Cappy
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This is my message.
Posts: 641
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Post by Cappy on Jan 18, 2022 15:02:44 GMT
It's too early to worry about it really. Microsoft can splash as much cash as they like, they're just filling other people's pockets if they don't have the ability to properly manage these assets they're acquiring.
It was supposedly the winning master stroke when they bought Rare and they just couldn't keep staff and maintain the studio. Lionhead rapidly declined, I've not taken much interest in Doublefine, I doubt they'll keep their key staff and maintain their studio either.
There just seems to be something about Microsoft's internal culture that's not conducive to studios maintaining their identity and productivity. All they're getting from Activision/Blizzard is a bunch of IP that are mostly aged out and without creative direction anymore.
Fast forward to E3 2022 when I'm proven conclusively wrong and everybody goes gaga over the Pitfall Reboot.
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Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 18, 2022 15:04:32 GMT
I don’t know how reliable the numbers are but a quick google shows some articles from oct/nov putting series sales at 6.7 million, so with big games dropping support for the last gen consoles I don’t think they have much choice but to keep spending money at this point.
But honestly the financial side of things at Xbox has stopped making sense to me a long time ago.
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Tomo
Junior Member
Posts: 3,451
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Post by Tomo on Jan 18, 2022 15:06:03 GMT
Absolutely wild. Just shows how insanely wealthy/huge Microsoft is.
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X201
Full Member
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Post by X201 on Jan 18, 2022 15:10:41 GMT
It's too early to worry about it really. Microsoft can splash as much cash as they like, they're just filling other people's pockets if they don't have the ability to properly manage these assets they're acquiring.
It was supposedly the winning master stroke when they bought Rare and they just couldn't keep staff and maintain the studio. Lionhead rapidly declined, I've not taken much interest in Doublefine, I doubt they'll keep their key staff and maintain their studio either.
There just seems to be something about Microsoft's internal culture that's not conducive to studios maintaining their identity and productivity. All they're getting from Activision/Blizzard is a bunch of IP that are mostly aged out and without creative direction anymore.
To be fair to them, I did read an article a year or two ago where they acknowledged that it was their cock-up and that they realised leaving them to their own thing is the correct way forward. Even so, I can't help but think that Phil Spencer has to do a hell of a lot of internal fending off, to keep the Microsoft corporate machine away from the game developers. |
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Post by theguy on Jan 18, 2022 15:11:25 GMT
That's just another reason this is poor though. With how prone they are to mismanagement, it's also shitty that these studios could lose their quality and end up "sunsetted"
Also the other chestnut, with 70billion you could do a lot of other things in this damn industry, like actually creating new studios or IP's for one.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2022 15:12:37 GMT
Not sure how much management it takes to make Call of Duty.
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Post by killerbee on Jan 18, 2022 15:13:12 GMT
Gosh. I didn’t for a moment see this coming. And $70Bn is a huge sum of money.
I can’t help but feel that MS just buying up the industry like this is a concern though. I’m sure there’ll be some serious competition questions raised.
On the one hand, as a Gamepass subscriber, this all sounds great. I haven’t really bought any ActiBlizz games in years, so I don’t really care if they’re on PlayStation or not, but I’ll gladly blast through old COD campaigns for “free”.
But realistically, MS didn’t do this just to carry on as before - Sony and Nintendo platforms are losing these franchises in the not too distant future if this deal goes through. You only need to look at Zenimax / Bethesda for evidence of that.
And then once MS own such a huge slice of the content, prices will inevitably creep up….
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2022 15:13:22 GMT
But yeah it seems like an obscene amount of money which could have gone into actual funding new and interesting games.
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Post by snackplissken on Jan 18, 2022 15:19:24 GMT
Looking at their back catalogue of games there's a tonne of movie franchises which they won't be able to use either. So yeah other than the staples it's a bit of a shitter..
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ozthegweat
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Releasing indirect freedom
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Post by ozthegweat on Jan 18, 2022 15:26:13 GMT
And I thought buying Bethesda was the grand finale of their big shopping spree.
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Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 18, 2022 15:38:36 GMT
The price to put 1 metric ton on Mars is about a billion dollars. So with 70 you could put a small base on Mars. Or they could have launched 7 James Webb telescopes.
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Post by BigOrkWaaagh on Jan 18, 2022 15:39:12 GMT
But yeah it seems like an obscene amount of money which could have gone into actual funding new and interesting games. Playing Devil's Advocate, this is true but it takes what, 3 years to make a game? 70bn for Acti gives them a whole library right now. And possibly more importantly, simultaneously takes customers away from Sony. |
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Post by Jambowayoh on Jan 18, 2022 15:40:02 GMT
Makes me miss the days when console gaming was (comparatively) small companies like Sega and Nintendo, with no agenda other than making and selling games. Ahh yes those small plucky upstarts with nothing but noble intentions. |
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Post by Aunt Alison on Jan 18, 2022 15:40:34 GMT
There's going to be chav riots the likes of which have never been seen if they make COD exclusive. They've already got Xboxes |
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Post by TheSaint on Jan 18, 2022 15:42:18 GMT
Hard to know how this will all turn out but I haven't played a CoD game for years so will be good to get them all on Game Pass.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2022 15:45:54 GMT
But yeah it seems like an obscene amount of money which could have gone into actual funding new and interesting games. Playing Devil's Advocate, this is true but it takes what, 3 years to make a game? 70bn for Acti gives them a whole library right now. And possibly more importantly, simultaneously takes customers away from Sony. Oh yeah I don't doubt it's a good business move. But from a person who likes playing new and interesting games I'd much prefer the money went into making them. |
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Bongo Heracles
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Technically illegal to ride on public land
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Jan 18, 2022 15:47:59 GMT
Im genuinely quite amazed by how little I care about this. One of the highlighted games on the announcement tweet is Candy Crush, ffs.
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robthehermit
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Subjectively amusing
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Post by robthehermit on Jan 18, 2022 15:48:52 GMT
Twitters going to be dull as fuck for the next year or so then. It would probably help if I had important shit on my feed instead 95% gaming and 5% shit giveaways, although I did win some pork scratchings a few months back, so it's not all bad, although I will say that Mr Tubs think their product is a lot better than I do.
But yeah, it's going to be nothing except speculation on what's going to be exclusive and what isn't from now on.
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Post by Jambowayoh on Jan 18, 2022 15:49:10 GMT
I think the only measured, mature response to this news is...TAKE THAT GREYSTATION!
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Post by TheSaint on Jan 18, 2022 15:50:25 GMT
Im genuinely quite amazed by how little I care about this. One of the highlighted games on the announcement tweet is Candy Crush, ffs. Still earns over $1billion a year apparently. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2022 15:50:25 GMT
Yeah they've got nothing of interest for me. I think the Tony Hawk remake is the only thing I've bought of there's in a decade. I imagine there'll be some furious COD fans at the moment though.
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Post by Dougs on Jan 18, 2022 15:51:33 GMT
Im genuinely quite amazed by how little I care about this. One of the highlighted games on the announcement tweet is Candy Crush, ffs. Absolutely this. A few seconds after digesting the info, my reaction was just a shrug. |
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Post by Jambowayoh on Jan 18, 2022 15:53:09 GMT
Yeah they've got nothing of interest for me. I think the Tony Hawk remake is the only thing I've bought of there's in a decade. I imagine there'll be some furious COD fans at the moment though. I'm looking forward to seeing countless YouTube thumbnails of a douchebag wearing a baseball cap with his hands holding his head in shock and disbelief. |
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Jan 18, 2022 16:04:27 GMT
Im genuinely quite amazed by how little I care about this. One of the highlighted games on the announcement tweet is Candy Crush, ffs. Same. Oh, some games I will never play with be MS exclusive now? Great. Enjoy. |
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スコットランド
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Delicious gruel
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Post by スコットランド on Jan 18, 2022 16:05:46 GMT
But yeah it seems like an obscene amount of money which could have gone into actual funding new and interesting games. Playing Devil's Advocate, this is true but it takes what, 3 years to make a game? 70bn for Acti gives them a whole library right now. And possibly more importantly, simultaneously takes customers away from Sony. He wrote "new and interesting games." |
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Post by Dougs on Jan 18, 2022 16:06:59 GMT
It's a bit shit for the sector though and points to tricky times ahead for lots of the industry
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スコットランド
Junior Member
Delicious gruel
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Post by スコットランド on Jan 18, 2022 16:08:46 GMT
One benefit is that the recently neglected "M$" is making a glorious return to gaming forums everywhere.
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Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 18, 2022 16:10:25 GMT
I don’t get it. 25 million gamepass subscribers, that $2800 spend on this deal per subscriber.
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KD
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RIP EG
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Post by KD on Jan 18, 2022 16:13:10 GMT
In the Guardian article it quotes something about creating a metaverse, I stopped reading on.
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Ulythium
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Post by Ulythium on Jan 18, 2022 16:13:36 GMT
At this point, I just want to lock Phil Spencer and Jim Ryan in a room, and keep them there until they've learned to play nicely. (Not a room from the Saw movies or anything - I'm not a total monster! A nicely-furnished boardroom, stocked with coffee and pastries.) "Okay, Phil, how's this: we'll give you Demon's Souls and Bloodborne in exchange for Starfield." "Hmm. Throw in Rift Apart and you've got yourself a deal." "Sold! Now, you say you want Spider-Man and Miles Morales? That's gonna cost you."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Halo."
"Which one?"
"All of them, Phillip."
"Fuck me sideways, Jim - that's a bit steep!"
See? Everybody wins (unless you only have a Switch, I suppose).
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