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A huge purchase is imminent within 1 month from now

sainraja

Member
"only play against 360 players option"? Document that then. It sounds made up. The only documented instance of cross play we have between 360 and PS3 is here:


And Microsoft was clearly against it.

Oh wait......sorry.....you are ignoring me because I ask questions. I'm so stupid.

Randy Orton Reaction GIF by WWE
^^ pretty much. The story I remember from back then had to do with a PC game but pretty much this.
 
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Bryank75

Banned
Is MS buying Take Two a crazy thought?

They are around 18-20 billion market value but could sell for 25-30 billion.

Unlikely to sell though..... things like NBA2K and WWE would be required to be multiplatform even after an acquisition.

R* puts out about 1 game per generation now.

It's a huge chunk of money, even for MSFT for such little output.

They could do it... but the real question is 'would they?' and would T2 accept?
 

MrFunSocks

Banned
Is MS buying Take Two a crazy thought?
Yes because they have no reason to sell. GTA just prints profit like no other.

^^ pretty much. The story I remember from back then had to do with a PC game but pretty much this.

Microsoft had no problem with it, the developers just had to follow the rules, just like they have to follow rules now.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Yes because they have no reason to sell. GTA just prints profit like no other.



Microsoft had no problem with it, the developers just had to follow the rules, just like they have to follow rules now.

How does any of that back up what you said about the “only on 360 option”?
 

Larlight

Member
They are around 18-20 billion market value but could sell for 25-30 billion.

Unlikely to sell though..... things like NBA2K and WWE would be required to be multiplatform even after an acquisition.

R* puts out about 1 game per generation now.

It's a huge chunk of money, even for MSFT for such little output.

They could do it... but the real question is 'would they?' and would T2 accept?

Why would they? GTA5 literally prints money for them. RDR2 was successful and no doubt GTA6 will be a monster. NBA 2K sells like hotcakes including the microtransaction. 2K isn't hurting.
 

Bryank75

Banned
Why would they? GTA5 literally prints money for them. RDR2 was successful and no doubt GTA6 will be a monster. NBA 2K sells like hotcakes including the microtransaction. 2K isn't hurting.

Yeah, precisely and cutting off PlayStation would just kill the whole way they operate too....

That would literally cut off half or more of their income.
 

Dabaus

Banned
They are around 18-20 billion market value but could sell for 25-30 billion.

Unlikely to sell though..... things like NBA2K and WWE would be required to be multiplatform even after an acquisition.

R* puts out about 1 game per generation now.

It's a huge chunk of money, even for MSFT for such little output.

They could do it... but the real question is 'would they?' and would T2 accept?
Didn’t the ceo of take 2 recently publicly state that gamepass doesn’t work for the type of games take 2 makes? He literally said that and then all these rumors from Twitter Xbox guys started to swirl.

Like why would the ceo say that if a Xbox buyout was imminent? To raise the bargaining price? Is that even legal?

Here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ga...snt-want-new-games-on-game-pass/1100-6494686/
 
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Why would they? GTA5 literally prints money for them. RDR2 was successful and no doubt GTA6 will be a monster. NBA 2K sells like hotcakes including the microtransaction. 2K isn't hurting.
Because the investors would become very very rich very very fast...these games print money for the company but the investors make money off the price of the current shares...a game can make a billion a day but if the market deems the share unvaluable then that doesnt matter much to investors. The value of a company often isnt tied to the price of a share. so if you can sell your shares for a massive profit say 30 billion when you company is worth 15-20 billion most investors would take it.
 
Last official numbers were 18 million.... there was unofficial numbers of 23 million but if it's not official I tend to not fully be on board with it.
I think Jeff Grubb was the source on the second number. None since then or recently.
I meant specific numbers or some measure of Psychonauts 2's performance. Your post made me think that game in particular had underperformed and I was wondering if that was based on something released by Microsoft.

Regarding GamePass more broadly, I suspect that by the time Starfield launches, they'll be in the 50 million subs range. I know that number seems really large, but these kinds of things can snowball quickly, and anecdotally, everyone in real life that has mentioned GamePass to me has been entirely positive. I could be overestimating, of course, but as high-speed internet propogates in places like India (a big growth target for MS), the value proposition of GamePass and Xcloud looks like a no-brainer.
 

Dabaus

Banned
For you take 2 truthers the ceo literally said gamepass doesn’t work. Why would the ceo bold face lie like that if they were about to be bought out?


Also for what it’s worth a take 2 journalist/ reporter called @videotech said he hadn’t heard anything like that and it was unlikely in his opinion.
 
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Perrott

Gold Member
Didn’t the ceo of take 2 recently publicly state that gamepass doesn’t work for the type of games take 2 makes? He literally said that and then all these rumors from Twitter Xbox guys started to swirl.

Like why would the ceo say that if a Xbox buyout was imminent? To raise the bargaining price? Is that even legal?

Here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ga...snt-want-new-games-on-game-pass/1100-6494686/
Well, it doesn't work based on the current interests of Take Two Interactive (an independent entity as of now), but if Microsoft were to acquire them and dump all of their titles into Game Pass, then of course it would start making sense for them because boosting the GP subscribers count is Microsoft's end goal.
 

Dabaus

Banned
Well, it doesn't work based on the current interests of Take Two Interactive (an independent entity as of now), but if Microsoft were to acquire them and dump all of their titles into Game Pass, then of course it would start making sense for them because boosting the GP subscribers count is Microsoft's end goal.
I don’t think the ceo of a company would say something like that and turn heel so quickly. I mean I guess it’s possible as negotiation tactic to squeeze a few extra billion out of MS. Is that legal though? Idk. Seems extremely pie in the sky to me.
 

Perrott

Gold Member
I don’t think the ceo of a company would say something like that and turn heel so quickly. I mean I guess it’s possible as negotiation tactic to squeeze a few extra billion out of MS. Is that legal though? Idk. Seems extremely pie in the sky to me.
Anything that comes out of the mouth of a company's CEO is no more than marketing, lies and other crap, like there's hardly any real basis to any of the PR bullshit they spit out. If an X company were to pull off a hostile takeover of Take Two tomorrow, then Strauss Zelsnick won't have any issue in backtracking on whatever shit he had stated the day before.
 
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Bryank75

Banned
I meant specific numbers or some measure of Psychonauts 2's performance. Your post made me think that game in particular had underperformed and I was wondering if that was based on something released by Microsoft.

Regarding GamePass more broadly, I suspect that by the time Starfield launches, they'll be in the 50 million subs range. I know that number seems really large, but these kinds of things can snowball quickly, and anecdotally, everyone in real life that has mentioned GamePass to me has been entirely positive. I could be overestimating, of course, but as high-speed internet propogates in places like India (a big growth target for MS), the value proposition of GamePass and Xcloud looks like a no-brainer.

Psychonauts didn't chart at all.... so that is a bad sign.

Not in the top 200 I believe.

As for Gamepass, I don't know. They were converting / upselling people from Gold to GP and that is easier to do than gain new subscribers and new users to xbox just for the subscription.

I assume the lack of official word is due to a slowdown... Halo is out soon and we will see if they announce something in the following months. If Halo doesn't do it, I have my doubts about Starfield as a new IP.

Personally, the Zenimax thing doesn't really bother me directly, I was never a big fan of their games although I played the bigger titles.... the industry is big enough that I can just pick another game to play instead and PS exclusives are my thing TBH. I wouldn't get another platform for those games.

Only time can inform us on many of these other things....
 
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Bryank75

Banned
My bet is Microsoft buying Sega.

I mean, they could but... that would pretty much kill Persona and SMT along with a few of their other franchises.

I believe 70-90% of their game sales are actually in Japan and we all know how Xbox sells there, PC isn't much bigger.

I know many old Sega people are with xbox now.... so I understand the desire.
 

Three

Member
Yes because they have no reason to sell. GTA just prints profit like no other.



Microsoft had no problem with it, the developers just had to follow the rules, just like they have to follow rules now.
Stop, that is PS2 vs PC vs 360 on a game xbox absolutely struggled with. Hmmm I wonder why they didn't have a problem with it across PS2 back then but did with the PS3 once 360 was taking off. You have developer accounts from the 360/PS3 where MS actively blocked cross play. Developer accounts from Square Enix and the next final fantasy which you linked. Accounts from Criterion where they had cross play working and were asked to disable it from MS. And accounts from the defiance dev linked by Topher Topher who again was blocked by MS. I think if you search hard enough there is even a quote from a MS exec about how xbox live offers too much value and security to allow it.
 
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Dabaus

Banned
Anything that comes out of the mouth of a company's CEO is no more than marketing, lies and other crap, like there's hardly any real basis to any of the PR bullshit they spit out. If an X company were to pull off a hostile takeover of Take Two tomorrow, then Strauss Zelsnick won't have any issue in backtracking on whatever shit he had stated the day before.
I don’t think zelsnick went out there to lie just because he can or felt like it. He has investors he has to answer to. Heck maybe he made this public statement because MS really were in negotiations with them and this is his polite way of saying “no thanks?”
 

Kagey K

Banned
Psychonauts didn't chart at all.... so that is a bad sign.

Not in the top 200 I believe.

As for Gamepass, I don't know. They were converting / upselling people from Gold to GP and that is easier to do than gain new subscribers and new users to xbox just for the subscription.

I assume the lack of official word is due to a slowdown... Halo is out soon and we will see if they announce something in the following months. If Halo doesn't do it, I have my doubts about Starfield as a new IP.

Personally, the Zenimax thing doesn't really bother me directly, I was never a big fan of their games although I played the bigger titles.... the industry is big enough that I can just pick another game to play instead and PS exclusives are my thing TBH. I wouldn't get another platform for those games.

Only time can inform us on many of these other things....
Where are you getting not in the top 200?

I'm pretty sure it was said top 20.

200 probably sold 5 copies. I can't even think what game would be on the bottom of the top 200.
 
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Kagey K

Banned
Yeah, precisely and cutting off PlayStation would just kill the whole way they operate too....

That would literally cut off half or more of their income.
Why would it cut off half thier income? Wouldn't those that really like and want to play thier games just buy the system for it?

I mean that's literally how the PS2 got as popular as it was, straight off the back of GTA3 and Vice City.

If people are actually fans of the games, they will go where the game is, no?
 

Karak

Member
LOL. Nah the only thing I had got informed of was the Alan Wake stuff so that's why I tweeted the pic a couple days prior. Was sort of disappointed to see how it was announced though.
But it was from the same person. Interestingly enough I care more about replaying Alan Wake than any companies buying companies hahah

It would be VERY fun to do an IP investigation on Sega versus MS. Most companies look at their total collection of available IP's before a purchase and MS is sitting on their own hoard.
 
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bender

What time is it?
LOL. Nah the only thing I had got informed of was the Alan Wake stuff so that's why I tweeted the pic a couple days prior. Was sort of disappointed to see how it was announced though.
But it was from the same person. Interestingly enough I care more about replaying Alan Wake than any companies buying companies hahah

Good luck with that brother. I didn't like Alan Wake when it launched on 360 and I ended up replaying it last year along with American Nightmare. My impressions didn't improve much. Mechanically it is just so one note. I guess you could leverage the same complaints against Max Payne but I adored those games. The thing that stood out most about Alan Wake beyond Barry and failing to grasp how Energizer allowed them to market their batteries that way (lol) is how great your AI partners are. It's too bad that was a short lived section, but I guess having AI partners all the time wouldn't be a great system for a scary game...not that it was scary in the first place.
 

Karak

Member
Good luck with that brother. I didn't like Alan Wake when it launched on 360 and I ended up replaying it last year along with American Nightmare. My impressions didn't improve much. Mechanically it is just so one note. I guess you could leverage the same complaints against Max Payne but I adored those games. The thing that stood out most about Alan Wake beyond Barry and failing to grasp how Energizer allowed them to market their batteries that way (lol) is how great your AI partners are. It's too bad that was a short lived section, but I guess having AI partners all the time wouldn't be a great system for a scary game...not that it was scary in the first place.
Ya it WILL need some improvements. While I loved it I don't hold it any high regard for it enduring the test of time.
 

bender

What time is it?
Ya it WILL need some improvements. While I loved it I don't hold it any high regard for it enduring the test of time.

Are they tweaking the game play at all? I'm not sure it is fixable. Making the batteries last longer would make everyone happy, including Energizer.
 

Bryank75

Banned
Why would it cut off half thier income? Wouldn't those that really like and want to play thier games just buy the system for it?

I mean that's literally how the PS2 got as popular as it was, straight off the back of GTA3 and Vice City.

If people are actually fans of the games, they will go where the game is, no?

I'm assuming GTA is 2025 or 2026.... by which time most of the install base is basically done.

Like, I would estimate PS5 would be hitting 60-80 million if it was at the current pace and possibly higher if they increase supply and have a Pro.

It's a lot of money to pass up.
 
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Apple buys Nintendo and Disney.

Spider-Man 2, cancelled
Wolverine, cancelled
Kotor remake, cancelled
Mandalorian Xbox rumored exclusive, cancelled

New games in development:

Mario + Darth Vader: Federation Battle
The Legend of Zelda: Rey's Feelings
Donkey Kong Planet: That's No Moon!
Super Metroid II: Return of Boba Fett
Luigi's Estate: Mario, I'm Your Father!

All of the above, now exclusive™ to iOS devices and Apple Arcade.

justin bieber weed GIF
 
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lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
Apple buys Nintendo and Disney.

Spider-Man 2, cancelled
Wolverine, cancelled
Kotor remake, cancelled
Mandalorian Xbox rumored exclusive, cancelled

New games in development:

Mario + Darth Vader: Federation Battle
The Legend of Zelda: Rey's Feelings
Donkey Kong Planet: That's No Moon!
Super Metroid II: Return of Boba Fett
Luigi's Estate: Mario, I'm Your Father!

All of the above, now exclusive™ to iOS devices and Apple Arcade.
Goose Jerk GIF by 9 Skies Photography
 

Kagey K

Banned
I'm assuming GTA is 2025 or 2026.... by which time most of the install base is basically done.

Like, I would estimate PS5 would be hitting 60-80 million if it was at the current pace and possibly higher if they increase supply and have a Pro.

It's a lot of money to pass up.
Regardless of install base, if it was exclusive to one system or another it would convert players. There would be no money passed up.

If people really wanted to play it, they would buy the system it's on, regardless of allegiances.

Doesn't matter if it's comes out year 1 or year 8. It's probably the only game that is platform agnostic, and ppl will just buy it (and the console) wherever it is.
 

MonarchJT

Banned
Why would it cut off half thier income? Wouldn't those that really like and want to play thier games just buy the system for it?

I mean that's literally how the PS2 got as popular as it was, straight off the back of GTA3 and Vice City.

If people are actually fans of the games, they will go where the game is, no?
people like to forget things ) or maybe are just too young
 
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Bryank75

Banned
Regardless of install base, if it was exclusive to one system or another it would convert players. There would be no money passed up.

If people really wanted to play it, they would buy the system it's on, regardless of allegiances.

Doesn't matter if it's comes out year 1 or year 8. It's probably the only game that is platform agnostic, and ppl will just buy it (and the console) wherever it is.

Resident Evil went exclusive to Gamecube, Tomb Raider went timed exclusive to Xbox... didn't change much.

PS2 had an ocean of exclusives, I don't think GTA was make or break.

I'm interested to see how the 7.5+ billion dollars spent so far has translated (or not) into market share.
 

MonarchJT

Banned
Market cap doesn't have much bearing on anything tbh.

23 billion is 10 billion more than 2019, 2020 was an odd year.... hard to judge based on one year.

Income-wise Tencent is generally a bit ahead of Sony but they are also far more aggressive on acquisitions and expansion....you can see that from their debt burden, which is over 40 billion.

All in all, I would personally put Tencent and Sony in the same ballpark of power potential in terms of acquisitions. Tencent are much more likely to pull the trigger on things than Sony...who are conservative.

MSFT has a large debt load too but have so much cash on hand and annual income.... it really doesn't matter for them. The issue with MSFT in gaming acquisitions are things outside finance....

Things like regulatory oversight, they have been very aggressive in the last 2 years and may come under the microscope as to their intentions. Also relations with studios and potentially limiting access to certain audiences after an acquisition.... we see how smaller games have not done too well, like Psychonauts 2. We must see how the bigger games fare and if it actually increases the subscriber numbers enough to justify taking it off other platforms.
As i said tencent is a company that is almost entirely involved in gaming and film productions ...has no other interests .. while Sony takes care of many other things .. from health care to insurance from sensors to digital imaging .. to audio from TVs to phones sectors where it is needed to invest in partnerships, advertising, r & d .....and if that's not enough, Tencent develops more net income than Sony and in 2021 it seems that the gap is even greater than in 2020.

About the limiting access the only one who have this type of problem compared to Microsoft at least is Sony MSFT have PCs console and everything with a browser....if Sony does not decide (and will) to release everything on PC not too far from the launch itself, it will simply lose money as the user reach of the PS5 can never be that of the PC / console / browser platforms added together. Never.
 
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Bryank75

Banned
As i said tencent is a company that is almost entirely involved in gaming and film productions ...has no other interests .. while Sony takes care of many other things .. from health care to insurance from sensors to digital imaging .. to audio from TVs to phones sectors where it is needed to invest in partnerships, advertising, r & d .....and if that's not enough, Tencent develops more net income than Sony and in 2021 it seems that the gap is even greater than in 2020.

About the limiting access the only one who have this type of problem compared to Microsoft at least is Sony MSFT have PCs console and everything with a browser....if Sony does not decide (and will) to release everything on PC not too far from the launch itself, it will simply lose money as the user reach of the PS5 can never be that of the PC / console / browser platforms added together. Never.

Sony gaming revenue is higher than Xbox and Steam combined..... and is particularly focused on AAA releases.

When you take away things like WOW, LOL and Valorant, PC gaming is not half as impressive as it is implied.

For AAA gaming revenue, PlayStation smashes the rest.

Geographically, you're cutting off most of europe, middle east and Japan along with other global territories if you do not come to PlayStation,
Look at it geographically, not just abstract numbers. Nobody in Europe is gonna suddenly change to Xbox, especially when all your friends play on PS anyway.
 

Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
Sony gaming revenue is higher than Xbox and Steam combined..... and is particularly focused on AAA releases.

When you take away things like WOW, LOL and Valorant, PC gaming is not half as impressive as it is implied.

For AAA gaming revenue, PlayStation smashes the rest.

Geographically, you're cutting off most of europe, middle east and Japan along with other global territories if you do not come to PlayStation,
Look at it geographically, not just abstract numbers. Nobody in Europe is gonna suddenly change to Xbox, especially when all your friends play on PS anyway.
I guess their hope would have to be people sub to Gamepass and stream or play on PC if gamers in those regions are not willing to fully invest in the hardware. It is hard one for MS though, if their endgame is Gamepass in a way they'd be best going multi-platform and putting Gamepass (first party) on all platforms like EA do for EA access, that way they get the best of both worlds.

I suspect MS as a wider organisation still has dreams of 'owning the living room' though, and that is why they are still focussing on their own hardware, eventually a MS TV OS will be born and they'll offer it free or even pay TV manufacturers to use it 🤮 remember they claim that their real competition is Google and Amazon who are both making those moves.
 
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kuncol02

Banned
LOL. Nah the only thing I had got informed of was the Alan Wake stuff so that's why I tweeted the pic a couple days prior. Was sort of disappointed to see how it was announced though.
But it was from the same person. Interestingly enough I care more about replaying Alan Wake than any companies buying companies hahah

It would be VERY fun to do an IP investigation on Sega versus MS. Most companies look at their total collection of available IP's before a purchase and MS is sitting on their own hoard.
I could bet MS would really like to secure Relic, Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive and Amplitude games in gamepass. Not even talking about owning them. And that's only PC side of Sega.
If they would be able to is obviously totally different question.

eventually a MS TV OS will be born and they'll offer it free or even pay TV manufacturers to use it 🤮
It can't be worse than AndroidTV.
 
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SaucyJack

Member
Resident Evil went exclusive to Gamecube, Tomb Raider went timed exclusive to Xbox... didn't change much.

PS2 had an ocean of exclusives, I don't think GTA was make or break.

I'm interested to see how the 7.5+ billion dollars spent so far has translated (or not) into market share.

Isn’t it the other way round? The PS2 made GTA.

And they were only timed exclusive on PS2.
 
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Bojanglez

The Amiga Brotherhood
I could bet MS would really like to secure Relic, Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive and Amplitude games in gamepass. Not even talking about owning them. And that's only PC side of Sega.
If they would be able to is obviously totally different question.


It can't be worse than AndroidTV.
I happen to think Android TV is the best TV OS I've ever used, but the competition is poor. To be honest I'd rather TVs just basically be big monitors and allow us to rely on external boxes for apps and stuff.
 

MonarchJT

Banned
Sony gaming revenue is higher than Xbox and Steam combined..... and is particularly focused on AAA releases.

When you take away things like WOW, LOL and Valorant, PC gaming is not half as impressive as it is implied.

For AAA gaming revenue, PlayStation smashes the rest.

Geographically, you're cutting off most of europe, middle east and Japan along with other global territories if you do not come to PlayStation,
Look at it geographically, not just abstract numbers. Nobody in Europe is gonna suddenly change to Xbox, especially when all your friends play on PS anyway.
mindshare and market share changing is easier than you think it happened hundreds times with products is not something crazy ...and to Xbox for example happened with the x360
 

kuncol02

Banned
I happen to think Android TV is the best TV OS I've ever used, but the competition is poor. To be honest I'd rather TVs just basically be big monitors and allow us to rely on external boxes for apps and stuff.
In terms of software compatibility it's fine, but it's so slow and unstable. It's like android phone from 10 years ago.
 
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SaucyJack

Member
Is MS buying Take Two a crazy thought?

Yes.

Sure Microsoft have the resources to acquire almost anyone, but it doesn’t mean that they will. The price tag for Take Two would certainly be comfortably beyond the $26 billion that Microsoft spent on their most expensive acquisition, LinkedIn. I just don’t see an acquisition of that size in the gaming space being likely right now.

I know people like to play fantasy M&A here but the reality is that Microsoft have just gone through a 3-4 year acquisition phase, massively increasing the scope of Xbox Studios. This was long overdue and the Xbox brand will be far the better for it. But this can’t go on forever, it’s now ending and they are likely going into a consolidation phase - where they need to turn their studio network into a much more efficient and effective operation. Adding more studios now would potentially do more harm than good.

Sony, on the other hand, were relatively quiet 2017-20 - only securing long term partner Insomniac - whilst MS were Growing rapidly. They're very publicly entering a content acquisition phase now - stated as $18 billion over 3 years - where gaming is likely to be the main focus. We’ve seen 3 modest acquisitions this year, there’s going to be more 2021-23.
 
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