If you happened to be browsing social media last night, you might have noticed a lot of people talking about another potential Xbox acquisition, and it all stemmed from a Twitter user called SkullziTV who shared the "crazy rumours".
He stated that it could be a "huge potential Microsoft acquisition", going on to mention that he "predict[ed] a lot of internet lawyers debating monopoly laws at some point in the near future." Here's a look at the original tweet:
SkullziTV is also the same Twitter user who leaked a bunch of early Starfield screenshots back in May of this year, and their comments drew plenty of attention, with speculation running rampant on social media throughout the evening:
Despite the massive amount of attention this tweet conjured up, it's worth noting that even SkullziTV himself says it's "hard to tell what is true at the moment outside looking in", so we're taking this with a huge pinch of salt for now.
This could very well turn out to be nothing at all, but it's worth a bit of discussion, right?
Do you think there's any validity to this? Give us your thoughts down in the comments below.
Comments 112
Funny, no one mentions Nintendo.
Could be false but it would be a smart move to acquire a japanese publisher as it would help Microsoft gain a stronger foothold in the region.
You'd imagine it would be a Japanese company that Xbox has strong ties to. If this true, I'd bet Sega as they'd be the best fit as both companies have a history together but so does Capcom. I'm going to guess Sega but it could even be a mobile game publisher. Huge market MS could want in.
Based on the monopoly comment I would go with the Reddit comment in the article- sounds like valve. MS owning steam would be really monopoly-ish.
Why? 20+ studios, if managed correct is plenty of games. Why buy more studios to further silo the market? Plus eventually you will face more and more regulatory scrutiny. I'd like to see Microsoft focus on delivering with their current studios.
Probably not happening
@Boo_Breaker it would be a good time with TGS in a few weeks. Obvious and often rumoured one being Sega(and of course they have a lot on gamepass already) not sure I can see any of the others selling up.
As long as no one buys Square Enix; i’m good. Sega rumours were going round last year. To be fair, for TGS they didn’t say no acquisition announcements… but yea these rumours are pointless. May as well wait and see.
Any Studios coming to Microsoft is a good thing in my eyes....more games day 1 for no extra cost
@Bdbrady exactly. Anyone who thinks all these acquisitions means more games is kidding themselves. It’s means less games. I’m shocked anyone likes these moves. They have tones of money and loads of IPs they could make as many games as they like if they wanted they don’t need more IPs and studios. Same for Sony and Nintendo
I think Microsoft are getting desperate if this rumour is true, they want to buy all the big third party developers to force more people over to them as atm it's not quite working, Even with the ridiculous value of gamepass and the Bethesda acquisition xbox are still behind sony and nintendo, especially in Europe where no one talks about xbox and the series S is in shops everywhere and even its trade in value is £60! Its clear Microsoft want to monopolies the gaming market in the future they are the only realistic choice whilst Sony and nintendo just have their exclusives and a handful of decent third party games.
I probably am seeing this wrong, but as much as I like the idea of a Japanese company being added (and I myself have guessed Sega in the past) I feel like Japanese companies won’t sell to western companies. Like even with all the money in the world it’s a pride/cultural thing. Am I wrong I’m thinking this? Is there an example of a fairly large Japanese company selling to a western company in any other industry? I know of individual studios but not large companies.
@UltimateOtaku91 Trade in value of pretty much anything is based on scarcity. We all know the Series S isn’t scarce. £60 is obviously a stupid price but so what - no one is trading in at that price lol.
Anyway sure Microsoft buying everything up might not sound good; but as long as Sony keeps paying to keep games off my Xbox; i’m happy for Microsoft to carry on.
Above "organic" purchases like Asobo or single studios, I imagine if they did buy anyone it'd be about getting "must have" IPs to bring more gamers into the Xbox / Game Pass ecosystem (Bethesda was big for fans of their games, but I'm thinking more IPs that get a wider fanbase).
Not really sure any of the rumours stack up though (ignoring how expensive they might be for now):
So at the moment unless it was something out of left field, or they've a plan to overcome the above issues, I can't really see any that would drive the footfall they want with new games anytime soon...
@Widey85 It was rumoured last year that Ubisoft would be the next acquisition and at the time, I thought it'd be a good idea because of how many iconic IPs Ubisoft owns. But maybe not anymore, especially due to PR issues as you mentioned. Microsoft is a company that really cares about its image so I highly doubt they'd want to be associated with Ubisoft right now. Which makes me think, maybe they were planning on announcing the acquisition this year but due to all the issues going on at Ubisoft, they've been delaying it or even shelved those plans entirely.
Valve would make sense not only because of Steam but also because of Steam Deck. Microsoft would finally have its own dedicated handheld device and the fact that you'd be able to play PC games as well as Game Pass on it would make it very appealing to own. Not to mention that maybe Microsoft could help revive Valve's franchises such as Portal, Left 4 Dead and dare I say, Half-Life. Imagine if it was announced that Half-Life 3 would finally come out and exclusively on Xbox/PC for that matter. That would be absolutely huge! Also, doesn't Valve own a VR headset as well? There's certainly a lot of devices/peripherals that Microsoft could utilise if they acquired Valve.
No matter who they acquire, I think it's long over due for Microsoft to announce their next acquisition. They need to keep getting more people on board with Game Pass and another major acquisition like ZeniMax would do just that.
GT7 has no in-game RT:
"Mr. Yamauchi: For the time being, you can choose ray tracing in the replay even during the game, and then you can see the stage demo and the picture with ray tracing applied in the garage."
I remember how they have made a big deal about this for FH5. PS false marketing and setting false expectations caught again.
@Bdbrady You're right, it's not the games they would be after. Microsoft can't figure out how to make a decent storefront on the pc. If (and it's a huge if) Microsoft was looking into Valve they would get not only the largest pc gaming community but now a device that is expected to go toe to toe with the Switch.
@Royalblues Agreed, Sony isn't exactly pure of heart - they seem pretty sure the massive PS4 userbase can be kept in line to upgrade to PS5 so haven't exactly been consumer friendly.
And yes utilising that massive userbase to get exclusives (as let's face it, Sony would have to pay a lot less for "lost" Xbox sales than Microsoft would for "lost" PS sales) and keep games off subscription services (to avoid proving how expensive their approach is for gamers) haven't exactly been pro-gamer moves.
So I'm not too fussed anyone moaning about gaming monopolies given Sony pretty much had one last gen, and for me it means more Game Pass games so I'd be happy
On the other hand, as per my other post I'm not sure any make much sense at the moment (if big drivers for GP is the goal)
At this point, and based from their previous statement on no new "global" announcements at TGS, I'd say it is a Japanese studio working on a game they don't plan to make available outside of Japan right now.
@RedShirtRod That would be interesting. Given my default acquisition bad stance, I'd have to think about it more. It would set up a Sony/Epic vs. Microsoft/Steam fight, even though Sony only owns 5% of Epic.
Interesting if true.
@LtSarge I agree in terms of all the good reasons to own Valve - a storefront people don't hate, a handheld device (although they'd probably want it to run a Windows OS eventually lol) and VR, plus some big IPs. And I've no doubt all those who say "I quit Steam" after an acquisition would eventually come back given the alternatives aren't big enough.
It also helps Valve are private.
But I think the big issue (unlike console gaming) is monopoly regulations, given Steam has massive market share in PC gaming, while Microsoft dominate PC OS.
I'd love it for Steam on Xbox, but think it's unlikely unfortunately
As a Linux user, it would be terrible if Microsoft bought Valve. Valve single-handedly put Linux gaming on the map.
@Magabro There is a plus side, Microsoft do tend to try and play nicer with Linux now (.NET Core running on it for example) and open-source in general, although how much of that is just to avoid regulators I don't know.
But yeah I don't think it'll happen anyway
@UltimateOtaku91 No one talks about Xbox in Europe? Lol..why can the majority still not get hold of a series X then? I know you are a ps fanboy but don't talk ridiculous ...they may be behind but the gap has clearly closed.
What are the 'big' 4 that could end up owning all the major game studio's? Even if MS were to buy Ubisoft for example, there would still be Sony, Nintendo, EA, Take Two, Square Enix, Sega, Capcom, Konami, WB, Valve etc.
Buying Valve maybe would cause the monopoly commission to look at it - although there is a bit more competition now from Epic but MS owns Bethesda.net.
Activision Blizzard at the moment are in 'trouble' - certainly from a PR perspective and 'new' management could be seen as a positive for the company and its shareholders. EA and MS already have a decent partnership so could keep the status quo. I can't see Take Two wanting to sell with GTA5 still selling ridiculously well. Ubisoft seem too big and recovering well after some bad PR etc etc...
We can keep speculating and speculating but I do think that's the way the industry will go. Look at numerous other industry's - cars for example - nowadays, most of the brands belong to one 'big' company (like VW owning Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Seat, Skoda...).
My 'ideal' would be for MS, Sony and Nintendo to join together in some harmonious way so that ALL games are available on ALL platforms. Maybe Nintendo handle all the Portable platforms, Sony run the Console division and MS the PC/Cloud side but ALL games are released on all platforms. They'd all benefit from it - collaborative R&D, massive user base etc and we'd benefit too - only need 1 device for a start... If Sony end up releasing most of their exclusives to PC too - its almost becoming the '1 device' for ALL games...
That's my 'hypothetical ideal' situation but I can't see that happening in the near future. Anyway, until something 'official' is announced, I will just be 'excited' by the confirmed news, games etc that are coming up and not concern myself with 'rumours'
Well, we didn't know anything about Bethesda. If this one is bigger it is strange that they let it leak.
I think it is just a partnership being mistaken for a full buyout.
@Royalblues Oh I've no doubt many would, but Epic seems hated by many of them too, and the other stores are generally much smaller - so I think eventually many would return particularly given Microsoft would likely ask for a smaller percentage.
But for the reason of there being so few big alternatives to Steam and the biggest one then potentially having more access to the biggest OS, I just don't see it ever clearing regulators.
A partnership on the other hand for Game Pass to be usable via Steam and maybe Steam on c
Xbox for some games (maybe running a virtual Steam OS from the Deck)? Could see that potentially happening and being a popular move...
@BAMozzy I'd love that utopia but talking of monopoly /anti competition regulation I'm pretty sure that 3 way partnership would fall foul of it lol
There has been talk about another Bethesda sized acquisition for a while now. I don't believe that we will find out until it's closer to being finalized or formally submitted for review by the competition boards. Let's be honest, the only reason we found out about the Zenimax deal early was because Halo was delayed and they needed that positive news. At the moment they don't need the extra hype so although I'd like to see it at the VGAs it will likely just drop randomly just before it becomes public knowledge anyways through the business filings open to the public.
They would honestly want a Japanese dev in my opinion but I'm not sure they can, does having Tango under their umbrella legally allow them to do it? Will it be Sega? They will be buying a publisher to be self sufficient who owns IP. So WB seems odd about the IP unless they will somehow own the WB rights for video games and not movies and merch?
Anyways....who's excited to own an Xbox? So happy with my switch to Xbox this gen.
@BAMozzy I agree with @Widey85, what you're saying is basically that you want Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to form a collusion, i.e. a cartel. There will be no competition and all three companies would benefit from working together. That's illegal and will never happen.
If I was MS with billions in the bank and an eye for a big purchase, I'd buy the Embracer Group.
You get THQ, Deep Silver, Saber Interactive, Gearbox, 3D Realms, Free Radical Design, and Volition, among dozens of others, and includes franchises like Metro, Saints Row, Dead Island, Risen, Timesplitters, and Elex.
If they were to buy a massive "AAA" publisher, it would be very expensive, cause a lot of backlash, and be hard to manage the AAA line up of games. Buy a smaller A or B publisher, and you can get it cheaper, have less backlash, and filter those lower level projects between your major releases. You can also release more of them, filling up your Game Pass subscription sevice library with a varied selection of games.
I'd also think about having Deep Silver and THQ as their own publishing divisions.
@Krzzystuff When WB Games was up for sale, supposedly it included the gaming rights to the IPs (which you'd expect otherwise it's just a few dev studios) but the reason a deal wasn't done was because WarnerMedia didn't want a one-off payoff for the IPs.
Instead it seemed to be more a profit share or at best an annual licencing they were after, which you think would lower the purchase price given you've got to factor that into future profits
@Stocksy yes and no. It can mean more games in those case for Xbox if you look at some of the studio's they aquired, they expanded into being able to do multiply projects at once.
@Richnj that is an amazing shout, would be an incredible acquisition
@Richnj Would be good, and I can see something like that happening to keep Game Pass well stocked.
But think it would still leave them needing the "must have" IP that transcends gaming, like FIFA, Marvel, DC (maybe) or others (can include non gaming IP - Metal Gear Solid, CoD, Fortnite and Final Fantasy maybe have too?) to drag new players in - whether they're really after that I don't know but seems to be the cause of the rumours
It would make more sense for Microsoft to invest in licensing rights rather then another expensive aquasition. Think about it they've got 20+ studios now, so plenty of devs but xbox has failed to create any killer new ips for the last few years. They keep relying on halo, Gears and forza. In the last gen alone PlayStation created Days Gone, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima. All 3 were brand new IPs which went on to become extremely popular. Microsoft created nothing of that calibar. If Xbox is struggling with killer IPs then why not invest in licensing, buy rights to Wonder Woman, Rambo, Matrix etc then have Xbox Game Studios develop these games, make them exclusive to Xbox and put them on Game Pass day one. If done right it could solve a lot of Xbox's problems and definitely attract new consumers.
@Widey85 for a western publisher WB makes a lot of sense as they will get NetherRealm and MK IP. They can make KI II finally as well. It would solve the new superhero narrative as well
Ms acquires bluepoint and fromsoftware😆😆
@Krzzystuff Yep all depends on the licencing for the IPs - even Mortal Kombat they've made films from so I bet it would be included in the profit sharing approach.
Definitely seems they were too greedy last time given none of the big players got them, so hopefully if it was them MS would have it sewn up well legally and money wise
@PhhhCough Lol Bluepoint's engine and devs doing a Fable trilogy remake would be good
It's funny people keep bring up the word "Monopoly" but Disney is over here gobbling up the whole entertainment market and no one bats an eye.
@TheNoKnoSpot
Does Disney own that much in gaming?
Maybe you should look in movie sites for that talk.
But I cant understand people wants this. Third party publisher should stay third party publisher.
Xbox owning to much will not be a good thing for gaming in the long run.
People need to see a wider perspective than just oh I get same game as before on my console but now other gamers are missing out on these big third party publisher game.
It is better for Xbox to take care what they now own instead of trying to buy everything.
Do you really expect better games if Xbox had monopoly on gaming?
I see the regular few PS (but we own a series S) fanboys are here. I'm the UK series X is doing very well. Last report of Gamepass was 23 million subs? I don't think there's any weight to these rumours but in the high hopes it triggers a few pedantic salty sorts, I really hope they are.
@Senua Fanboy much? How about use a screenshot from R&C or Returnal or SM2, of course that would defeat the arguement you're failing to make.
@Neverwild faaaaaart
@Chaudy Fart farty farts
@Hellosmoothskin Funny thing is out of PushSquare, Pure Xbox and Nintendo Life this site is far by the worst for fanboys and is very defensive, i mean just look at you right now.
@Terrin true. Although they will only release a certain amount of AAA games on GPU. I’m not having a go by saying that. It’s just financial sense. Where as if the company is independent they will produce games on sales etc. Although look at T2 and rockstar - they have cut right back and happy to milk one game. It’s tricky. I’d rather pay for games and have more options and more single players experiences…. I’m not sure MS owning Ubisoft or T2 will lead to that…. But I might be wrong.
@WallyWest amen. I own all three and visit all three sites and here is by far the most toxic and even though the quietest in terms of comments on articles - if you post something deemed anti XB here you get far more nasty replies than on the other two. I don’t have loyalty to any… I just want good solo player games. Here I get far more salty comments than the other two.
@Bdbrady they need more Japanese content as they are trying to gain market share in the Asian markets in general. They also don't have any studios for Fighting games and also that Sony style 3rd person game. Those are areas they are deficient in so I see them plugging those holes to ensure that they have something for everyone.
Square Enix is basically a Sony 3rd party studio now with all the times exclusive deals that keep games away from Xbox so really buying outright is just a better business decision. I have no doubt that if Sony could buy square they would, they just can't afford it. I would personally find it hilarious if they bought Square, tore up the exclusive deal for the next FF and made it exclusive to Xbox to give folks a taste of their own medicine.
@Stocksy so yes if Xbox goes and acquired take two I agree it isn't good business. But currently something like Ubisoft could use a management shift with all the bs happening over there every week is a new story of some shady stuff.
I will say I know alot of people hate on the Bethesda deal but once I learned that it was one of the reasons arkane studio and that mobile team stay open (Bethesda was going to shutter some teams) I am happy they bought them.
@Stocksy I stopped being loyal and worshipping corporations years ago. I got my PS5 because i love PS games, i got my Series S because Gamepass and i actually love Halo, Forza and Gears and i think the future looks great and i got my Switch because i love Nintendo games. Clearly i have the money for all 3 while many don't but just because you can only afford one doesn't mean you need to defend and worship them like gods when they only care for your wallet.
If it was Valve that would be something incredible and would send ripples through the industry of seismic levels.
@WallyWest Oh yeah jokes on you 🦄 😹
It’s an utter disgrace a racing game looks more photorealistic open world then those so called AAA one and done 70$ anti-consumer crap you guys play. Good luck with remakes of remasters and 20$ extra for just a resolution config file change whereas we get true next-gen graphics pipeline upgrades for free.
@Neverwild It was a comparison genius. I just think moronic people are shouting "Monopoly" at Microsoft if they want to buy EA or Valve, but people are okay with Disney buying up everything.
@Terrin agreed. Better that than them go under. Some amazing IPs for them to be creative with too. So you can see silver linings. I’m 3 year stacked for GPU so plenty to look forward to on that front with them. Even if output isn’t what it was in the last ten years
@SplooshDmg Hahaha, that's the official name Jim Ryan uses when playing his series X in secret
Another big acquisition is a cert, I take no notice of a tweet from some guy though.
On the whole I do not like the idea of MS or Sony buying up studio after studio, they both do it lets be honest here, it’s just that MS have more money to buy bigger than Sony and make bigger waves.
At the same time the involvement of companies like Tencent, Amazon and others in the gaming space buying up devs worries me more. I know who I’d rather have buying devs.
@Senua who is this and us and we business? I own both…. Why you making it tribal. Enjoy the games you enjoy. Let others enjoy the games they enjoy.
Genuinely think Wallywest and Stocky are the same account as Otaku
@John117 I have 6 Xbox’s in my house in the various forms they released over the years. I own over 400 physical Xbox games over the generations and ridiculous amount of digital games from MS - most of you fanboys here aren’t half the fan of Xbox I am. Doesn’t mean I want them buying every studio and publisher.
@Hellosmoothskin grow up pal.
@Stocksy Fart faaaaart farty farts.
@Stocksy I ain't your pal, buddy
@Stocksy Difference is this site sees alot more blatant psfanboys. You don't see nowhere near as much Xbox fanboys on pushsquare
Removed - inappropriate; user is banned
@LtSarge @Widey85 I know its incredibly unlikely to happen but it wouldn't necessarily be a Monopoly or Cartel as you put it. It would be a monopoly IF one had a major controlling share and/or made it very difficult for 3rd Party independent studio's to release games.
Working together, instead of independently (or against each other), they could come to some agreement. Sony (for example) could have Game Pass (or allow Game Pass streaming through its browser) and its almost that 'one console' for all games. MS could opt not to make an 'Xbox' console, instead focus on Cloud/PC games with Sony Publishing their games to PC. Nintendo too could have a 'Game Pass app' on their Switch too but maybe could publish to PC too so effectively ALL games are on ALL platforms.
I don't think it would affect the Monopoly commission if they are still 'independent' corporations. Sony could 'agree' to having Game Pass on their Playstation IF MS are not making consoles but PC's and Sony are still publishing 'their' games but also on PC. Its not stopping all the other Publishers from releasing software on those platforms - may even make it easier for them.
If Sony, MS and Nintendo were to 'merge' into one big Company, then yes, I could see that being an issue but Collaborating is different. MS for example couldn't tell Sony what games to make, what their console and specs are etc and Sony couldn't tell MS what games they should make either - they would still be independent but working more together than against each other.
As I said, its my 'hypothetical ideal' where they only 'compete' for Game of the Year awards but no-one misses out on the opportunity to play because of hardware choice. They'd still be 'independent' publishers competing with all the other big publishers (EA, Ubisoft, Take Two etc).
I know its incredibly unlikely to happen but that's MY ideal situation. Its much better than seeing MS or Sony buy up more studio's until you have 'few' 3rd Party Multi-platform games releasing each year with the majority being exclusive to 'one' or the 'other'. Even if they did buy up more studio's to bolster their Publishing, its not 'detrimental' to the consumers. For instance, if you own an Xbox and Sony bought Take Two (hypothetically), you'd still get access to all those games - the only difference would be that they'd now be published by Sony. PS owners would still get to play all of MS's games too and it wouldn't matter that Insomniac is making Marvel games as everyone could play. Sony would still be Publishing them, still get credit if they win GotY etc...
As such, I don't think it would necessitate a Monopoly Commission report but like I have said, its a hypothetical 'ideal' and I am well aware of how unlikely or even unrealistic it is and we all know we are not living in an ideal world...
I don't get the argument that buying up studios will result in less games. If the developers (most important asset in the industry) don't like working for the new owners they can always just leave and start a new studio and creat new IP. So more games overall. Xbox and MS clearly learned that too much micro management isn't good and that buying a self sustaining publisher is ideal as they can keep on working on their projects...just with more resources and shared expertise across other studios that once were the competition. So IF, and i mean if, done right these acquisitions should result in more games and better quality overall. Through this competition Sony is already getting more teams going to make more games. They are bringing their IP to PC so more exposure, more money and hopefully more games. Competition ain't bad here.
@Stocksy I must agree as a frequenter of each site owning all three consoles this site feels the most fanboyish or defensive in terms of comments.
I reckon the buy out is Bluepoint games 🤣
@Stocksy I don’t want to sound console warring here or trolling about someone’s preference. Just trying to spread awareness about the truth often hidden under false marketing as it’s not enough when it happens on the other side.
@John117 to be honest I go to these site mainly because I find them the best in many ways. I prefer the writing style which seem extremely similar between them and find their site so much easier to navigate than the others, especially when reading on the phone.
I also find the comments are much more toxic on shared sites. I do go to a few you tube channels such as what culture, digital gaming, gameranx, ign gaming but the comments section there are shocking in general.
Joking aside these sites do have some decent commenters that offer more than just fanboy comments and even some excellent gaming recommendations so worth reading.
@BAMozzy What you're describing (competing, but having agreements) is the definition of cartel behaviour unfortunately.
I'd love to have one console to rule them all, with all still producing software, but unfortunately the stupid laws prevent it
@Senua Of course Forza looks better its a racing game with a very static open world with not a huge lot going on. Also pot kettle black, Halo Infinite doesn't look all that different then Halo 5. Again you don't use R&C, Demons Souls and Returnal do you and just focus on comparing an apple to an orange. Why does Halo Infinite a more linear game look worse then a big open world racing game? Yeah see how dumb your logic is when used.
As for one company owning too much, Tencent are buying companies at a ridiculous rate.
I'd much rather a first party (who have an incentive to invest in the studios and expand the dev teams) bought some of those developers than either a company that can exert undue influence or a megacorp not into gaming like Google that then kills the studio.
Yes ideally consolidation wouldn't happen - but games are expensive to make (as Sony keep telling us) and are a risky investment (it just takes one game to bomb and you might be pretty screwed), so there's always going to be consolidation as they look for new investment.
It's probably better it's first party platforms that at least invest and expand, rather than cut and asset strip
@Hellosmoothskin No but i don't worship corps and i don't need to big up one console because i'm too poor to afford more then console. Also if you're going to mention me then man up and actually link my name.
Damn Xbox is not messing around..
The console warring stuff can get a bit silly, but you have to remember Sony dominated the last generation and haven't exactly been consumer friendly.
Hiking the price of games, paid upgrades, "we believe in generations" to slate Xbox when they were doing it much worse, paying for exclusivity on Final Fantasy and other games (both last generation and this one) and many others, but because of the built-in advantage of the PS4 userbase I honestly think even if the PS5 blew up every year they'd still sell tens of millions.
So yes on the Xbox side we're going to criticise what they've done with their market share, and yes laugh at the idea of a "monopoly" considering the PS4 was so dominant and nothing was said then.
And on the occasion Microsoft make some big moves, while there is an element of "I'm sad my partner / friends with a PS5 won't get to play the new games", there is a feeling of "well you pissed off the two-trillion-dollar company so you kinda reap what you sow" in it all - as well as the honest feeling that to make up the lost ground Xbox does have to do things like Game Pass and expand to offer a big first-party line-up
@Senua Yeah I saw that, WB Games seems the most likely to get big IPs (I mean Warner is smaller than Disney but still has some massive ones) that can be used to make games - wonder if it would make the Harry Potter game exclusive as that could be a big draw for fans.
All depends on licencing those IPs well though - if Warner can snatch them back if you make a few hit games it leaves the purchase worthless, but I've no doubt Microsoft have the lawyers and the clout to make it iron clad
@SplooshDmg hahahahah, you should write his autobiography
@SplooshDmg I think he would be willing to hire you if and only if you leave a whole page out for next year, that way he can sell it twice as a "authors cut" eh, eh. See what I did there 😊😊😊😊
@WallyWest @Stocksy @StonyKL to kinda echo others points. I can see where this site might seem “defensive” but it literally gets spammed by fanboys of other consoles all the time. I generally only stay here but have read comment sections on the other two sites. They don’t have to deal as much with the Xbox versions of ultimateotaku coming in every day in almost every article to do everything from make a subtle jab or complaint to full on taunting or berating. Literally all that guy does here is get into every… Single… Article and say something to get attention.
So I get it. But I’ll bet if there were less of those guys coming in, and you looked past the two or three that are immature here, you’d see most people here are actually pretty reasonable.
@Bdbrady
Agree. Frankly I don't want to see any of Sony, MS or Nintendo make another purchase similar to the Bethesda one. Smaller-mid size studios with close ties to a company like Sony and Insomniac and MS and Playground Games I'm ok with as long as it makes sense for both sides.
@The_New_Butler you are probably right. Also, Valve’s unorthodox corporate culture is very different from MIcrosoft. I just can’t think of anyone else they could buy that would create a potential monopoly. Unless it’s Sony or Nintendo and they are also very healthy financially.
Honestly I don’t see y keep buying they haven’t even really shown to be doing anything with current studios yet aside from maybe a couple indies or so. I legit forgot they bought Bethesda
If we are going for wild speculation….perhaps a deal to get game pass on the steam deck.
Not an acquisition but would be a big thing.
Short of buying Rockstar i don’t think it’d make any difference. The thing that puts PS above Xbox is the exclusives. PS exclusive games are often masterpieces, no other game developer comes close. Rockstar are the only ones who come anywhere near. I mean i don’t mind, anything on Gamepass gets played on Gamepass, saves me splashing out £40 to £70 on a new game.
This article says a whole lot of nothing. But you got people to speculate, so mission accomplished.
I am always glad to hear about another Microsoft acquisition but this story isn't it
@Fenbops
“On the whole I do not like the idea of MS or Sony buying up studio after studio, they both do it lets be honest here, it’s just that MS have more money to buy bigger than Sony and make bigger waves.”
This is a true statement. And if Sony did buy Square Enix, it would be deemed “okay” because Sony has a “close working relationship with Square”, where in reality they just buy lots of times exclusives from them.
Personally, I don’t mind either company gobbling up studios and publishers, as I always own both systems (though I prefer Xbox acquisitions because of Gamepass). First party games always seem to have a bit more care put into them than the 3rd party variety.
@StonyKL “ I also find the comments are much more toxic on shared sites.”
Same. This is why I visit pure Xbox and push square (I have a Switch, but I’m way less impressed with their output than most this generation). If people think these comment sections are toxic, surely they’ve never been to the IGN comment section. Personally, I don’t see fanboyism being any worse on this site than Pushsquare. If you go into a Deathloop article on Pushsquare, you’ll see dozens of bitter comments on how they won’t buy it because they don’t want to support Xbox or subsidize Gamepass. Good games are good games.
@Widey85 “ laugh at the idea of a "monopoly" considering the PS4 was so dominant and nothing was said then.”
Yeah, I think many people aren’t clear what a monopoly is. Definition: the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service
There are multiple hundreds of dev studios (a quick google search says there are over 2000), MS isn’t anywhere close to being at a monopoly with their 26 studios. As a matter of fact, Embracer Group owns around 76 studios. I don’t think MS needs to worry.
@WallyWest As someone who has pissed off all 3 sites, I've found this one to be the least defensive.
When I criticised Naughty Dog for their work culture, or Nintendo for 3D all stars, everybody and their mother was defending that crap. Criticise 343i or a particular Halo game and people are OK with it.
@Krysus
Keep dreaming.
@Capt_T you can already get gamepass on steam deck.
Acquisition rumours have been with us a long time. Someday, one will come true.
However, as regards to this specific....MS would need to buy several large publishers before monopoly lawyers would need to be involved. The gaming industry is large and diverse with most developers free to move beween publishers as they see fit.
If this were to be taken seriously, then we'd be looking at Valve...or more specifically Steam.
That might create enough of a monopolistic concern.
However, if it were simply hyperbole, then it is possibly referring to the rumoured takeover of T2I. A big publisher, but one that isn't a great fit for MS. Huge benefits, but offset by big problems.
If we are looking at studios and publishers that MS "needs"....as in fills gaps in its developer and gaming assets...then we are talking about WBIE (family friendly dev, fighting dev, comic book dev), followed by Sega or Square or Konami (Japanese and JRPG dev), both of which fill gaps but neither of which would invoke monopolistic concerns.
And if we are talking about what MicroSoft wants...Asobo, Moon, NRS, Monolith, IoI, Remedy, and more spring to mind
But someday one of these rumours will be true
@sjbsixpack
" PS exclusive games are often masterpieces, no other game developer comes close."
Gamers throw this term around so often that it's completely meaningless. Truly, Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart is the Sistine Chapel of the videogame world.
@sjbsixpack What classifies a game as a masterpiece?
@Richnj for example, TLOU 1 an 2. A game that totally immerses ya in the story. A game that hits emotionally. A game that upsets ya, scares ya, has ya on edge, angers ya, makes ya smile. A game where the story and the acting is as good as any movie. A game that actually makes ya question ya own morality.
Then there’ s games like God of War 2018, the Uncharted series, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon. All really incredible stories and perfect gameplay. Only regular Playstation exclusive gamers will know what i mean. There are some fantastic Xbox exclusives but PS exclusive just have that something extra.
@Akimi first time ever that in game graphics have equaled computer animated movies. Look at TLOU 2, a PS4 game that looks mind blowing. Demon’s Souls PS5 is another jaw dropping game.
@sjbsixpack Would you consider Alan Wake a masterpiece?.
@NOLIMITGHST because Sony keep buying up timed exclusivity ...had they not bought Bethesda you'd be looking at waiting an extra 12months for starfield right now...just as you are Deathloop and Ghostwire. It's not like Bethesda aren't releasing anything. The acquisition will pay off next year for sure.
Where Xbox continues to struggle is management (which is why we're nearly a year after launch and still no halo...why no games have yet to get full releases from all the studios they bought two years ago...and why we went a whole generation with hardly any first party support). If they are still showing they're unable to manage their current studios efficiently then maybe buying established publishers with their own management in place is what they need.
I personally think the smart buy would be wbgames. Get DC under their belt. You'll still have suicide squad and Gotham knights hitting playstation but it offers room to have say a Batman or Superman game to counter Sony's marvel exclusive deals. Plus they get mortal Kombat Devs possibly working on a new killer instinct...which I'd be well up for.
@sjbsixpack Demon souls honestly blew your mind? I have a ps5 and can honestly say demon souls is nice looking but at no point have I thought "this couldn't have been done on my PS4pro". I'm personally still waiting for my mind to be blown. Hopefully something will make me verbally go 'wow' soon - I remember for the PS4 it was playing Driveclub with rain on for the first time ...something I had to show off to friends.
@Richnj i’ve never played that one. The games that, imo, can be called master pieces are TLOU 1 an 2, Uncharted 2, 3 an 4, God of War 2018, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, Demon’s Souls, Spiderman an Miles, Red Dead 2, GTA5 in it’s day. Then there’s games like Ratchet, Returnal, Days Gone that are incredible games but just fall short of the masterpiece title.
@Bleachedsmiles it’s not just about graphics this gen tho. The PS pro is a fantastic machine and still has incredible graphics. TLOU 2 is one of the most stunning games. The jump in graphics this gen is the smallest jump we’ve ever seen. Looking at pictures online it can be hard to see much difference. When you actually see them running there’s def an improvement tho. Demon’s Souls could def be done on PS pro an it’d also look beaut, there’d def be a difference tho.
@Bleachedsmiles I've noticed that with those that like and call PS games "masterpieces" there really is a correlation between what meets the criteria and really pretty graphics.
Demon's Souls would be a great example of that. It's a faithful remake of a PS3 game, whose gameplay style has been used for several IPs and multiple entries in those properties.
It would be like being blown away by the Spyro or Crash remakes. Fun and enjoyable? Yeah definitely. New, and exciting, and unlike anything we've seen before? No, because the only thing that's changed is the graphics. So to be blown away by them, you'd have to be talking exclusively about the graphics. Especially since these games do not have cinematic stories, which would be elevated by a more cinematic presentation.
(either that or there's just a heavy bias at play)
@sjbsixpack for me, Alan Wake hit all those criteria. And if I went by your definition, I'd have to classify it as a masterpiece.
So, what puts those first lot of games above the last lot?.
And what did GTA5 lose to make it lose its masterpiece status?. Does it no longer hit the criteria you mentioned above?. What separates this game from the others?
If I think to masterpieces in film, like The Shining, they can't lose their statuses as masterpieces. Can all games lose their status?
I'm even more confused by now by how games get classed as masterpieces.
Edit: have you played any xbox first party studio game? Halo, Gears, Pyschonauts,? And do you consider any of them masterpieces?
@sjbsixpack There'd be a difference for sure (that's why you paid £500 for new hardware) but the point was Demon souls, though pretty, isn't exactly a ps5 showpiece... You was using it as an example of something 'jaw dropping' on ps5...and now say we're seeing the smallest graphical upgrades this gen (which I don't agree with...I think we'll end up seeing one of the biggest leaps when they eventually start to focus onthe new hardware instead of cross-gen).
I'm just still waiting for that standout moment where I go 'wow' at graphics on ps5 (I don't have a series X yet).
But I agree, it doesn't have to be full on graphical power. The last game to make me go 'wow' concerning graphics was actually The Ascent on a base Xbox. Low resolution. 39fps. But AMAZING art. The amount of small details going on...impressive stuff. Ms should buy that studio right up...imagine what they could do with a big budget.
@Richnj yeah but at the same token something can inspired by something else and still be considered a 'masterpiece' - very few things do something completely new. Nearly everything builds upon what has gone before (this doesn't just relate to gaming but all things creative).
So let's take demon souls...I'd call Bloodborn a 'masterpiece'.
Breath of the wild..a 'masterpiece'
Bioshock...a 'masterpiece'
So whilst I agree playstation fanboys throw it around on anything that's exclusive (whilst it's an exclusive)...we can't denie that they've got some iconic high quality games that win countless awards. When was the last time an Xbox exclusive was even in game of the year talks?..especially one that wasn't from an already established, well milked, brand - like Forza.
So I'm hoping with all these talents Xbox now has we can start getting some story driven, well directed, cinematic experiences that playstation have done to perfection.
What playstation needs to work on is diversity. They have one gametype nailed. Where as Xbox at least seem to be offering a wider range of games.
@Richnj Alan Wake looks good, i’ll prob try it. Like i said, the first games just have that something extra. TLOU story for example is incredible! It really does tug at your emotions. It’s very dark, very violent an brutal, unnerving at times. It also gives you opinions about certain scenarios an characters, only to then completely change that opinion. On to of that the gameplay, the graphics, the performance is AAA! A masterpiece.
GTA5 is a funny one, it’s a masterpiece in it’s own right, however it’s so old and since it’s release Red Dead 2 has surpassed it. RDR2 is more immersive, you can pretty much interact with every character ya come across, you build a reputation, good or bad, people remember you and react to you accordingly. So yes, i’d still say GTA5 is a masterpiece but GTA6 will surpass it.
@JohannVanDerSmut As stated earlier I was just trying to spread awareness about the truth often hidden under their false marketing narrative as it’s not enough when it happens on the other side. If anyone from other sites gets easily triggered reading sheer facts they can always make use of the ignore button.
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