I always said Microsoft would eventually kill the gaming industry.
Notice how Sony gets exclusives without buying everyone? Microsoft make me sick.
I think that’s a bit of hyperbole; the fact is Microsoft is being reactive to changes in the industry, not proactive.
Games are getting more and more expensive, and it’s getting riskier and riskier for game studios to remain independent; many would much rather be under Microsoft’s (or any other larger corporation’s) umbrella than be one game away from closure. In theory, we should be supportive of these acquisitions in that scenario.
I understand that Zenimax kinda shook some people due to the size of the acquisition, but honestly I think that was a once in a blue-moon type scenario. Zenimax wanted to be sold, it’s not as if Microsoft just kept throwing money at them until the acquiesced, and truthfully I feel more comfortable with them being under Microsoft as it exists today than Amazon, Google, or Tencent.
The industry is rapidly heading towards the consolidation of its smaller studios, and all the big players know it, it’s the nature of any entertainment industry. And while it may upset some, Microsoft is the only player with both a near bottomless wallet and some kind of footprint in the gaming industry.
I’m certain that Sony will get their own licks in, with studios like Bluepoint and Housemarque, but it’s undeniable that Microsoft is in a much better position to get the most out of this rush to consolidate.