This post highlights a fundamental truth. Everytime we see Sony make acquire a game developer, it's a small studio or solo game development company. We have never seen Sony buy a large game publisher such as zenimax or Activision.
There is no proof that Sony has the kind of juice to buy a publisher like Konami, Square Enix, ubisoft, or take 2 interactive.
Who is to say they are not in the works to even buy one of those publishers right now?
So I'd say they have that kind of juice if they are ironically willing to spend 3 billion on 1 team and I'd argue Sony is more likely to be able to buy a Japanese publisher then anyone company from the west. So I'd agree with you before this turned into some nuclear battle for publishers, trust when I'm saying this, they are shopping for a massive buy to remain relevant and market leader and to invest in the future and to protect themselves from being locked out of 3rd parties they rely on to fill gaps.
….Until it happens
I’m not even hoping it does happen but after these past two weeks anyone denying anything isn’t possible at this point is lying to themselves
Pretty much.
Anyone can get it now. I thought Zenimax was a crazy deal, Activision buy out is a mental one and now this? It means they understand they need to change some strategy that they had before and need to restructure to factor those moves.
Sony bought teams and invested in house on PS1, PS2,PS3, PS4 etc
MS lost those generations when they came into gaming ,reacted by buying many teams.
It would be silly to think Sony does something, MS reacts to correct their situation.
Yet not think Sony would react or change something based on MS. I think many need to understand that it was only logical that MS bought teams to fix that whole mess last gen, Sony is buying teams to counter what is going on. It would be weird to just assume it stops here even with BOTH fucking publishers litearlly telling us they plan to continue.
So such deals can take a long time and who knows who Sony is in talks with right now or have been in talks with since those deals started happening. I wouldn't even be shocked that the Insomniac deal in 2019, was based on all those deals done by MS in 2018. ie Obsidian, Ninja Theory etc. Sony seeing them stock up, clearly means they'd be the first to make sure they obtain such a team that had deals with MS prior ie Sunset Overdrive.
Thus....one would not be shocked that after a MS deal, Sony buys a team MS had dealings with prior. Its an easy guess, an American company and obtainable by MS for the right price, so I think Sony is buying at least some based on this.