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Microsoft considered acquiring Bungie and Sega to bolster Xbox Game Pass, internal emails show

Varteras

Member
They were working on Hitman content till last year, probably in early stages of development right now. It hasn't even been officially announced yet, so at least it's not a Perfect Dark style scenario lol

Don't remind me. That shit depresses me. Was hoping to see that game this year and then I find out it's end of the generation, if we're lucky.
 

Darsxx82

Member
Who bought, or attempted to buy, not one but two major publishers? With a third having been considered? There is only one answer. The energy being kept is that one company is trying to buy huge chunks of the industry so we shouldn't just hope everyone sits around and lets it happen. You're trying to obfuscate the truth.
The energy is that of many excusing themselves that the consolidation processes are bad when their real reason for criticizing MS buying ABK is that they regret that Sony does not have the same portfolio to respond to.


You're just throwing shit at a wall to see what you can get to stick, aren't you? Bungie is not comparable to two major publishers. The Sony fanbase had no idea about Bungie until after Zenimax was bought and Microsoft was trying to buy Activision. Two publishers. Far larger than Bungie. As far as I know, there is no public knowledge of when Sony started talking to Bungie. Just rumors that it was Summer 2021. About 6 months before Microsoft and ABK started talking. No one cares why or when Sony bought or started talking to Bungie anyways. Because
What the hell does it matter when the PS fan found out about the Bungie acquisition?? You again changing the direction of the discussion and the narrative when your argument fades among your fanaticism. MS did not start the consolidation process, it had already been started by others and SONY was also part of the game. The purchase of Bungie and other studios already started before MS bought Bethesda, that's the reality. The loudspeaker of many simply went on when they saw that MS entering the game was going to remove games from their PS consoles.



THEY'RE NOT TWO OR THREE MAJOR PUBLISHERS. They're not even one. Might as well get pissy that Microsoft bought Playground and Obsidian. Microsoft tried to buy Bungie too.
There are regulators who decide when an acquisition harms or not the consumer. The acquisition of B-Z was approved without conditions and that of ABK is under scrutiny.

Some of you believe that decisions should be made based on what affects SONY and its users as if they required special protection..... Sorry, it's not like that.

In the end, if instead of MS the buyer was Tencent or another that would ensure releases on PS5, you would not have that energy criticizing any consolidation.

Honestly, the only energy being kept here is you being a fanboy while complaining about what fanboys do.
LOL. It's funny that you're the one giving rationality lessons.... I don't think your answers are an example of impartiality here, rather someone obfuscated and disrespectful to anyone who doesn't match your narrative.
 

Varteras

Member
The energy is that of many excusing themselves that the consolidation processes are bad when their real reason for criticizing MS buying ABK is that they regret that Sony does not have the same portfolio to respond to.



What the hell does it matter when the PS fan found out about the Bungie acquisition?? You again changing the direction of the discussion and the narrative when your argument fades among your fanaticism. MS did not start the consolidation process, it had already been started by others and SONY was also part of the game. The purchase of Bungie and other studios already started before MS bought Bethesda, that's the reality. The loudspeaker of many simply went on when they saw that MS entering the game was going to remove games from their PS consoles.




There are regulators who decide when an acquisition harms or not the consumer. The acquisition of B-Z was approved without conditions and that of ABK is under scrutiny.

Some of you believe that decisions should be made based on what affects SONY and its users as if they required special protection..... Sorry, it's not like that.

In the end, if instead of MS the buyer was Tencent or another that would ensure releases on PS5, you would not have that energy criticizing any consolidation.


LOL. It's funny that you're the one giving rationality lessons.... I don't think your answers are an example of impartiality here, rather someone obfuscated and disrespectful to anyone who doesn't match your narrative.
snoop dogg peace GIF by BET Hip Hop Awards
 

Darsxx82

Member


And the unexpected option of being able to buy ABK cut short several of those acquisitions.

Seeing how the acquisition process has turned out and that the greater probability is that the purchase will not be closed... MS (and I think that a majority of Xbox fans) would have been better off if the option had never been given and today perhaps MS would have several of those Studios under its arm.

That said, What this confirms to me is that if the ABK thing does not happen, MS is going to spend a lot of those 70Billion on several of those that appear on that list.
 
And the unexpected option of being able to buy ABK cut short several of those acquisitions.

Seeing how the acquisition process has turned out and that the greater probability is that the purchase will not be closed... MS (and I think that a majority of Xbox fans) would have been better off if the option had never been given and today perhaps MS would have several of those Studios under its arm.

That said, What this confirms to me is that if the ABK thing does not happen, MS is going to spend a lot of those 70Billion on several of those that appear on that list.
That's just a bullet list. Remedy for instance have said they don't want to sell, so while MS might have been interested in them, it's a two way street.
I'm actually quite surprised by that list. Half the.studios there I wouldn't care for.
 

The Fuzz damn you!

Gold Member
In the end, if instead of MS the buyer was Tencent or another that would ensure releases on PS5, you would not have that energy criticizing any consolidation.
A) plenty of people would be criticising that just as strongly, if not moreso. The anti-china sentiment is strong on this forum.
B) …however, of course there would be less reason for regulatory / anti-competitive concerns in such a scenario. Do you not see that?
 

Darsxx82

Member
A) plenty of people would be criticising that just as strongly, if not moreso. The anti-china sentiment is strong on this forum.

I totally doubt it. Anti-Xbox and ProSony sentiment is far greater than any degree of anti-China sentiment. I do not doubt that it would generate opinions of uncertainty and doubts, but not the same movement and energy
B) …however, of course there would be less reason for regulatory / anti-competitive concerns in such a scenario. Do you not see that?

The question is whether or not to be against the consolidation processes or only to be against and raise your voice if they are carried out by MS and affect PlayStation... The latter is hypocrisy.
 

The Fuzz damn you!

Gold Member
I totally doubt it. Anti-Xbox and ProSony sentiment is far greater than any degree of anti-China sentiment. I do not doubt that it would generate opinions of uncertainty and doubts, but not the same movement and energy


The question is whether or not to be against the consolidation processes or only to be against and raise your voice if they are carried out by MS and affect PlayStation... The latter is hypocrisy.
A) You are wrong.

B) No, that is not the question. Your framing of the issue does not clarify the biases of everyone else, it reveals your own. The issue is not, and has never been, that the deal is being pursued by MS and not Sony. The issue is that the deal, and the broader approach that inspired it, has the potential to eliminate (or strongly stifle) competition within the gaming industry, particularly in emerging niches spaces like cloud gaming that in turn have the potential (and you can agree or disagree on whether this will be realised, but it is the source of contention in this issue) to become a main driver of growth in the industry, even to the point (eventually) of supplanting the existing model.

Yes, there are people who are pro-Sony, pro-Xbox, whatever. Those people are fuckwits. More importantly, those are the not principles that form the basis of the argument in this thread and others, and attempts to suggest otherwise are disingenuous, at best.
 

Darsxx82

Member
A) You are wrong.

Sure Jam!
B) No, that is not the question. Your framing of the issue does not clarify the biases of everyone else, it reveals your own. The issue is not, and has never been, that the deal is being pursued by MS and not Sony.

Yes, that was the topic we discussed: hypocrisy.

The excuse of "industry consolidation is the worst, MS is to blame"...... and then defending that Sony can buy Capcom, Square etc. The uncomfortable reality that all this energy is against is mostly (except for a few honest people) because it is MS who is buying publishers and not Sony. When Tencent, EA, Embrace... do it, you don't get 1/10th of the reactions.
The issue is that the deal, and the broader approach that inspired it, has the potential to eliminate (or strongly stifle) competition within the gaming industry, particularly in emerging niches spaces like cloud gaming that in turn have the potential (and you can agree or disagree on whether this will be realised, but it is the source of contention in this issue) to become a main driver of growth in the industry, even to the point (eventually) of supplanting the existing model.
That is an issue that the only ones who can resolve it are the different regulators and competent courts in general.Then you may or may not agree with their assessments.
The Bethesda acquisition was allowed without concessions and the ABK acquisition is under scrutiny and we'll see how it ends.

There's no more.

Yes, there are people who are pro-Sony, pro-Xbox, whatever. Those people are fuckwits. More importantly, those are the not principles that form the basis of the argument in this thread and others, and attempts to suggest otherwise are disingenuous, at best.

🤔
 

The Fuzz damn you!

Gold Member
Sure Jam!


Yes, that was the topic we discussed: hypocrisy.

The excuse of "industry consolidation is the worst, MS is to blame"...... and then defending that Sony can buy Capcom, Square etc. The uncomfortable reality that all this energy is against is mostly (except for a few honest people) because it is MS who is buying publishers and not Sony. When Tencent, EA, Embrace... do it, you don't get 1/10th of the reactions.
No, this issue is not “hypocrisy”. This is not a class on ethical rhetoric. The issue is MS’s proposed acquisition of ABK. Yes, there are people who want to pull strawmen out of their hats and throw in their“But but but Phil said…” or “But Sonygaf told me…” gotchas - personally, I don’t waste my time with them. Feel free to call them out when you see them though, knock yourself out.

However, again, yes: this is different to Tencent or EA or whoever doing the same thing. That’s no hypocrisy, it’s just… obvious.

They don’t make consoles.
They aren’t trillion-dollar companies.
They do not have a history of openly embracing illegally monopolistic practises.

These are facts, not justifications for your persecution fantasy.
 

Poltz

Member
And why not? Sony was in a unique position of console sales to take games away from Xbox as exclusives for a third the price it would have cost MS, and guess what? They fucking did it, just like they should have.
It’s not really a unique position though. I’m sure you were against 3rd Party exclusives in the Xbox 360 / PS3 era too?
 
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Calverz

Member
You see, this right here is why no one believes you and your buddies. Because ya say the ABK deal is good for consumers or that it's not a monopoly or whatnot. And then you say things like this. Making it more than clear that it is nothing of the sort. It's actual corporate cheerleading for an eventual monopoly.

It’s to get more content on gamepass and to see you and your buddies meltdowns here actually.
 

T-Cake

Member
Well at least Microsoft is on the right page when it comes to Remedy acquisition - a big risk being their games being tied to Epic Games Store. Ain't nobody wants stuff exclusive to that trash. 😂

Those documents are a fascinating read though.
 

mrmustard

Banned
I think it's pretty clear that the AB deal won't be approved. What will be MS's plan B? Go on a shopping spree and get several smaller and medium sized studios/publishers? Are there interested in expanding at all if they can't get a big mobile player?
 

Mibu no ookami

Demoted Member® Pro™
I think it's pretty clear that the AB deal won't be approved. What will be MS's plan B? Go on a shopping spree and get several smaller and medium sized studios/publishers? Are there interested in expanding at all if they can't get a big mobile player?

If this injunction is allowed, they'll pull out of the deal and they'll largely be aware of how difficult future M&A will be for them.

It will require a complete change in strategy with the senior management team at Xbox, out.

Xbox Series is already dead or dying. They're facing a massive ratio of sold PS5s by the end of the year to sold Series units. If Sony releases a pro unit, they're unlikely to follow. This carve out in the console market will not look good for microsoft. I could see them being outsold 4:1 the next two years.
 

mrmustard

Banned
If this injunction is allowed, they'll pull out of the deal and they'll largely be aware of how difficult future M&A will be for them.

It will require a complete change in strategy with the senior management team at Xbox, out.

Xbox Series is already dead or dying. They're facing a massive ratio of sold PS5s by the end of the year to sold Series units. If Sony releases a pro unit, they're unlikely to follow. This carve out in the console market will not look good for microsoft. I could see them being outsold 4:1 the next two years.
That's why i said smaller/medium. Should be much more easy to buy.
4:1? That would mean Sony would sell more than 200 million PS5 and i don't see that. Maybe 2,5 or max 3.
 

Mibu no ookami

Demoted Member® Pro™
That's why i said smaller/medium. Should be much more easy to buy.
4:1? That would mean Sony would sell more than 200 million PS5 and i don't see that. Maybe 2,5 or max 3.

No, I mean on an annual basis.

If Sony sells 25 million units and Xbox sells 6.25 million units that is a 4:1 ratio.

If Sony releases a Pro unit and Microsoft doesn't AND this ABK deal is blocked I fully expect a minimum of 3:1.
 
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