With the Activision deal possibly being approved, what could stop MS from literally buying the industry at this point

Will MS keep buying studios?

  • Yes

    Votes: 342 88.1%
  • No

    Votes: 46 11.9%

  • Total voters
    388
Yes due to one franchise. Their other franchises aren't so hot and those who aren't on COD will likely get the chopping block.

Well that was the case without Microsoft, when you're making games for a subscription service it actually allows you to take more risks and offer more variety. I'm hopeful some older franchises will return.
 
What gonna stop them? They still got 40B in cash. Might as well snoop EA while we talking

The same regulators who almost (and still could) stop them from getting ABK?

Also even if they buy up EA, it's still a large leap to then assume they are locking everything to a subscription and injecting loads of MTX.

Like I said, tin foil hat nonsense.
 
The real question is:
How long until people realize Ms is mismanaging ABK too and start complaining about how the system is unfair and that Ms needs another acquisition?
 
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They will just buy more publishers and studios, it's all they've ever done. They'll probably Lock everything in Game Pass or charge whatever they want to have a license to play the game.

I couldn't give a rats ass about the majority of games ABK have but it doesn't take a genius to see how the future of the industry could be affected by this. I own all platforms to be clear so still have access to these games regardless of whatever decisions Microsoft make going forward.

Remember, these people are running a business. They don't give a fuck about this industry outside of how it generates money for them.
Hopefully Sony can buy everything else up and save gaming.
 

tomorrow is wednesday
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Would they buy more? Sure, smaller companies. I can't see them buying more AAA companies the size of Activision, EA, Take Two or Ubisoft.
1. Money. Microsoft put billions into buying a company the size of Activision, I don't think they want to chance that again.
2. Interest of other companies. As we now know Microsoft already tried to buy a bunch of different companies and they all turned the offer down.
3. Monopoly is illegal. Buying one company, even as large as Activision, is not buying the entire industry. If they attempted to buy too many then the government would be more likely to intervene.
 
The same regulators who almost (and still could) stop them from getting ABK?

Also even if they buy up EA, it's still a large leap to then assume they are locking everything to a subscription and injecting loads of MTX.

Like I said, tin foil hat nonsense.
Regulators can't stop a 40B EA merger if they fail to stop 70B merger.

Either ways gaming industry is heading for the next crash and we deserves it
 
Only way is a big tech joinning ps by partner or buying out. Without real money for PS, MS can consolidate everything. But I doubt at least one big player will try to compete. Really doubt companies with money will watch ms consolidate the biggest entertain market.

Ms will not gonna stop. Their next move is another big american pub.
 
Regulators can't stop a 40B EA merger if they fail to stop 70B merger.

Either ways gaming industry is heading for the next crash and we deserves it
Was going to say something similar. We are headed for a major drought like the late Atari days. If Sony is forced out by loss leading, MS will just sit on top of every game that has been made and make you pay monthly for access to them while making barely any new games that are likely to be garbage.
 
OP. Other acqusitions will be A LOT more difficult for MS if they close the ABK acquisition. I'd say it's Activision Blizzard OR some other big studios. Can't get both. Could buy some smaller ones though but it's not a big deal.

In the end they have only like 20% (?) of the market now, in some regions they barely exist, so nothing major is going to change for PS gamers which I assume is the concern here with all the meltdowns I see on Twitter etc.

Just keep on playing games you like and let the business side of the industry be as boring as it really is. I've been putting these threads on an ignore list for like half a year now, nothing against you or anyone else writing these threads here, I just think it's a good way for me to better focus on the games.

Off to the 4th temple in Zelda TOTK! 👍🙂
 
Watch the talent leave the studios en masse.
In this market and to miss out on their acquisition payday? I know from firsthand exposure MS compensation will be way more generous than whatever Activision staff have been getting.

If anything, expect some layoffs restructuring
 
Was going to say something similar. We are headed for a major drought like the late Atari days. If Sony is forced out by loss leading, MS will just sit on top of every game that has been made and make you pay monthly for access to them while making barely any new games that are likely to be garbage.
I think this is funny. People will short term vision only likes shit that benefit them in close future but they don't see how it gonna bite them in the ass later.

That's why shit like PPP loan and student debt forgive got popular. That's why US got strung hold by 2 big political parties who willingly to screw their constituents and yet they still vote for them.
 
Sony can still buy studios like SquareEnix but they don't have the financial ressources that MS have. Still wonder on which side SEGA will fall, the Dreamcast fan that I am would like MS (found memories of Panzer Dragon Orta, JSFR, Outrun, Crazy Taxi, etc).

MS won a huge battle today, the biggest of their history.
 
Why would they stop? All those praising this kind of behavior have no idea what you're in for.

Or you do and don't care because tribalism.
 
They will keep buying for sure, but MS is further than ever from owning the whole gaming industry at this point. Sony and perhaps Ubisoft feels the threat because their strategy is throw a lot of money to create games where MS will easily outspend them. Perhaps MS will buy ubisoft very soon if ubisoft's valuation falls further with more of their missteps in the future.
 
I think Xbox buys some embracer studios/ips in a package, and some small western studios. I think a sega partnership is very likely, rather than a full on acquisition.
 
I think microsoft and sony will buy whoever they want now.

Becuase, The thing that blows my mind, is all we heard on here was that the deal was dead and there's no overturning the CMAs decision...then within hours of FTC being assassinated the CMA steps up like, we are ready to sort any deal you want.

Wtf happened?
 
What tread is this? Sony control damage? Sony dominates the western market, including buying exclusivity for third party games, not only did it buy Bungie, Bleepoint, Insomniac. Even the judge said this:
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I don't see all this concern about the games market, let's go stop with the hypocrisy.
 
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What tread is this? Sony control damage? Sony dominates the western market, including buying exclusivity for third party games, not only did it buy Bungie, Bleepoint, Insomniac. Even the judge said this:
06b6bbceef1198d6ce4aef9303c99624bd06b123e9897ad4012cec73e8e54ba5.png


I don't see all this concern about the games market, let's go with the hypocrisy.

This is a blatantly partisan reading. "Extracting" suggests a coercive approach, whereas its actually cooperative. Its simply more appealing for third-parties to make arrangements with the market leader in their field.
 
Pretty much nothing can stop them

Hopefully Sony will snatch up Remedy, FromSoft, Capcom and Square before they do.
 
This is a blatantly partisan reading. "Extracting" suggests a coercive approach, whereas its actually cooperative. Its simply more appealing for third-parties to make arrangements with the market leader in their field.

And you know this for certain? Got proof?
 
Activision was literally implementing always online into every single PC game, while also releasing many games as Battlenet exclusives. On consoles they've also started releasing empty physical media. Now we're probably getting more games on Steam, less always online, day one releases on Gamepass, and more cloud options like Geforce NOW and xCloud. I don't mind Microsoft buying publishers when I know it will be better for us. So yeah, I wouldn't mind if they bought Ubisoft as well.
 
Pretty much nothing can stop them

Hopefully Sony will snatch up Remedy, FromSoft, Capcom and Square before they do.
And hopefully Konami, take 2, Sega, and others stay independent because those franchises being off their platform would be horrible for most fans of those company's franchises
 
Toothless cowards. The check must have cleared at the CMA. So much corruption in the free market.

I just hope the CMA doesn't accept their new terms, whatever they are, or people stop buying COD one day and it dies, that would be great.

MS has always been a cancerous company.
 
What tread is this? Sony control damage? Sony dominates the western market, including buying exclusivity for third party games, not only did it buy Bungie, Bleepoint, Insomniac. Even the judge said this:
06b6bbceef1198d6ce4aef9303c99624bd06b123e9897ad4012cec73e8e54ba5.png


I don't see all this concern about the games market, let's go stop with the hypocrisy.
Take a look at COD user base on PlayStation.
Now take away COD from that user base, that's the concern. (Using Bethesda exclusivity as an example)

Sony didn't take anything away from the Xbox user base with those acquisitions.
 
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