Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
01-21-22, 07:03 AM
#76
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
They'll go timed exclusive for the first year, and Xbox will outperform because its available sooner and on GP. That way the next year they can feed us the BS that it wasn't worth their investment to publish on PS because it didn't do as well the previous year where they gave it away for free a month early on xbox.
01-21-22, 08:55 AM
#77
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Again there are pre-existing deals in place with Sony. Those will be honored. Usually Sony has some slight exclusive deal with CoD, something minor "Only on Playstation". If that's still the case going forward maybe Sony agrees to drop that to extend the multi console window. We don't know how long the current deal runs, but for a while at least it's coming to both systems at the same time.
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John Pannozzi (01-21-22)
01-21-22, 08:59 AM
#78
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Yeah, I think a better tact would be honor the contracts (which they have to do anyway), but bleed as many people as they can to the Xbox side because of Gamepass/features (if non parity is allowed in the contract) before they flip the switch. Cutting off all the PS users especially when consoles are in short supply on a big franchise like this seems really dumb to me.
I don't even know, is there cross-console multiplayer on these games yet? I'd think you'd also want the biggest playerbase for that, not to mention the microtransactions.
I don't even know, is there cross-console multiplayer on these games yet? I'd think you'd also want the biggest playerbase for that, not to mention the microtransactions.
01-21-22, 08:59 AM
#79
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John Pannozzi (01-21-22)
01-21-22, 10:09 AM
#80
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Have at it:
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01-21-22, 10:31 AM
#81
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
What are the dirty tactics here?
I don't see why this has to be a console war thing like it's politics or something. If Sony made this move I think people would have a similar reaction.
I don't see why this has to be a console war thing like it's politics or something. If Sony made this move I think people would have a similar reaction.
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Michael Corvin (01-21-22)
01-21-22, 10:36 AM
#82
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Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Here's the full text of that post quoted by Music above, in case anyone can't read the tiny text. Spoilerized for length
Spoiler:
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01-21-22, 10:36 AM
#83
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Title specific exclusivity and buying out entire publishers seem a little different to me.
Though the titles Sony did make exclusives are damaging in Japan (where Final Fantasy Online is huge).
Though the titles Sony did make exclusives are damaging in Japan (where Final Fantasy Online is huge).
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John Pannozzi (01-21-22)
01-21-22, 10:40 AM
#84
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
It's competition between businesses.
Like always consumers are just stuck in the middle.
Like always consumers are just stuck in the middle.
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01-21-22, 10:49 AM
#85
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Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Also to be clear, there are lots of fair points in contrast to what that person is saying. But I think people really do downplay that although these companies tackle 'exclusivity' in different ways, they're both doing it to cut off each other in some way.
But the bigger point was that the Xbox CEO specifically said this latest deal was about blocking Amazon and Google, which is what I expected. Had Activision (or Bethesda) gone to either of them instead, I think it'd have been an even bigger blow to Sony (and MS).
But the bigger point was that the Xbox CEO specifically said this latest deal was about blocking Amazon and Google, which is what I expected. Had Activision (or Bethesda) gone to either of them instead, I think it'd have been an even bigger blow to Sony (and MS).
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John Pannozzi (01-21-22)
01-21-22, 11:24 AM
#86
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Also to be clear, there are lots of fair points in contrast to what that person is saying. But I think people really do downplay that although these companies tackle 'exclusivity' in different ways, they're both doing it to cut off each other in some way.
But the bigger point was that the Xbox CEO specifically said this latest deal was about blocking Amazon and Google, which is what I expected. Had Activision (or Bethesda) gone to either of them instead, I think it'd have been an even bigger blow to Sony (and MS).
But the bigger point was that the Xbox CEO specifically said this latest deal was about blocking Amazon and Google, which is what I expected. Had Activision (or Bethesda) gone to either of them instead, I think it'd have been an even bigger blow to Sony (and MS).
01-21-22, 12:37 PM
#87
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Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
But Google, Amazon, and Meta (parent company of Facebook) have a mixed history with gaming. Amazon has canceled several games and even New World seems to be struggling after its initial success. Meta wants to fill the metaverse with ads, while Google doesn't seem to know what it wants out of gaming.
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John Pannozzi (01-21-22)
01-21-22, 12:41 PM
#88
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Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
In a scenario where either Amazon or Google buys Activision or Bethesda, I think it's far more likely that 2-5 years down the road, you'd see them doing everything they can to keep games off of the major console platforms, unless they're tied to Luna or Stadia somehow. These are (relative) newcomers, and their intention is to disrupt. That's been good business for both companies.
In contrast, while buying A/B was absolutely 'disruptive' to Sony's market (and to a much smaller extent, Nintendo's), I think they can and will have a pretty good game plan. Even just securing Bungie exclusivity for life would go a long way.
But, ultimately, it was A/B looking for a buyer. I asked before in this thread, and I'm still curious what people think; If Activision was 100% set on selling, who do y'all think should have bought them?
01-21-22, 02:04 PM
#89
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
I could be way off base (naturally!), but my own thought on this is that I think that Amazon (or Google, or Facebook) would not necessarily keep CoD on consoles. You and I are both making assumptions, and maybe both are fair or not, but I just don't see Amazon or Google in particular doing anything that keeps the console industry going when it has the potential to take away from their own growing services like Luna or Stadia respectively, in the long term. You don't make a $69B purchase just to turn around and play nice with everyone else. (side note: which is why I think the Xbox CEO saying he "intends" to keep CoD on Playstation should have a footnote saying "depending on how Sony continues with their own exclusivity practices of 3rd parties.")
In a scenario where either Amazon or Google buys Activision or Bethesda, I think it's far more likely that 2-5 years down the road, you'd see them doing everything they can to keep games off of the major console platforms, unless they're tied to Luna or Stadia somehow. These are (relative) newcomers, and their intention is to disrupt. That's been good business for both companies.
In contrast, while buying A/B was absolutely 'disruptive' to Sony's market (and to a much smaller extent, Nintendo's), I think they can and will have a pretty good game plan. Even just securing Bungie exclusivity for life would go a long way.
But, ultimately, it was A/B looking for a buyer. I asked before in this thread, and I'm still curious what people think; If Activision was 100% set on selling, who do y'all think should have bought them?
In a scenario where either Amazon or Google buys Activision or Bethesda, I think it's far more likely that 2-5 years down the road, you'd see them doing everything they can to keep games off of the major console platforms, unless they're tied to Luna or Stadia somehow. These are (relative) newcomers, and their intention is to disrupt. That's been good business for both companies.
In contrast, while buying A/B was absolutely 'disruptive' to Sony's market (and to a much smaller extent, Nintendo's), I think they can and will have a pretty good game plan. Even just securing Bungie exclusivity for life would go a long way.
But, ultimately, it was A/B looking for a buyer. I asked before in this thread, and I'm still curious what people think; If Activision was 100% set on selling, who do y'all think should have bought them?
But if it were Meta, I would have certainly freaked out.
01-21-22, 02:45 PM
#90
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Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
I'm not sure what the appeal for Valve/Steam would be. They seem content to produce little-to-nothing and just keep raking in their 30% cut. It'd get Activision games back on Steam, sure, is that worth $70 billion? (Since Valve is private, their financials aren't public, but I can't imagine they're worth a fraction of that amount. Maybe $15 billion at most?) Valve has indulged in near-nothing in the way of acquisitions, especially in recent years. I think their last one was Campo Santo in 2018: a team of 12.
Companies like Amazon and Google do not and cannot understand games. They're propelled by data-driven approaches and internal competition. That doesn't apply to game development which is constant iteration, throwing out whatever doesn't work, finding the fun, and things tending to come together at the eleventh hour. Google just shut down all of their internal studios and scuttled the idea of Stadia exclusives; I can't really picture them so quickly diving back in (especially at such staggering cost). The failures of Amazon in the gaming space are well-documented.
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01-21-22, 03:03 PM
#91
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Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Buying Twitch was the smartest thing Amazon did in the gaming industry. Everything else, well, history speaks for itself I guess, if that article Adam posted is any indication.
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John Pannozzi (01-21-22)
01-22-22, 06:43 PM
#92
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
It's just business. Sony had a lot of exclusives and even playstation fans laughed at MS for that.
Now MS has a chance to increase the amount of exclusives they have - and why shouldn't they?
Now MS has a chance to increase the amount of exclusives they have - and why shouldn't they?
01-23-22, 11:36 AM
#94
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
That's a garbage argument. Sony buying Bluepoint and Housemarque is just like Xbox buying Activision Blizzard and Bethesda? Sure those companies made Sony games year in and year out but they also made Angry Birds on the 360? Is that really his argument that those are the same things? He should have stuck with Sony paying for console exclusive games and it hurt MS. That is a somewhat better argument but not really the same either.
Yes both companies engage in guerrilla tactics to get a market edge, we all know that. And assuming it doesn't violate any Monopoly concerns, what MS did wasn't illegal. I think people were saying that MS acquiring these companies was bad for gaming, not that MS was empirically bad for doing it. But it's dishonest and disingenuous to compare buying studios like Bend Studios or Guerrilla Games with Blizzard or Bethesda. Anyone can see the difference.
Yes both companies engage in guerrilla tactics to get a market edge, we all know that. And assuming it doesn't violate any Monopoly concerns, what MS did wasn't illegal. I think people were saying that MS acquiring these companies was bad for gaming, not that MS was empirically bad for doing it. But it's dishonest and disingenuous to compare buying studios like Bend Studios or Guerrilla Games with Blizzard or Bethesda. Anyone can see the difference.
01-23-22, 11:41 AM
#95
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Also his claim that if Sony had made this acquisition that Sony fans would be throwing it in MS face smacks of a lack of objectivity. MS has now done this sort of major buyout twice, Sony not at all. Deal with the reality of the industry not a hypothetical that hasn't come close to happening.
01-23-22, 02:09 PM
#97
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
The only franchise that might get me to buy another console for gaming would be if the next GTA were Xbox only. However, I don't see that happening. I just hope that MS puts an emphasis on improving those franchises for their userbase, and not just regurgitating new titles every year without a lot of advancement in each title. I think that clockwork development also breeds the toxic environments we are seeing in the bigger studios. We will see how all this plans out because that is a huge investment to keep adding titles to Game Pass.
01-23-22, 05:02 PM
#98
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Sony has gone out of their way to ensure games don't come to the XBOX. And because of that, Sony has had a huge advantage in the console wars and according to many - MS isn't even in the game.
Competition is what's needed and MS is providing that now.... otherwise Sony runs away with it and we wouldn't have the AMAZING Game Pass available to us. You'd have to continue to pay $70 for a fucking game and extra money just to get a next-gen upgrade to games.
I applaud MS for their commitment to XBOX. You don't like it - too fucking bad. Take your whining and bitching to Sony - they used their tactics, now MS is using theirs.
Sony would be doing the same thing if they didn't sit on their ass and let other companies eat their lunch all these years - putting them in financial trouble.
Competition is what's needed and MS is providing that now.... otherwise Sony runs away with it and we wouldn't have the AMAZING Game Pass available to us. You'd have to continue to pay $70 for a fucking game and extra money just to get a next-gen upgrade to games.
I applaud MS for their commitment to XBOX. You don't like it - too fucking bad. Take your whining and bitching to Sony - they used their tactics, now MS is using theirs.
Sony would be doing the same thing if they didn't sit on their ass and let other companies eat their lunch all these years - putting them in financial trouble.
01-23-22, 05:24 PM
#99
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard
Making a game series that's hugely popular on both consoles an exclusive is a dick strategy regardless of whose doing it.
Hopefully MS starts getting some originals again though. I liked the latest entry for Halo but the franchise as a whole is pretty tired, as is Gears.
Hopefully MS starts getting some originals again though. I liked the latest entry for Halo but the franchise as a whole is pretty tired, as is Gears.
