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PlayStation Is Hiring For A Manager To Identify "Inorganic Growth Opportunities Through Acquisitions & Investments"

graywolf323

Member
Fuck no it's not.

Every merger in the gaming biz has delivered worse games and dire consequences to beloved ips and studios, at best you are looking for things to stay as they are.
I’m still a bit saddened over Square-Enix… they’ve never quite reached the heights either company had prior to the merger (though they have at least put out some great games still and seem to be getting better lately)
 

bender

What time is it?
Paging Don Mattrick.

I'd just wait for Phil to become available seeing how his console is underperforming Don's.

jimmy-butler-smile-cwgyhv3t4vzlcrdj.gif
 
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Lupin25

Member
Aquiring companies like SEGA, Square-Enix, and/or Capcom would be great for Sony's business. Unfortunately for me, I care about those companies as much as I care about ABK, which is to say, nothing.

Now CDPR, Larian, From Software, and Warhorse Studios on the other hand...

Don’t you mean it’s “fortunate” for you then, since you don’t actually care?

None of this should come as a surprise after Zenimax/Bethesda, let alone after ABK is finalized.

Thanks Microsoft, now Sony will go after multiplats.
 
I’m still a bit saddened over Square-Enix… they’ve never quite reached the heights either company had prior to the merger (though they have at least put out some great games still and seem to be getting better lately)
it was like an instant freefall from the Squaresoft Golden Era. Alas, they flew too close to the sun...

I still havent watched the spirits within and I should. If nothing else, it was a pivotal turning point in video games history.
 

Robb

Gold Member
Let the consolidation begin! Will be interesting to see what happens now that MS has opened Pandora’s box.
 
Both, and at the same time.
But I wonder if inorganic would rule out Square considering their already close relationship.
The only reason Sony would buy SE is if it was the only way to keep MS from buying them. There's not much reason otherwise, as they already have a good thing going with them.
 
Does inorganic mean someone that’s not second party?
Organic means internal growth. Inorganic means any aquisition where you are buying some other company.
Sony buying a second party is still inorganic growth.
If Sony set up a new studio themselves then that would be organic.
The fact that people throw the term organic growth around when they have no idea what it means is quite funny.
 
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I don’t think this means much, but I just don’t see Sony acquiring a major company like SquareEnix or Capcom. At most it will probably be some small indie studios or cheap studios that create live service games or something.
 

Gorgon

Member
Don’t you mean it’s “fortunate” for you then, since you don’t actually care?

None of this should come as a surprise after Zenimax/Bethesda, let alone after ABK is finalized.

Thanks Microsoft, now Sony will go after multiplats.

No, I meant "unfortunate", because aquiring those companies would not ensure that any IPs I care about personaly would still be available on my console of preference (PS, because that's where the bulk of my game library is. My XSX is just for a few exclusives like Starfield and will probably be replaced by a PC in a few years. Guess it was my first MS console and it will be the last too). But for Sony, as a business, it makes sense.

Not sure if I misunderstood you or if you misunderstood me.
 

TrueGrime

Member
Exactly as Sony predicted in court. The Activision acquisition is going to lead to further consolidation of the industry. Anyone surprised isn’t paying attention.

Let the consolidation begin! Will be interesting to see what happens now that MS has opened Pandora’s box.

TIL consolidation just recently started and now it's a serious, furthering, troubled, and trendsetting thing.

holding-laugh-trying-not-to-laugh.gif
 

Astray

Gold Member
I’m still a bit saddened over Square-Enix… they’ve never quite reached the heights either company had prior to the merger (though they have at least put out some great games still and seem to be getting better lately)
It's been fucking awful, the quality of both companies slowly degraded over time.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Exactly as Sony predicted in court. The Activision acquisition is going to lead to further consolidation of the industry. Anyone surprised isn’t paying attention.
Oh everybody knows the reality and what is going to happen. They are (1) closing their eyes and hoping the problem would just go away and (2) hoping that Sony doesn't buy anyone really big to make their games exclusive.

Once it actually happens and Sony does buy something to make their games exclusive, we will never hear the end of it.
 

Sanepar

Member
They don't need a manager to look what they need, there is only 2 relevant RPG studios out there: Larian and CDPR start from there, after that look to Japanese companies(Kadokawa(anime + from and cheap), Capcom and Square), that is the only options on Sony ballpark that can help them to stay in the game.
 

Ginzeen

Banned
Oh everybody knows the reality and what is going to happen. They are (1) closing their eyes and hoping the problem would just go away and (2) hoping that Sony doesn't buy anyone really big to make their games exclusive.

Once it actually happens and Sony does buy something to make their games exclusive, we will never hear the end of it.
Nah, most reasonable Xbox fans won't care. Especially if it's just SE. This is only if Sony can actually secure a big publisher.
 

Ginzeen

Banned
They don't need a manager to look what they need, there is only 2 relevant RPG studios out there: Larian and CDPR start from there, after that look to Japanese companies(Kadokawa(anime + from and cheap), Capcom and Square), that is the only options on Sony ballpark that can help them to stay in the game.
Larian and CDPR are pretty much pc centered. I don't think they will forgo PC to join Sony. CDPR also said in may their for sale, after the baseless rumor that Sony was buying them.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Nah, most reasonable Xbox fans won't care. Especially if it's just SE. This is only if Sony can actually secure a big publisher.
That's what I'm saying, "if it is just SE" because those games are already exclusive. But what if Sony takes off Take-Two, Ubisoft, CDPR, Capcom, EA, etc.?

The hope is that Sony can't secure those really big publishers. That's exactly what I was saying in my post.

If Sony does make a big move, against what Xbox fans are hoping for, there will be carnage.
 

Ginzeen

Banned
That's what I'm saying, "if it is just SE" because those games are already exclusive. But what if Sony takes off Take-Two, Ubisoft, CDPR, Capcom, EA, etc.?

The hope is that Sony can't secure those really big publishers. That's exactly what I was saying in my post.

If Sony does make a big move, against what Xbox fans are hoping for, there will be carnage.
Sure, some would be mad, but it's fair play. But the only big publisher that I can see happening is Capcom. I don't think Sony makes a big move any time soon.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Sure, some would be mad, but it's fair play. But the only big publisher that I can see happening is Capcom. I don't think Sony makes a big move any time soon.
Sure, fair play, but one that ultimately hurts gamers.

If Sony acquires Capcom, Xbox gamers will likely lose Capcom games that they have been playing for years. Just like PS gamers lost Zenimax games that they have been playing for years.

Without this acquisition bullshit, both sets of gamers would have continued to get the most number of games. This is the reason why some of us were against this consolidation bullshit.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
If they do buy anyone it will SE. Remember, these companies need to want to sell......

Usually these companies decide if they want to sell when a compelling bid is made.

What makes you say that? They can definitely do that, if they will it. Also CDPR is not for sale.

Again, when was the last time in this space a company put itself for sale?

If a compelling bid is made, shareholders will make a decision. That’s how it works.
 

Ginzeen

Banned
Usually these companies decide if they want to sell when a compelling bid is made.



Again, when was the last time in this space a company put itself for sale?

If a compelling bid is made, shareholders will make a decision. That’s how it works.
Of course. We'll see if sony makes a big move. We'll see if they got it in them. I don't expect a big merger from them anytime soon.
 

Ginzeen

Banned
Big name acquisitions happen out of the blue. Bethesda, ABK, Bungie, nobody expected these.
Pretty sure Xbox made it clear since Bethesda their looking to buy more studios and publishers. I don't consider Bungie a big acquisition. I'll say descent size.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
Pretty sure Xbox made it clear since Bethesda their looking to buy more studios and publishers. I don't consider Bungie a big acquisition. I'll say descent size.

Sony has also made it clear they are looking to buy more studios, and now they have made it clear they are looking to buy established IP.

Nobody expected MS to buy ABK.

It’s starting to look like I’m either talking to a brick wall or you’re arguing in bad faith.

The floor is yours mate.
 
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HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
Educate yourself.
Preach! Issue with quite a few in here is they think Sony's vision "has changed" and acquisitions are now "okay". They've been acquiring studios since before there was an Xbox and that has never been an issue for them.

Far as I'm concerned, Sony isn't the company with a major cultural and visionary shift going on, but, another topic for another day.
 

petricore

Neo Member
What makes you say that? They can definitely do that, if they will it. Also CDPR is not for sale.
I honestly don't think Bungie was for sale either. It probably depends on how much money it's been offered and the condition of the merger. For example Bungie for now it's a fully owned third party developer that works on multiplatform releases
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Consolidation is going to continue in two ways.

1. Large companies will continue buying up smaller companies. Microsoft and their war chest have a large advantage here.

2. More and more gamers are going to flock to fewer and fewer games. PlayStation has a chance here.

We're quickly approaching a future in which 90% of the public are playing the same 10 games. PlayStation shouldn't be targeting Capcom, Square-Enix, and Sega. They're expensive and don't have outsized expertise in the games PlayStation needs. PlayStation should be targeting companies like Embark Studios, Gunzilla Games, and Splash Damage. Buy low, sell high.
 
The organic/inorganic growth are standard terms from economics related to growth strategy types for companies.

Organic growth refers to grow by focusing on tweaking and improving the products and channels you allready have: stuff like Sony did by tweaking their game subs, hiring more people for all their gamedev teams, collaborating with other Sony divisions to use their gaming IPs in movies or tv shows, or acquiring/securing teams who already were working mostly only with them (Insomniac, Housemarque, Bluepoint, Firewalk, Haven, Lasengle, Valkyrie...).

Inorganic growth refers to grow/get market share by focusing on acquisitions of people who make other products (Bethesda, ABK and almost all the other recent MS acquisitions, Bungie, Zynga etc).


Yes, to spend billions acquiring a company with hundreds or thousands of employees isn't like to buy a tv. There are a lot of things to consider that will be worth it in the long term, that will integrate well with their existing team, that possible synergies can be created, that they'll recoup the investment in X years, that won't be blocked by regulators, that this potential option is better for them than that other one, to identify if it's better to acquire that company or if instead is better to only invest on it, analyze if it's a good idea to make a join venture with someone to build something, etc.
I’m well aware what organic growth is in the corporate world, it’s also used in farming and the military.
It was all in jest to see who would get triggered….

What you didn’t address was the inorganic growth of Sony’s music and film studios. But only matters now to Sony in video games.
TO MAKE THIS CLEAR: I have no problem with these buyouts what so ever. In fact I secretly root for it because after all this is a FREE market. And nobody playing in a free market should be told by another human being who shits and piss’s the same way do weather they can buy or not.

Any govern body of human beings is going to have a bias towards one thing over another.
 
It’ll definitely be a publisher or an IP play. I expect them to run ‘independently’ of PlayStation Studios and run as multiplatform, but SIE having the IP to leverage in the future and have more say in growing markets like subscriptions, cloud and mobile.
 
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