital to do so. The only challenge would be from a regulatory standpoint.
I can't see Sony sitting idly by while their competitor aggressively makes moves to eat up their market share long term.
Will be interesting to see what happens, and I suspect a move will be made sooner rather than later... PlayStation has been eerily quiet on the M&A front lately (and just quiet in general), when normally they'd be buying 2 or 3 individual studios a year.
But that will change if Sony doesn't proactively make moves.
Microsoft has made it no secret that they will continue to make acquisitions.
It will be death by 1000 cuts for Playstation if they keep losing their key development partners.
PS doesn't have the number of studios required to be self sufficient on 1st party titles, they HEAVILY rely on 3rd party revenue share.
Much harder to go the Nintendo route when PS is known for premium AAA games that take 5+ years to make. The number of BIG studios required to make that happen is far more than what they have now.
You'd need 5 studios with the output of insomniac, in addition to all the ones they have now, to even come close.
As much as this consolidation era that we are in sucks, it is now inevitable that more consolidation will happen, by both Microsoft and others (Disney as an example). So wanting Sony to sit out of it is unrealistic. And to be honest, would you rather have Tencent, or Disney, or NBC or Amazon be the ones buying up publishers instead of Sony or Xbox?
If Sony doesn't want to/ is unable to join in, then they will be an acquisition target themselves sooner or later (at least the PlayStation division might be).
Make no mistake though, if Sony wanted to buy someone like a Take Two, they would have 0 issues raising the required capital to do so. The only challenge would be from a regulatory standpoint.
I can't see Sony sitting idly by while their competitor aggressively makes moves to eat up their market share long term.
Will be interesting to see what happens, and I suspect a move will be made sooner rather than later... PlayStation has been eerily quiet on the M&A front lately (and just quiet in general), when normally they'd be buying 2 or 3 individual studios a year.
VAVA Mk2
Member
They can't touch Ubisoft for 10 years based on cloud arrangements made for ABK acquisition. They contractually agreed to that stipulation.
XXL
Gold Member
Two things
1. Buying Square Enix is a waste of money, they are pretty much PS exclusives sales wise.
2. I don't really want them buying large publishers, I would prefer them buying single small, medium or large studios and fostering them, like they are doing with Insomniac, Bluepoint and Housemarque. It's more effective imo.
1. Buying Square Enix is a waste of money, they are pretty much PS exclusives sales wise.
2. I don't really want them buying large publishers, I would prefer them buying single small, medium or large studios and fostering them, like they are doing with Insomniac, Bluepoint and Housemarque. It's more effective imo.
phant0m
Member
This or Capcom would be my play. Both studios have been on absolute heaters the past 5 years.
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FalsettoVibe
Member
This post doesn't make sense at all. Why didn't MS outbid Sony for Bungie, or Housemarque? Bluepoint? Insomniac? Firewalk? There are more factors than just having a ton of money.
As for "Sony not doing great with their studios (like MS)", you have zero proof of that....
Zekra Dezivad
Member
Good news Square already cut those mid tier games on their own will
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Sony doesn’t have a subscription service to feed, so I’m not sure I see a point in going for a large acquisition.
angrod14
Member
Ever heard of the Vietnam War?
graywolf323
Member
at this point it’d be defensive, they might not have a sub service to feed due to not putting stuff on it Day 1, BUT they can’t let Microsoft (or others) snatch up everything
Jen_yakzua
Member
The CFO totoki wants playstation to have a major PC and mobile branch and he also wants to collect some major IPs for his and the CEO kenshiro yoshida's vision of having transmedia property
FalsettoVibe
Member
Convince CD Project to sell or convince Tim Sweeney and Tencent to sell Epic.....
lol
Jen_yakzua
Member
Hey that's their vision not mine
Crayon
Member
They do and the biggest games on it are generally their own.
Mibu no ookami
Demoted Member® Pro™
T2 makes the most sense. I’ve been saying it for years even before the ABK deal.
Gives you a lot of live service games and massive AAAA games and infrastructure.
could easily make a getaway game off the tech in GTA. If that pushes you to a game that sells between 5 and 10 million copies that makes a lot of sense.
They option to go after FIFA and broker clap hanz with pga for their best selling game of all time.
Lots of ways to pay for it. Could do a joint venture with another company 51 49. Could do a stock swap. Combination of that with cash.
They could also do a number of smaller studios.
CDPR and FromSoftware make a lot of sense.
Don’t think square enix makes any sense.
Capcom makes a lot of sense as does Sega. But not sure either pushes the needle.
They could also try and buy IP from Konami. Castlevania (Santa Monica), metal gear solid (Sony bend or naughty dog) and silent hill (Kojima productions, 3rd party).
Gives you a lot of live service games and massive AAAA games and infrastructure.
could easily make a getaway game off the tech in GTA. If that pushes you to a game that sells between 5 and 10 million copies that makes a lot of sense.
They option to go after FIFA and broker clap hanz with pga for their best selling game of all time.
Lots of ways to pay for it. Could do a joint venture with another company 51 49. Could do a stock swap. Combination of that with cash.
They could also do a number of smaller studios.
CDPR and FromSoftware make a lot of sense.
Don’t think square enix makes any sense.
Capcom makes a lot of sense as does Sega. But not sure either pushes the needle.
They could also try and buy IP from Konami. Castlevania (Santa Monica), metal gear solid (Sony bend or naughty dog) and silent hill (Kojima productions, 3rd party).
RickMasters
Member
I wouldn’t speak so soon. Fact of the matter is If T2 go up for sale MS would pay comfortably more than Sony for them.
Another fact is T2 are not for sale so All of this is just hyperbolic wet dream talk.
Square seems like the most likely.
RickMasters
Member
Perhaps but I don’t think T2 will be the straw that breaks the camels back. They are worth half of ABL and as long as MS agree to some kind of ten years deal again they will get T2 if they are for sale.
But that’s assuming they are not already sizing that up as the next one.
Sonys most realist options are square or some devs. But who is actually for sale?
bender
What time is it?
The only acquisition that could compete with the mindshare and monetization of COD is Take 2 with GTA. The Activision deal encompasses a ton of other IPs and King is another can of worms, but COD is what is important in the console space.
I've never understood the desire to acquire Square.
I've never understood the desire to acquire Square.
RickMasters
Member
I agree with this. I think they are better off buying devs than killing their pockets trying to buy publishers that are nearly half their size.
StereoVsn
Gold Member
Octopath 2 just came out, they have a few 2.5 D titles in the cooker, so at least it’s better then Sony.
semiconscious
Member
hey! this's the same guy that convinced me that anthem was pretty much 'guaranteed' to the next big thing...
simdog461
Member
Usually, no one is for sale until they are.
Take two is actually in somewhat of a problematic place right now financially.
Their operating income has been on massive declines in the last few years, even though most video game companies have been having record revenue/ profit years during COVID.
Obviously next year it's expected to go back up with GTA 6, but this feast or famine approach isn't great long term, when the time between Rockstar releases is only going to get larger.
They'd benefit from being able to reduce operating expenses.
For Sony they'd tick all the boxes
- Mobile
- GAAS
- PC
- AAA
MS *could* pay more than Sony if they really wanted to, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will.
Otherwise, Sony would never be able to buy anyone.
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RickMasters
Member
True. That’s how MS got ABK after all.
In the case of most devs sure, I don’t think MS will care enough. But we are talking about T2…. GTA. MS would not let that one slip through their moneyed up fingers.
simdog461
Member
You'd have to look at it from your average MS executive/ shareholder.
They've spent $80bn+ on M&A just for xbox in the last 2 and a bit years.
Make that $120bn+ if they got into a bidding war with Sony for someone like T2.
Some Microsoft executive is going to send an email saying "wtf are we doing spending $120bn just on the xbox division when we could be investing more in AI (where growth is WAY higher)/ doing share buybacks/ paying more in dividends etc."
At some point for MS the math isn't going to add up, and they will never break even on the additional revenue created vs capital outlay and ongoing expenses required.
Another way to look at it is if Microsoft ever got into financial strife (unlikely I know), what's the first division on the chopping block? Xbox.
For Sony, Playstation is their main money maker, and they aren't just going to let it be eclipsed without a fight.
Ansphn
Member
Sony definitely needs to purchase :
Kadokawa (FROM software. Bloodborne 2, Elden Ring 2, Demon Souls 2, and more)
Square-Enix (And Remake all the popular FF and other JRPGs)
Larian Studios (Make Baldurs gate into the next Witcher. Make it 3rd person over the shoulder)
This is all possible. No need to buy EA or Take2.
Kadokawa (FROM software. Bloodborne 2, Elden Ring 2, Demon Souls 2, and more)
Square-Enix (And Remake all the popular FF and other JRPGs)
Larian Studios (Make Baldurs gate into the next Witcher. Make it 3rd person over the shoulder)
This is all possible. No need to buy EA or Take2.
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LordCBH
Member
That would be a mind-numbingly stupid decision.
StereoVsn
Gold Member
Then it’s almost assured if MS were to buy them!
Ansphn
Member
Why? Imagine Balders gate but with better combat. They should give an option between the old boring combat and the new and improved God of War, Witcher type combat and camera view.
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LordCBH
Member
This is the worst post I have ever read on this website. Good lord.
Kerotan
Member
There's only a few publisher's you could buy and it's only a matter of time before MS try again whether or not Sony do. So they've everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Sony needs leverage to either keep getting Activision games in future or maybe do a deal where they can get Bethesda games again.
Brigandier
Gold Member
I hate that talk about publisher acquisition is so normalised now.... Fuck MS and fuck the fanboys who champion this shit all over social media.
There is nothing wrong with acquiring studios and I would say buying a dormant IP from a publisher is fine but buying out publishers is nothing but anti competitive practice, It reeks of desperation and it just shows the whole world that you can't compete and are just buying success rather than developing and nurturing it.
There is nothing wrong with acquiring studios and I would say buying a dormant IP from a publisher is fine but buying out publishers is nothing but anti competitive practice, It reeks of desperation and it just shows the whole world that you can't compete and are just buying success rather than developing and nurturing it.
simdog461
Member
I don't think any of those are realistic together
They might go after 1.
None of them have much in the way of mobile either.
Square enix would be a horrible purchase IMO.
Also make Larian move away from what makes them the best at what they do? Hell no.
coffinbirth
Member
They seem pretty hellbound to get onto that multiplayer gravytrain, thusly I'd expect some more moves there. Having said that, all the big players are already locked down...so I'd anticipate more of a smattering of smaller studios as opposed to a major acquisition.
There's always Ubisoft I guess, but ugggghhhhh
There's always Ubisoft I guess, but ugggghhhhh
Thirty7ven
Banned
Is this real life?
Fess
Member
They’re completely locked out on that now since Ubisoft owning cloud licenses for Activision Blizzard games is why they could close that deal.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
You're basically asking them to strip BG3 of one of its biggest components and turning it into another generic fantasy RPG.
kungfuian
Member
Presuming they are for sale the only real answer here is Capcom. They have a portfolio of well known and well loved legacy titles that would fit nicely on PS+, a great track record over the last few years from a quality perspective, developers competent enough to make games of Sony "quality", a long history working with Sony, and franchises that would fit nicely into the Sony stable without too much overlap and/or fit well with Sony's current initiatives (Street Fighter and EVO, Monster Hunter and GAAS, RE and VR, etc.)
Capcom are the clear winner if Sony go the publisher route.
Capcom are the clear winner if Sony go the publisher route.
simdog461
Member
I don't see PlayStation gong after a big publisher that doesn't have a big mobile presence in addition to AAA games and GAAS.
Mihoyo actually makes the most sense to me if I'm being perfectly honest.
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Silver Wattle
Gold Member
Capcom makes the most sense to me, Sony could use characters from games like street fighter for non fighting games.
TrebleShot
Member
I don’t think MS is done. EA, Ubi or Rockstar nxt
simdog461
Member
They can't buy Ubisoft.
kungfuian
Member
They are also a smart target for acquisition. I say go all in, grab both, throw in a side of From Soft and a large drink, and make it meal!
simdog461
Member
Mihoyo would be more than double what Sony paid for Bungie and more than what MS paid for bethesda. They aren't small.
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