Microsoft to Acquire Activision Blizzard

[largh]

I disagree. It's only been a few years when this CEO tried to enforce UWP apps/games which, if successful and many other restrictions aside, would have eradicated modding from the PC gaming landscape and turned Windows into a walled garden just like the Apple and Google stores.

Thanks, I didn't know or remember that. Anyway, I have pretty much hated Microsoft since around 2005 and expect the worst from them. I am surprised how they changed their course with the new CEO and started actually seeing the open-source community as a potential instead of a competitor. I appreciate the shift and by allowing Linux subsystem for Windows, they may have made the OS a lot more flexible. Perhaps even more so than Linux itself. Who knows, maybe my next work computer will run on Windows. Haven't used the OS for anything else than gaming for decades.

Of course, all mega-corps are only caring about profits in the end. Call it evil if you will. I call it capitalism.

Monopolisation of a market is never a good thing for the customer. In this case one mega-corp ate another one. Who cares? Shit in a tumble drier is still shit and may smell even worse in the end. I just hope that the smaller actors such as Larian or CDPR manage to maintain their independence.

 

[Carnifex]

Yeah, Moriendor makes a very solid point there, these blokes don't have the best track record in this particular area. Certainly something to keep in mind as this acquisition goes forward, let's watch and see what shape it takes.

 

[Zloth]

I disagree. It's only been a few years when this CEO tried to enforce UWP apps/games which, if successful and many other restrictions aside, would have eradicated modding from the PC gaming landscape and turned Windows into a walled garden just like the Apple and Google stores.

THAT was a load of internet BS.

Microsoft has been giving us free updates to DirectX for over 25 years now. One of the more common ways to mod games is to stick a fake DirectX DLL in the game directory that intercepts calls to the DirectX system. If Microsoft hates modding, why haven't they done anything about that?

 

[Moriendor]

I never said that Microsoft hates modding. I said that UWP apps would have eradicated modding which is a fact due to the nature of UWP. No more modding would have been a side effect of enforcing UWP. Probably an unintentional one.
I have no idea what Microsoft‘s official opinion on modding is. Of course the main goal of UWP would have been the aforementioned walled garden approach and more control over the MS Store/Windows eco system. Removing the ability to mod games would have been considered collateral minor damage by Microsoft imo.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

It remains to be seen whether this is really a good thing for consumers in the long run. As a PC gamer, I am cautiously pessimistic due to Microsoft's troubled history with regard to respecting the PC as a gaming platform besides the Xbox.

… One XBOX to bind them all …

If we are unlucky, then the PC will die out. Everything will be streamed, inclusive the OS, clouded, or be XBOX.

 

[Terry]

Microsoft has been surprisingly consumer friendly during the era of the current CEO. That policy could change quickly however…

Any one remember "Games For Windows Live " that worked out so well for gamers.

Things look really good now but and it's a big BUT a new executive group could change the whole philosophy of where MS goes in a few years.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Of course, all mega-corps are only caring about profits in the end. Call it evil if you will. I call it capitalism.

Monopolisation of a market is never a good thing for the customer. In this case one mega-corp ate another one. Who cares? Shit in a tumble drier is still shit and may smell even worse in the end. I just hope that the smaller actors such as Larian or CDPR manage to maintain their independence.

I agree to that.

Plus, there's a thing going on which is called "Startup farming", bigger companies helping startups and then buying them.

So far this hasn't happened to the Indies scene, but imho it's only a matter of time until this starts.

 

[OverIt]

Funny story. I told my friends that Microsoft will probably fix Activision/Blizzard. My friend laughed and said it says a lot about today when we look to Microsoft to fix things.

 

[JDR13]

Sony is doing some buying of their own. They purchased Bungie today.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-01-31-sony-buying-bungie-for-usd3-6-billion

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Sony is doing some buying of their own. They purchased Bungie today.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-01-31-sony-buying-bungie-for-usd3-6-billion

Not sure it was worth it. It probably makes sense financially, but MS got Beth/id/Arkane for ~7 billion. No way is Bungie half that in value.

Anyway, market concentration at it again. And both MS and Sony say they're not done purchasing.

 

[Myrthos]

MS paid close to 70 billion. I am not sure that this means Bungie is worth that money though.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

MS paid close to 70 billion. I am not sure that this means Bungie is worth that money though.

70 billion for a huge conglomerate that owns dozens of IPs. 3.6 for one company/IP.

 

[JDR13]

70 billion for a huge conglomerate that owns dozens of IPs. 3.6 for one company/IP.

Sounds about right. I'm not seeing the controversy especially given Bungie's history of creating cash cows.

 

[Ripper]

I think Sony really had no choice but to respond, and try to bring some major IPs to their side. I think the slight silver lining is that the platform holders have an incentive to create all sorts of games to attract people to their platforms, and not just shoot for the next games-as-a-service cash cow, which is what seems to preoccupy most of the big publishers. Perversely, it could actually mean more AAA games of the sort I'd actually want to play.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Sounds about right. I'm not seeing the controversy especially given Bungie's history of creating cash cows.

The only issue is when you're buying a company you're mostly buying the IPs. The people, which are responsible for creating the cash cows, can just as easily leave. You're not guaranteed that the company can create the same cows in perpetuity.

The main benefit I see from this purchase is Sony probably wanted to diversify their studios, since they don't have any live-service looter shooter games that have such a long tail of selling post-release content.

Bungie on the other hand, from what I've been reading, seem to have a pretty negative interaction with their customers. They're not really buying good will with their players. They milk them for everything (things which were originally attributed to being under Activision, but it seems those practices have continued). And one of the more astounding practices of Bungie, they actually remove content that players have payed for in various expansions, under the bullshit claim that they don't have the manpower to maintain all of that content.

Compared to the Bethesda/Id/Arkane purchase, which imo is more close in numers, Bungie is kind of worthless imo. At just double what they payed for Bungie, MS got a whole long list of more diverse IPs and studios which are way more valuable. Than the promise that Bungie will deliver another cash cow.

Maybe I'm just sad they didn't purchase any other studio. Which is kind of weird, to be honest, that we've reached this point where we hope one large studio purchases another studio, for more market consolidation.

 

[JDR13]

The only issue is when you're buying a company you're mostly buying the IPs. The people, which are responsible for creating the cash cows, can just as easily leave. You're not guaranteed that the company can create the same cows in perpetuity.

Right, but that's the same with any developer.

Bungie on the other hand, from what I've been reading, seem to have a pretty negative interaction with their customers. They're not really buying good will with their players. They milk them for everything (things which were originally attributed to being under Activision, but it seems those practices have continued). And one of the more astounding practices of Bungie, they actually remove content that players have payed for in various expansions, under the bullshit claim that they don't have the manpower to maintain all of that content.

You're probably referring to the latest expansion for Destiny 2. I know a lot of players were complaining that they changed/removed some features. I haven't played it so I can't comment. Bungie's history goes back a lot further than that though. They've been making quality games since the mid 90's, so I think there's more to consider than just what they've done very recently.

Compared to the Bethesda/Id/Arkane purchase, which imo is more close in numers, Bungie is kind of worthless imo. At just double what they payed for Bungie, MS got a whole long list of more diverse IPs and studios which are way more valuable. Than the promise that Bungie will deliver another cash cow.

That might be your opinion, but I'm pretty sure Sony did their homework before forking out that kind dough, and they're not known for making stupid decisions.

Also, I don't think you realize just how popular Destiny 2 is.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulta...most-impressive-year-to-date/?sh=15add45a626b

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Right, but that's the same with any developer.

Indeed, which is why I said I think purchases are mostly about IPs. The company label doesn't mean much without the people, who are free to come and go.

You're probably referring to the latest expansion for Destiny 2. I know a lot of players were complaining that they changed/removed some features. I haven't played it so I can't comment. Bungie's history goes back a lot further than that though. They've been making quality games since the mid 90's, so I think there's more to consider than just what they've done very recently.



That might be your opinion, but I'm pretty sure Sony did their homework before forking out that kind dough, and they're not known for making stupid decisions.

Also, I don't think you realize just how popular Destiny 2 is.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulta...most-impressive-year-to-date/?sh=15add45a626b

I've mostly been following one youtuber, SkillUp, who's been pretty involved with the game ever since its start on the console. And he's on a constant rollercoaster with that game/company. And the good-for-business/bad-for-customer-good-will decisions seem to have transcended Activision. It's not just removing content. It's nickel and diming for every skinning applied to items, etc etc. And a laundry-list of other things I can't remember.

As far as research before purchasing, I'm sure they did all the due dilligence they can do, but I think these companies are also sitting on huge influxes of cash they received with the recent economic stimulants. I believe I read somewhere Microsoft is estimated to have around 120 billion to spend on these kinds of purchases. Insane. So, regardless of the risk, they're also kind of playing with free money I think.

 

[JDR13]

I've mostly been following one youtuber, SkillUp, who's been pretty involved with the game ever since its start on the console. And he's on a constant rollercoaster with that game/company. And the good-for-business/bad-for-customer-good-will decisions seem to have transcended Activision. It's not just removing content. It's nickel and diming for every skinning applied to items, etc etc. And a laundry-list of other things I can't remember.

I've played the base game, and I don't recall the optional purchases being different from what one should expect from an F2P game nowadays. Complaining about microtransactions in a F2P game is, quite frankly, pretty dumb at this point. It's a given that there's going to be a lot of optional things that the player can purchase. You can either let it bother you or just accept it and/or ignore it.

Hopefully, their next game won't be the same way. I'd like to see them go back to something like Halo and forgo the F2P bullshit, but I suppose that will be up to Sony now.

 

[Deleted member 18181]

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I've played the base game, and I don't recall the optional purchases being different from what one should expect from an F2P game nowadays. Complaining about microtransactions in a F2P game is, quite frankly, pretty dumb at this point. It's a given that there's going to be a lot of optional things that the player can purchase. You can either let it bother you or just accept it and/or ignore it.

Hopefully, their next game won't be the same way. I'd like to see them go back to something like Halo and forgo the F2P bullshit, but I suppose that will be up to Sony now.

From what I remember it's not exactly F2P? They do offer a base version without any of the latest content. But if you want to keep up with the latest expansions you need to purchase them. And even so, they still nickel and dime you with microtransactions. Plus they also used to sell lootboxes, which they now seem to have dropped.

Another interesting thing about the Sony purchase is the fact that Bungie will still remain self-funded. It'll be interesting to see what exactly do they get out of it in the short term, if they're not offering funding. I assume they'll leave them to also manage their own profits?