• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Axios (Stephen Totilo) Lawyers: Email proves Microsoft’s ABK bid is designed to elimination (Update: MS claims it was a "thought experiment")

Draugoth

Draugoth

Gold Member
CXQiKcW.jpg
 
FF:Enhanced_Reality

FF:Enhanced_Reality

Member
Bumblebeetuna said:
The Office Lol GIF by NETFLIX


Anyway why is this news? Of course the purchase is made to put Sony out of business. Do we all think Sony signed a deal to keep FF16 off of Xbox just for shits and giggles?

The end game for all of these companies is to be #1.
Click to expand...
If you look at the last generation and the one before, Sony really relied on it's first party studios. I believe a lot of these third party deals were to plug gaps in their first party line up from COVID.

Basically like how Sony has been trying to for Xbox? Got it. It's a nothing burger.

What the hell are you on about?
 
Last edited:
ulantan

ulantan

Member
feynoob said:
It will, if they keep COD exclusive(MS will incur alot of losses in the process).

Sony Big IPs are on high budget, so they need as much money as they can.. COD brings alot of money to them. Without that budget, Sony will lose alot of income and will hurt their future output.
Click to expand...
When I say that I get laughing emojis.
 
kaizenkko

kaizenkko

Member
Dick Jones said:
Matt Booty has made a fair few gaffes. You can't deny it is fairly possible before you look at the risk of the gamers falsifying documents in court. MS would call that out straight away.
Click to expand...
I don't doubt that's the real intention of Microsoft during all this time, after all this is their modus operandis.

Everyone who have buy Microsoft's narrative is fool to say least.
 
F

Filben

Member
simpatico said:
Isn't that the reason any business does anything? To get rid of their competition?
Click to expand...
Not necessarily and not primarily. Your main goal is to make profits and for better profits you need to be better than the competition. Of course you're better when there's none. For the consumers we have regulations that want a somewhat fair game though. Of course you could foul all players in a football game and win because no one tries to/can oppose you. But imagine how much fun to watch that is for the audience.

And because some regulations see it the same way you have to act accordingly. But as in sport (sorry for the sports analogy) you always try to bend the rules and regulations for your benefit.

Still, the first thought you have when starting a business (and therefore your primary goal) isn't usually "how to get rid of my competitiors" the same your first thought before a game isn't "how to foul and injure the opponent".

Instead of cynically acknowledging that normalised behaviour with a shrug we should be wary. It's our hobby that could be in danger and MS could improve their product and reputation and profits by making better games, which should be the actual goal, or reason to do something.

If the deal gets through we won't see much of a benefit for us. It's not like MS is buying a shitty product and make it ten times better so we could benefit from that. Short term, nothing changes for us. Long term could be much worse.
 
S

Schmendrick

Member
And in today's news, a company wants marketshare......
Unless people thought marketshare is some exotic fruit this shouldn't surprise anyone. It's just a more "optimistic" target than the official PR version you'd have to be a lobotomized monkey to believe anyway.
 
Last edited:
NickFire

NickFire

Member
Would be a glorious bathroom read if Phil takes the stand and goes all Jack Nicholson when testifying. Something something you need MS to control gaming. Might not like it, but deep down you know that MS is the best defense against that evil Sony. And you're G damned right we want to put them out of business. :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
Gorgon

Gorgon

Member
feynoob said:
:pie_invert:
Bethesda buyout still hurts me
Click to expand...

Admitedly, it was the main reason why I bought a XSX to keep company to my PS5. That and inExile, Obsidian, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. Too much WRPG critical mass to ignore (although the latter two are not RPG studios).
 
Nydius

Nydius

Member
Raonak said:
This has always been how microsoft operates since the beginning.

They prefer to focus on eliminating the competetion rather than making a better product.
Click to expand...

Yep, and this is the primary reason I've been opposed to this merger from the start. Not because I hate Microsoft or love Sony (I don't, on either account). But I very much remember the arrogant Microsoft of the late 80's through late 90's where they were "growing" Windows and Office by basically buying out development teams with projects they wanted to embed into Windows (or Office), integrating their code, and then shitcanning the staff. I remember arrogant Microsoft dictating terms to PC OEMs that prevented them from even discussing other Operating Systems (like Linux or Unix) to customers under threat of losing complete access to all Microsoft licenses -- Windows, Office, and Works -- which were critical for PC sales. I worked at Gateway back then; we weren't even allowed to talk about our Novell Netware server stack outside of the IT department due to Microsoft licensing issues. I remember the scorched earth campaigns Microsoft took against Lotus and Corel.

Microsoft has never been about building a better mousetrap. They've always been about buying up what they want and shutting out competitors with their market leverage. It bit them on the ass with MSIE and their PC OEM restrictions, but that was 20 years ago. Too many people have forgotten, and Microsoft is back to their old ways. This time in the gaming space.
 
Last edited:
Knightime_X

Knightime_X

Member
Crayon said:
Yes if sony was the trillion dollar company that was trying to stamp out competition and ms was the one who was outmaneuvering them by competing on merit and still making a profit like a proper business, the roles would be reversed indeed. You'd have to be a real heel to be rooting for sony in that situation.
Click to expand...
Kind of like how Sony actively paid to keep ff7 remake off of Xbox? 🤔
I'm sure there are PLENTY of other games that for some magical reason never made it to xbox.
But never mind that. The end goal is what matters most.
 
simpatico

simpatico

Member
Filben said:
Not necessarily and not primarily. Your main goal is to make profits and for better profits you need to be better than the competition. Of course you're better when there's none. For the consumers we have regulations that want a somewhat fair game though. Of course you could foul all players in a football game and win because no one tries to/can oppose you. But imagine how much fun to watch that is for the audience.

And because some regulations see it the same way you have to act accordingly. But as in sport (sorry for the sports analogy) you always try to bend the rules and regulations for your benefit.

Still, the first thought you have when starting a business (and therefore your primary goal) isn't usually "how to get rid of my competitiors" the same your first thought before a game isn't "how to foul and injure the opponent".

Instead of cynically acknowledging that normalised behaviour with a shrug we should be wary. It's our hobby that could be in danger and MS could improve their product and reputation and profits by making better games, which should be the actual goal, or reason to do something.

If the deal gets through we won't see much of a benefit for us. It's not like MS is buying a shitty product and make it ten times better so we could benefit from that. Short term, nothing changes for us. Long term could be much worse.
Click to expand...
I agree with the sentiment you're expressing, but in reality it's hard to quantify what going too far is in the Staes. Where do you draw the line between healthy, supple competition and something worthy of investigation? The lines have become so blurred that a company has to exhaust all options to remain competitive. MS shareholders don't want to see the investment in Xbox squandered. Buying up publishers is the best route to make that happen since all their recent internal efforts amount to impotent flailing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • x2
Ctrl+Alt+Deceive: All The Dirt, Info, Lies, and LOLs We Found During FTC vs. Microsoft
2 3 4 5 6
295
37K
Heisenberg007 replied
Top Bottom