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[OmegaSupreme]

that dream
you about it in some years

Sure jan. Wont bother me either way.

 

[ANDS]

Kind of like how Microsoft acquired Bethesda, a company they had an established relationship with.

The games that arguably made Bethesda a household name - have all launched on Playstation consoles alongside MIcrosoft ones.

Pretty gross for him to say that to be honest.

A slap in the face of the Xbox Game Studio developers.

A development studio like id Software has had more influence on the industry than any of Sony’s studios for example.

. . .by virtue of being there first.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

that dream
you about it in some years

Christ

Guilty pleasure: logging onto Gaf for the gifs

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

Also according to the rumors Sony was also interested in Bethesda and was also outbid (original price supposed to be 5 bln, MS just went with 7.5 at once).

That’s great business tactics - why not go $5B over what Sony bid. What I am saying is that I doubt “MS just went with 7.5 at once”.

 

[fart town usa]

They own Insomniac and that's good enough for me.

Curious about blue point though and if that mix up from earlier today is true.

 

[Jigsaah]

Ok, so where is the Microsoft war chest in your scenario? Far as I know, David didn’t have $7.5b+ to buy off the Philistines...

"a fist full of steroid needles" is a metaphor for Microsoft's war chest.

 

[Roberts]

The games that arguably made Bethesda a household name - have all launched on Playstation consoles alongside MIcrosoft ones.

Morrowind says hi.

 

[Hezekiah]

MS has more cash on hand than Sony's market cap. They know they cant get into a bidding war with MS.

Acquiring studios with prior relationship like Insomniac, Bluepoint, Housemarque and KojiPro makes more sense than going after big publishers like Zenimax, Square Enix, Sega or Ubisoft. He knows the moment he makes a bid for Square, Phil will just outbid him. If I were Jim, I would be careful about all those timed exclusives from Square. FF7, FF16 and now Forspoken. It reminds me of that speculation that after DeathLoop, Ghostwire Tokyo Jim was trying to sign Starfield as a timed exclusive which forced Phil's hand. Probably something someone made up, but its not something you want to entertain.

EDIT: This is the speculation I am talking about.

Sony was reportedly in talks to sign Starfield before Xbox’s Bethesda buyout | VGC

Microsoft has said it will honour PS5’s existing exclusivity agreements with Bethesda…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Starfield exclusivity had nothing to do with the Zenimax deal, they had been looking for a buyer for ages.

And Square Enix isn't going to be bought out by an American company no matter how big - especially one with zero gaming presence in Japan.

 

[SlimySnake]

Morrowind says hi.

Oblivion also launched on the xbox 360 7 months before the ps3 even came out.

 

[ZehDon]

Sony and Nintendo won't give if Zenimax stops releasing games an DLC on PS5 and Switch because Zenimax game sales were a tiny portion of PS4 and Switch/WiiU/3DS game sales, specially when compared to their 1st party output.

And we still have to see if Zenimax games announced as exclusive really will be full console exclusives instead of only timed console exclusives. Remember that the Xbox CEO said their strategy for Bethesda was 'first or best on Xbox', Phil said they were going to support their existing communities on other platforms and that also had contractual stuff etc.

MS will continue being the 3rd after the Zenimax purchase, and not only selling hardware, but also regarding total game sales and total with exclusive game sales too.

This flow chart gets more mileage than it should.

 

[Hezekiah]

Makes sense, altough I bet they’ve realized they have to be more swift as well. They can’t just help build the reputation of a studio for several gens and then aquire the studio.

I think Ninja Theory was a great get for Xbox and I have a feeling Sony was looking forward to working with them in the future before Xbox bought them. Now they simply can’t.

I doubt it - Heavenly Sword and Hellblade were both merely above average games.

 

[Hezekiah]

their fans definitely seem to be tho

How many studio list threads have we had on here since the Zenimax deal?

 

[Wulfer]

You are absolutely right. Now Sony are the big fish in the pond with an older medium sized fish and a smallish fish that dreams of being a big fish one day and talks and talks and talks about all of the worms they will eat years from now.

You do understand who just lost Starfield (among others) right?

 

[Hezekiah]

Game is included in GamePass, so I'll have an extra $70 burning in my pocket

Optimistic GAF posters: "GamePass is sustainable, it makes plenty of money".

Also GAF posters: "GamePass is free and I'll remain subscribed to it forever".

 

[WizeVibez]

There's no future where everyone is playing on a single platform by a single company. There is an arms race, but it's more of a friendly tug of war than an attempt to crush the opposition.

 

[fallingdove]

You do understand who just lost Starfield (among others) right?

Meh. Lots to eat on Playstation. I don’t need to concern myself with games that are a year+ away from developers I rarely enjoy games from. Glad you are excited.

 

[Dabaus]

Considering they have no output after the acquisition yet, that remains to be seen. I predict a decline of several of their IPs and others will inevitably be released back to playstation to salvage profits.

Virtually every game Bethesda/zenimax released bombed last generation except doom 2016 and fallout 4. Most of the sales for both of those were on ps4. I thought I read somewhere doom eternal underperformed and it released on a huge ps4 installed base plus pc and Xbox. I’m not saying that these Bethesda games will come to PlayStation but I can’t help but feel MS is milking the idea that they’ll “never come to PlayStation ever” for a bit of good PR and marketing. I only say this because whenever given the chance either Todd Howard or Pete Hines never flat out rejects their games coming to PlayStation, more like vague “never say never” insinuations. Also the MS cheif financial officer flat out saying “Bethesda games will be first or best on Xbox.”

I don’t care either way because Bethesda games are unplayable janky messes in my opinion, but Bethesda at least seems to want to keep the door open as does Phil’s boss, the chief financial officer.

 

[Topher]

You do understand who just lost Starfield (among others) right?

I think some folks find more value in that than they do in actually playing the game one day. Pretty sad.

 

[Hayabusabruh]

Phil..If you're reading this.......Da fuq you goin do now?

 

[Guilty_AI]

How many studio list threads have we had on here since the Zenimax deal?

what? did i hit a nerve?

 

[Nocturno999]

Pussy /s

 

[iHaunter]

Of course, they cant afford to.

How many exclusives have Xbox released so far?

 

[Sir Vilhelm]

You are absolutely right. Now Sony are the big fish in the pond with an older medium sized fish and a smallish fish that dreams of being a big fish one day and talks and talks and talks about all of the worms they will eat years from now.

Explain like I am not a 13 year old stoner sitting on a park bench.

 

[Killer8]

It's lame as hell when companies pretend to not be in competition.

"We are ALL gamers! It doesn't matter where you play! Console tribalism is one of the worst things about our industry!"

Fuck that, console wars and the ensuing sperg outs from the fanboys are fun as fuck to behold.

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

The games that arguably made Bethesda a household name - have all launched on Playstation consoles alongside MIcrosoft ones.

Morrowind was Xbox exclusive, Oblivion was timed exclusive, and Skyrim had severe issues on PS3. I would argue very few (comparatively) gamers became huge Bethesda fans (and especially Elder Scrolls fans) from playing them on Playstation than they did from Xbox, or mostly PC

 

[mckmas8808]

Maybe if Sony took some pointers from Microsoft on how to run "efficiently", they too would be a 2-trillion dollar company.

 

[Exanthus]

Lol... Random acquisitions.... Aha.

 

[nightmare-slain]

of course Sony and MS ain’t rivals who hate each other. That’s all just bullshit imagined by fans. they are competitors yes but there is no hatred between them. its the fans who make the whole thing so toxic.

 

[captainraincoat]

I think he means as a total business.....while sony as a whole was much better its still full of shithouse divisions that drain the good parts of their business
and this is probably why you wont see them rocking the boat as much as COVID would of had a pretty big effect and its also why you see alot of cost cutting stuff like Japanstudio and them thinking shutting down the ps3/vita stores was a great idea...many of these decisions are done by bean counters and not gamers

Jim is a bean counter

 

[twilo99]

The 2 trillion dollar valuation means nothing.

Really? Nothing..

 

[Ryu Kaiba]

They’ve been working a lot with Square Enix lately

As much as I love some of their games Square Enix is a mess.

 

[Shmunter]

More like a pissing contest

 

[Zones]

Settle for scraps? Uhh MS use their money to get games on Gamepass day one: Outriders, Back4Blood, MLB, Hades, A Plagues Tale Requiem, Stalker 2 etc.

Massive reading comprehension fail? I literally exactly said ‘when it comes to paid console exclusives’, and yet you are mentioning Outriders, Back4Blood, MLB The Show, Hades, Stalker 2, and A Plague Tale... but somehow you missed the fact that aside from Stalker, all of those games are releasing day and date on PlayStation?

I am basically scratching my head over this very obvious reading comprehension fail and I am wondering if the likes of you deliberately do this to shift the conversation from the weak trollish attempt you initially made, or that sort of mental gymnastics is all your brain naturally capable of?

 

[reksveks]

Jesus christ. I'm sorry. I should have been more specific. Xbox hardware. Consoles. Where is this quote you have of the series x successor in the works?

Microsoft says it's already working on new Xbox consoles, "some of which won't come to light for years"

Microsoft made a raft of announcements today around the cloud - but it has also insisted it remains committed to making…

www.eurogamer.net

Now moving on from this theory that there won't be a series x successor

 

[ReBurn]

 

[MistBreeze]

there is no war between sony or microsoft

Bethesda deal is not aimed for sony it was an opportunity as zenimax wanted to sell bethesda then microsoft jumped to take it rather than amazon or google as both have gaming business and to be honest it is for the best

Microsoft is a traditional console corporation ant it will be best for gamers

Sony chose microsoft servers for their cloud services and this proves that there is no hate between them

each company have a goal in gaming and both will try to achieve it not cause of war or hate cause of money

 

[mrBandoza]

It makes sense that they want to make sure to tie their long time partners to the brand to make sure they have games to call their own no matter what. I don’t think the Microsoft zenimax deal necessary changed Sonys plans but perhaps sped them up a bit.

Microsoft and Sony are competing over software and customers time i.e. money. I think that streaming will be bigger going forward and in this area it is important to have exclusive software and a good offer.

Both have streaming services, both have exclusive games. In the end the choice will be between the value you think you get from it. If you choose to buy in to one service or two. The hardware will be less and less important as a defining factor.

Nintendo only have hardware and exclusive. Wonder how it will pan out in the long run.

 

[Leyasu]

Massive reading comprehension fail? I literally exactly said ‘when it comes to paid console exclusives’, and yet you are mentioning Outriders, Back4Blood, MLB The Show, Hades, Stalker 2, and A Plague Tale... but somehow you missed the fact that aside from Stalker, all of those games are releasing day and date on PlayStation?

I am basically scratching my head over this very obvious reading comprehension fail and I am wondering if the likes of you deliberately do this to shift the conversation from the weak trollish attempt you initially made, or that sort of mental gymnastics is all your brain naturally capable of?

I think what he means is that Microsoft seems to have changed tactics. Instead of trying to secure 3rd party timed exclusives, they Pay for it to go on game pass.

There’s less backlash and it actually looks good for them. Undoubtedly costs less too

 

[bitbydeath]

Morrowind was Xbox exclusive, Oblivion was timed exclusive, and Skyrim had severe issues on PS3. I would argue very few (comparatively) gamers became huge Bethesda fans (and especially Elder Scrolls fans) from playing them on Playstation than they did from Xbox, or mostly PC

Ehh.
Morrowind - PS2 wasn’t powerful enough
Oblivion - wasn’t timed, the PS3 didn’t exist when it launched
Skyrim - had severe issues on everything

 

[fallingdove]

Explain like I am not a 13 year old stoner sitting on a park bench.

Lol.

I thought the comment previously made about Sony not being “the big fish anymore” was comedic.

All the acquisitions and shiny trailers and money in the world don’t make you a better video game platform until you actually deliver something. Meanwhile, Nintendo (the old, medium sized fish) is beating Microsoft because they are wiser and more innovative and have figured out how survive the loud, financially capable but creatively hollow businesses that come and go. All of this while living alongside Playstation (the big fish) who, while not as innovative as Nintendo, has proven itself again and again that it can build world class development teams and deliver highly successful, globally appealing products.

Microsoft very well could be the “big fish” someday but they haven’t suddenly struck gold, they have always had money. And for all of their talk and their “big ideas”, they have never achieved second place let alone industry leader.

 

[hemo memo]

Translation. We are winning handily and we don't need to throw money around. Fixed that for you.

It is a marathon not a race and Sony with Jimbo is so PS3 era arrogant they are just slow walking stupidly.

 

[hemo memo]

MS is very fortunate to have windows/office etc. Thankfully for Sony, they don't have to buy everything.

No. MS is very fortunate to have a VP who gives a fuck about gaming and the industry and not a total money-only suite.

 

[PropellerEar]

It is a marathon not a race and Sony with Jimbo is so PS3 era arrogant they are just slow walking stupidly.

Add some prayers and it might come through...

 

[PropellerEar]

No. MS is very fortunate to have a VP who gives a fuck about gaming and the industry and not a total money-only suite.

Sing the gospel brother...

 

[Negotiator101]

Can you google how much cash in hands Sony has and convince me why it is not enough to buy Bethesda?
If you claim something bring evidence or you are worth being banned.

You are mistaking Sony Corporation as a whole as the PS division. The company is huge and has enough money of course, but they are very unlikely to put that much money down for the gaming division. Microsoft by buying Zenimax has done something out of the ordinary, acquiring a major publisher is almost unheard of and something Sony has never done since PS was created.

 

[Jaguar Victory]

Sony buys smaller studios with potential. Good strategy. MS buys studios strategically to build their catalog, merchandising and to play keepaway from Google. Also good strategy. Notice how they allow Android apps on Win11 and have the Amazon store on there not the Google store. Microsoft is playing more than just the console game. It's an important facet but they're spending is as much to secure Windows as the only viable option for PC gaming.

 

[reksveks]

Sony buys smaller studios with potential. Good strategy. MS buys studios strategically to build their catalog, merchandising and to play keepaway from Google. Also good strategy. Notice how they allow Android apps on Win11 and have the Amazon store on there not the Google store. Microsoft is playing more than just the console game. It's an important facet but they're spending is as much to secure Windows as the only viable option for PC gaming.

Microsoft would allow Google Play Store based off Nadella's comments in Decoder podcast but think Google probably would have the bigger issue honestly as its a direct competitor to chromebooks.

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

You are mistaking Sony Corporation as a whole as the PS division. The company is huge and has enough money of course, but they are very unlikely to put that much money down for the gaming division. Microsoft by buying Zenimax has done something out of the ordinary, acquiring a major publisher is almost unheard of and something Sony has never done since PS was created.

Sony did say they will invest $18B over the next three years to expand gaming and their other media services.

 

[Negotiator101]

Sony did say they will invest $18B over the next three years to expand gaming and their other media services.

Yes gaming and other media. If gaming gets half of that it will be a nice amount. I think at the moment no one really knows if Microsoft are looking for another major buyout or if they'll just acquire the odd smaller developer now. Sony needed more studio's and this is the first in quite a few I would imagine. Both companies are looking to expand and that's great for us gamers.

 

[MOTM]

Massive reading comprehension fail? I literally exactly said ‘when it comes to paid console exclusives’, and yet you are mentioning Outriders, Back4Blood, MLB The Show, Hades, Stalker 2, and A Plague Tale... but somehow you missed the fact that aside from Stalker, all of those games are releasing day and date on PlayStation?

I am basically scratching my head over this very obvious reading comprehension fail and I am wondering if the likes of you deliberately do this to shift the conversation from the weak trollish attempt you initially made, or that sort of mental gymnastics is all your brain naturally capable of?