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[Clintizzle]

Jim Ryan and the team did exactly what I would expect from a company that could potentially lose money from this deal.

That said, I wish I was in the room when the smug prick had to sit down and sign the contract with Microsoft. I'd hold one of those old school stereos over my head and all it would play is Nelson from the Simpsons with his signature "haw haw" on repeat for 10 hours.

 

[Heisenberg007]

I dont know, but my point still stands. Sony is doing their best to keep Final Fantasy away from xbox. (and PC)

Not really. SquareEnix wanted platform support for Final Fantasy 16 and reached out to both PS and Xbox.

Xbox made an offer that wasn't as good and didn't even include dev support. PlayStation's did, so SquareEnix chose PS as their partner.

Sony didn't really do anything extraordinary to keep FF away from Xbox instead of just giving SE what they were looking for in a partner.

 

[C2brixx]

Sony did what they had to do to prevent competition from getting a large share of the videogame space.

They had no choice but to fight it, with COD clearly being the most important IP to salvage.

Considering there was not a chance CoD was going to be exclusive anytime soon, and Jim Ryan knew that from the start, I'd say their opposition was a loss. For one the ultimate outcome was loss, but all the inside information that was revealed to the public will make them and others hesitant to make big acquisitions in the future. I believe any medium to large merger in the videogame space is going to receive way more attention from regulators from here on out.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Not really. SquareEnix wanted platform support for Final Fantasy 16 and reached out to both PS and Xbox.

Xbox made an offer that wasn't as good and didn't even include dev support. PlayStation's did, so SquareEnix chose PS as their partner.

Sony didn't really do anything extraordinary to keep FF away from Xbox instead of just giving SE what they were looking for in a partner.

As I always said it isn't always about money. Because if it was Microsofg would always win.

 

[Heisenberg007]

As I always said it isn't always about money. Because if it was Microsofg would always win.

Exactly. Technical support and expertise play a huge role.

I'd laugh at anybody who'd say that Microsoft (a $2.6 trillion company) couldn't match Sony's (a $130 billion company) bid for an exclusivity deal.

Sony's ability to make games, their pipeline, dev support, PS5's API and a single SKU, Sony's marketing prowess, etc., all are factors that publishers take into play. It's only common sense.

 

[SCB3]

The whole thing was pathetic tbh and neither came out of it looking good

 

[Disco Dave]

I dont know, but my point still stands. Sony is doing their best to keep Final Fantasy away from xbox. (and PC)

There's likely some agreement between Square and Sony that results in timed exclusivity for FF on PS. I've read that it encompasses development and tools assistance. However, it's not as if Microsoft couldn't negotiate a deal or bid for exclusivity with Square or even a port after the Sony agreement expires. The main stumbling point would be piss poor sales on XBox.

Microsoft appear to have focused more on enticing games to Gamepass than exclusivity.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Exactly. Technical support and expertise play a huge role.

I'd laugh at anybody who'd say that Microsoft (a $2.6 trillion company) couldn't match Sony's (a $130 billion company) bid for an exclusivity deal.

Sony's ability to make games, their pipeline, dev support, PS5's API and a single SKU, Sony's marketing prowess, etc., all are factors that publishers take into play. It's only common sense.

Well Microsoft are dropping billions to secure permanent exclusives. I don't see why they can't drop a lot less for temporary ones.

 

[Kuwitzzer]

Getting COD is the only thing Sony needs, other activision titles are worthless, Blizzard is dead, King is mobile. So if the initial was worse then this is a win for Sony because 10 years is a long time for Sony to strategize.

 

[SantaC]

Not really. SquareEnix wanted platform support for Final Fantasy 16 and reached out to both PS and Xbox.

Xbox made an offer that wasn't as good and didn't even include dev support. PlayStation's did, so SquareEnix chose PS as their partner.

Sony didn't really do anything extraordinary to keep FF away from Xbox instead of just giving SE what they were looking for in a partner.

You realize that the hardware in both consoles are pretty much the same with some minor differences right? I dont believe this partner thing at all.

 

[Heisenberg007]

You realize that the hardware in both consoles are pretty much the same with some minor differences right? I dont believe this partner thing at all.

SquareEnix themselves confirmed it. It's coming from the only official source.

PS5 and XSX are similar, but if FF16 were an Xbox exclusive, it'd be also releasing on Series S, which is just more work that SE doesn't have to do if FF16 is a PlayStation exclusive.

And it's not just the HW. As SE said, Sony offered development and optimization support. Check how many PlayStation people are credited in the FF16 credits. Xbox did not make that development or optimization support a part of their deal.

 

[Leo9]

Getting COD is the only thing Sony needs, other activision titles are worthless, Blizzard is dead, King is mobile. So if the initial was worse then this is a win for Sony because 10 years is a long time for Sony to strategize.

Diablo 4 is the fastest selling Blizzard game ever.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

I mean Sony had to try to block the deal and if they’d signed earlier they would have made life even more difficult for regulators to block it if they wanted to.

That being said, given Jim’s public responses and how hard he fought against it you’d have to think MS would have made him wear some pain in the contract he signed.

 

[Clear]

Sony was acting in their own self interest. They didn't want the acquisition, so they didn't sign any deals as long as there was a chance it wouldn't happen. However once it looked like the acquisition was definitely going to happen, they signed the deal. It's not that complicated.

Exactly. Sony opposing was just part of the corporate game. Whatever the outcome is was always in their best interests to drag the process out as long as possible because it effectively kept MS on hold for all other plans.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Only time will tell, but it certainly did no favors to Sony.

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

Sony didn't really get anything out of this. Everyone knew that MS was going to treat COD like Minecraft and put it on every system as long as it exists.

It looks bad when MS was willing to capitulate on other series but now they're only obligated to give the one they have the least financial incentive to remove from Sony.

 

[Sanepar]

General public in a few years will regret a lot cheering this aquisition. The day Sony goes out from these business the day people will realize how stupid was to support MS consolidating the industry one pub after another.

 

[MasterCornholio]

General public in a few years will regret a lot cheering this aquisition. The day Sony goes out from these business the day people will realize how stupid was to support MS consolidating the industry one pub after another.

We have to wait and see if Microsoft is successful at eliminating PlayStation.

 

[THE DUCK]

It hurt them badly. Before everything was public, they looked like the white knight in shinning armor for gamers, now they looks just as greedy as MS.

 

[THE DUCK]

General public in a few years will regret a lot cheering this aquisition. The day Sony goes out from these business the day people will realize how stupid was to support MS consolidating the industry one pub after another.

You would have to explain how Sony is about to go out of business, this no doubt hurts them but they are still the market leader with a ton of great studios, no reason for your drama.

 

[Astray]

It helped them immensely because merely delaying the deal was in their advantage, obviously not as good as if they had it stopped, but that's moot to argue about.

- The acquisition proved to be a huge distraction for their rivals and probably ended up handing them the race for this gen.

- If you go back and review what the discussions were about, MS were acting coy about having things like Overwatch 2 being out on PS.. Dragging out the process made sure that game actually landed on PS in addition to Diablo 4.

- If Jimbo signed the deal a year ago, then COD support would have ended out on 2032, now it's 2033, one more year into the life of what is likely to be a new console gen.

- Additionally, whatever live-service games Sony had planned are now a year plus matured into development than they would, so they are theoretically more equipped to immediately deal with the leverage MS will be wielding in due time. It will be tough, but not impossibly so imo.

- What are the big losses here? Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and Tony Hawk? These are games that have peaked commercially ages ago, and Sony can readily compete with the 1st using Ratchet & Clank or via bringing back Sly Cooper if the need arises..

 

[MasterCornholio]

You would have to explain how Sony is about to go out of business, this no doubt hurts them but they are still the market leader with a ton of great studios, no reason for your drama.

It also depends on if Microsoft is successful at killing them. They could still mess it up even with all those mergers.

 

[gimmmick]

IPs such as COD and Diablo will be Multiplatform because they are too big for Microsoft to not make a profit. Moving forward I doubt we will see anymore cross platform with Sony as they move on in the next couple of years.

 

[deriks]

Harmed them, but chances are that people won't care because it's Sony. It's a shame

 

[Warnen]

Came off as hypocritical and a crybaby toddler at the same time.

 

[dotnotbot]

What about all Final Fantasy titles for Xbox that Sony pays to block?

Microsoft is too generous with sony imo.

What about Stalker 2 and Ark 2 that Microsoft pays to block?

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

It’s a binding deal for 10 years and possible extensions. Way better than 4-year contracts w/o binging fines that were offered by Phil. Also, it will be tremendously harder to obtain any other asset for MS after such a public scrutiny. So my take is that Sony make the best out of it without significant losses.

 

[Fabieter]

Yeah, the news that it's just for COD. Sony done fucked up and basically cucked their own userbase.

Nothing but COD coming to playstation now. Well probably big service games but nothing else.

Completely unsurprising tbh. Sony gave MS a massive headache through all this, so they will be doing whatever they can to hurt them back now.

Ms was the main reason nvidia couldn't buy ARM. You dont see nvidia being petty about it. This is business, not kindergarden.

 

[jroc74]

How could it possibly have been self-own?

They had nothing to lose trying to fight the deal.

Exactly.

But hey, I guess 3 is better than 10...

Never mind all the other companies that got deals from MS:

Bethesda deal: no real opposition...nothing really offered to other companies
ABK deal: fierce opposition, other companies get deals.

This seems like an extreme no brainer.

Ms was the main reason nvidia couldn't buy ARM. You dont see nvidia being petty about it. This is business, not kindergarden.

Bingo.

Samsung and Apple were in copyright infringement lawsuits...and still worked together while the trial was going on. And after for a few years.

MS won a patent lawsuit against Google....and now MS has launcher apps on the Play Store.

If any exec wants to be petty, go ahead. But at the end of the day...money talks.

 

[ArtHands]

You would have to explain how Sony is about to go out of business, this no doubt hurts them but they are still the market leader with a ton of great studios, no reason for your drama.

Yah. If Sony cannot compete after losing this they don't deserves to be in console business. It will take much more than COD for the hierarchy to change.

 

[Sanepar]

You would have to explain how Sony is about to go out of business, this no doubt hurts them but they are still the market leader with a ton of great studios, no reason for your drama.

Many studios. 16 making games taking 5-6 years to make.

Who could imagine they are leading right? This deal is not about the present... and there will be more aquisitions many more.

 

[Fabieter]

Yah. If Sony cannot compete after losing this they don't deserves to be in console business. It will take much more than COD for the hierarchy to change.

I mean you could argue that ms dont deserve to be in the console business if they need two of the biggest publishers to compete and there is no stopping.

 

[lastmessiah]

It doesn’t matter. CoD is for all intents and purposes a Microsoft exclusive now. Activision is now Microsoft. They can release CoD on PS for 33000 years and it won’t change that fact. Sony loses.

 

[Moriarty1889]

Jim Ryan looked like a class A clown thru this whole charade. He accomplished nothing and in the end had to agree on MS terms for COD.

 

[ArtHands]

I mean you could argue that ms dont deserve to be in the console business if they need two of the biggest publishers to compete and there is no stopping.

Except that MS doesn't have decades of dominance like Sony previously.

 

[blakdecaf]

Any company in such a dominant position would do exactly the same to stop their rival cutting into their business. It was always worth a shot.

Now they gotta plan their next move.

 

[DryvBy]

Nintedos gotsa 10 year deals AND all of Activisions other games

Other games, such as?

Activision doesn't put out a ton of games. Outside of COD and a few Blizzard games, a lot of them are mid tier. That's why people were just talking about COD during this deal.

 

[RoboFu]

Ehh… I’m going with.. it doesn’t matter either way except ……

If MS launched a new WoW, Warcraft, StarCraft and it console exclusive. That’s really the only thing I can think of.

 

[NahaNago]

Why wouldn't they oppose it though. It is like the biggest game to release almost every year on console.

It didn't really do anything to Sony. I honestly hope this further pushes Sony to go harder this gen.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

If MS launched a new WoW, Warcraft, StarCraft and it console exclusive. That’s really the only thing I can think of.

And all 3 games will be irrelevant on consoles, really. As for WoW, PS has FF14 already.

 

[Fabieter]

Except that MS doesn't have decades of dominance like Sony previously.

That's not even true but go on.

 

[GHound]

If they didn't oppose it we'd be seeing some Sony shareholders starting another legal battle over them not doing anything to uphold their interests.

 

[Gojiira]

There was no ‘Self Own’, Xbox literally lied in court, has a history of buying out the competition etc etc, the writing is on the wall and its clear as day they fully intend to monopolise the gaming space.
Whatever though, Sony shot themselves in the foot by simply not really knowing where they stood on the issue.
But they got they wanted in the end, CoD and its huge revenue stream.
And lets not pretend, nothing else by ABK sells a worthwhile amount, not Crash, or Spyro, or THPS, honestly its no big loss.
And to top all of this off Sony now has free reign to purchase whoever they want with zero obstacles. 100% they are going to buy a sizeable publisher and will begin weening themselves off of CoD revenue so we might get a renaissance of classics like SOCOM or Resistance, or even MAG and Warhawk which are perfect for this generation and hardware.
So no there was no ‘self own’ but hopefully the narrative of MS being the benevolent underdog is gone…

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I think it’s a bit of both. They wanted it outright blocked, but end of the day they got 10 years of COD out of it which is the prized jewel. Sony and their fans won’t have to worry about losing the game until 2034 and that assumes there isn’t an extension.

 

[Kilau]

The funny thing is, by giving Nintendo a better deal it shows MS doesn’t view them as the same level of competition as Sony.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

It harmed them. They overplayed their hand and gotten a worse deal

How is getting 10 years a worse deal?

 

[In Cold Blood]

Well Microsoft are dropping billions to secure permanent exclusives. I don't see why they can't drop a lot less for temporary ones.

I 100% agree with them buying IP to just leasing it, but I agree that there is no reason they can't go to Marvel and offer them some coin for a superhero game.

 

[tmlDan]

They got a 10 year deal for COD, they only got offered 3 years - id say they did what they could and got something out of it.

Not answering the poll cause both are biased responses, if Sony got what they wanted it would be blocked but they did get a lot out of it

 

[In Cold Blood]

How is getting 10 years a worse deal?

Do you think Microsoft would have kept COD on PlayStation past 10 years without the deal?
I think Microsoft made the decision to Minecraft COD for good and they mean that for the longest period.

 

[In Cold Blood]

The funny thing is, by giving Nintendo a better deal it shows MS doesn’t view them as the same level of competition as Sony.

I think MS could have played the Nintendo one better. They could have asked for some Nintendo games in return at least.