Sony could respond to Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard by purchasing EA

[Rayneofpayne]

Honestly...I think Sony should actually pick another lane altogether: Buy Capcom and Square before Microsoft can. Stick with the Japanese market and creators instead of trying to go Dollar vs Dollar with Microsoft because guess what? They're going to lose that battle, even if they manage to buy EA because I honestly don't think EA is going to counteract Activision + Bethesda combined so it's a losing battle.

Crapcom? Or Square the most disappointing of the bunch.

 

[Dimitriid]

Crapcom? Or Square the most disappointing of the bunch.

They're no worst than EA in my opinion but likely to be *much* cheaper to buy.

But you can just guess my general contempt for all AAA gaming overall so if you think Capcom and/or Square are worst, sure thing no re: from me but as I said, they are at least much cheaper.

And there's something to be said to build a kind of national identity of a major Japanese company with mainly Japanese devs and embracing that instead of trying to be appealing to both Japan and the west.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

They're no worst than EA in my opinion but likely to be *much* cheaper to buy.

But you can just guess my general contempt for all AAA gaming overall so if you think Capcom and/or Square are worst, sure thing no re: from me but as I said, they are at least much cheaper.

And there's something to be said to build a kind of national identity of a major Japanese company with mainly Japanese devs and embracing that instead of trying to be appealing to both Japan and the west.

Sony's actions the last 6 years, since moving their US headquarters to california, have done them 0 favors to fellow japanese developers. NEVER get in the way of the japanese and their lewd games.

Capcom is successful developing and releasing on multiple platforms and would have no interest in a sony buyout. Square is in much worse straights, but their fanatical FF fanbase will keep them alive. The japanese are also not as keen on the whole "building megacorporation" thing like america is.

I think sony doing any of this is utter nonsense. Sony has a huge backcatalog of IPs they have done NOTHING with on the PS4. They would be better served reviving these IP and building new studios instead of spending billions on legacy publishers. For half the cash ($35 billion) spent on activision ($70 billion) you could fund 100 games with a $350 million budget each(a budget higher then the marketing+dev budget of any video game in history other then scam citizen) or 200 games with $175 million budget each! It's insane to spend that much cash on a developer no matter what their back catalog when you could fund the creation of 200 ratchet and clanks, god of wars, motorstorms, LBPs, ece.

 

[scavengerspc]

Oh hell this could be an awesome and hilarious response!
Though I can't see how an EA acquisition makes sense for anyone.

 

[ypsylon]

As an Mass Effect nutjob. It's enough I have to put-up with EA and now even worse corpo want to buy them out. It's not math where two '-' give a '+'. Terrible news if it happens.

Seems like 2022 is even worse than 2021 already. First Pixologic sold itself to Maxon to general gasp of disbelief (and it took Maxon less than 2 weeks to introduce very negative changes to licensing - to quote one of the comments in reply to that news: "This is the weirdest Blender advertisement I've ever seen") and now Sony looming over EA (and as extension Bioware). Oh dear...

 

[Watzupken]

It will be good for gamers if Sony buys EA because this may end their pay to win/ loot box methods that basically ruin the games. EA has got some decent game developers under them if I think of games like Starwars from Respawn, Codemasters, etc. This should allow the developers to concentrate on making better games than try and make games that one will need to keep buying things.

It is bad for Sony because they will need to pay a lot for EA, and EA have a very notorious reputation to gamers. For me, I will only buy games from EA that are free from all these pay to win options.

 

[Puiu]

Uhm Blizzards properties have made billions, sports games and the serial war games are trash. While those games have been trash due to bad management, they are still worth more than Call of Duty, people like to forget Diablo 3 had the largest PC preorder in history, I mean it was still trash compared to it's forbearers. But Blizzard fans have always been loyal to the properties more so than any of the war type games Sports games are just as rabid but they were yeah when EA just wanted mobile games on console with Magic the gathering level of digital goods.

EA's Sports games alone made around the same money as what Blizzard makes. In the last few years EA made between 1.4 and 1.6 bil per year from the Ultimate team game mode from FIFA, Madden and NHL.

 

[NumberSix]

I can see it now, Sony buy Electronic Arts and in 6 months they rename EA to Sony Redwood City and we never hear from them again.

 

[McMurdeR]

Sony always has better success commissioning or buying smaller studios. I don't think EA is a good fit for them.

MS bought Activision for the IPs, not the disfunctunal publisher.

 

[TorturedChaos]

Although in all fairness I think Microsoft are being stupid for allowing it’s games to proceed with releasing on the PlayStation. I like that they do it but from a business point of view it’s bizarre, they are generating profit for their direct competitor.

In console game market, the money really isn't in the consoles but the games and more recently the subscription services.
Microsoft might not sell quite as many Xbox's by releasing games for both systems, but they sell more games. Once the development cost of a game is paid, it cost very little to sell more physical copies, and next to nothing to sell digital copies.
The consoles have fixed cost for the physical compensates, and are often sold at a slim margin.
The real money for Microsoft is in there game pass subscription service. More titles they can get on their, the more people they can get to sign up.
Especially if they start bundling WoW subscription with game pass. I see that as a good money maker for them.

 

[DZillaXx]

Spending a large lump sum of money to buy a large publisher just doesn't make sense for Sony. Their Pocket books don't run as deep and they'd be putting a lot more on the line.

I would expect Sony at somepoint to pickup a smaller studio or publisher, but as of know they've been more focused with exclusivity deals and really so far that has helped more than actual buying of studios.

At somepoint in time Sony will really need to figure out a way to make playstaion now service not suck, would really like to see more newer titles on that service. Not years old games.

 

[Rayneofpayne]

EA's Sports games alone made around the same money as what Blizzard makes. In the last few years EA made between 1.4 and 1.6 bil per year from the Ultimate team game mode from FIFA, Madden and NHL.

Keep in mind Blizzard has been wounded and don't nearly make what they used to, Blizzard profits mainly come from sold games and expansions, not card packs and MTX to the extent EA makes off them, in other words take out MTX and EA games don't have the same monetary weight.

 

[Rayneofpayne]

They're no worst than EA in my opinion but likely to be *much* cheaper to buy.

But you can just guess my general contempt for all AAA gaming overall so if you think Capcom and/or Square are worst, sure thing no re: from me but as I said, they are at least much cheaper.

And there's something to be said to build a kind of national identity of a major Japanese company with mainly Japanese devs and embracing that instead of trying to be appealing to both Japan and the west.

Good point.

 

[Aceseven]

EA make garbage games but they do have a very strong effect on sales with their sports games. In the U.K. at least there are dozens of people who buy consoles exclusively to play FIFA. If FIFA and all the other popular EA sports games became PS exclusives that could make quite a big difference to sales numbers. And Sony are ruthless, they would absolutely cut Xbox off as soon as they can.

Although in all fairness I think Microsoft are being stupid for allowing it’s games to proceed with releasing on the PlayStation. I like that they do it but from a business point of view it’s bizarre, they are generating profit for their direct competitor.

They're smart in my eyes, if CoD is still on playstation like always and other games are multiplat its just more money going into the microsoft coffers.

of course the xbox/gamepass/pc versions will probably have exclusive content, but thats been normal for years now.

the big point is that they wont look evil to gamers if they share a few "big" but not biggest titles, and that puts sony in a tough spot if they bought a big publisher, because they would look terrible if they completely locked down everything while microsoft didnt. optics are a mofo, and right now optics play a big part.

 

[Squid Surprise]

... in other words take out MTX and EA games don't have the same monetary weight.

Why would we be taking out MTX?

 

[Jimster480]

EA make garbage games but they do have a very strong effect on sales with their sports games. In the U.K. at least there are dozens of people who buy consoles exclusively to play FIFA. If FIFA and all the other popular EA sports games became PS exclusives that could make quite a big difference to sales numbers. And Sony are ruthless, they would absolutely cut Xbox off as soon as they can.

Although in all fairness I think Microsoft are being stupid for allowing it’s games to proceed with releasing on the PlayStation. I like that they do it but from a business point of view it’s bizarre, they are generating profit for their direct competitor.

Well if Sony were to buy out EA, then Microsoft would have to trade something like COD for Battlefield or FIFA or NBA.... That is how business works after all.

 

[BigRedPDX]

Windows is an open platform (no money goes to MS for selling games on it). Sony doesn't need their own OS. They could do their own store, but some PC gamers wouldn't like that (more fragmentation).

PS remote play requires a PS4/5, don't think that counts lol

I'm just saying that it makes it lot easier for Microsoft to create games for their own OS. I mean, Steam has their own OS, do they not? Maybe Sony could work on some PC games. They just acquired Nixxes Software, which does PC porting. So we may see something here soon. Oh... here's the link to the article on that.

PlayStation has acquired PC port developer Nixxes Software | VGC

The Dutch studio has worked on Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Hitman, Thief…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[Puiu]

Keep in mind Blizzard has been wounded and don't nearly make what they used to, Blizzard profits mainly come from sold games and expansions, not card packs and MTX to the extent EA makes off them, in other words take out MTX and EA games don't have the same monetary weight.

People who have been playing Blizzard's latest games/updates don't feel so "good" about them as you do.

 

[m4a4]

I'm just saying that it makes it lot easier for Microsoft to create games for their own OS. I mean, Steam has their own OS, do they not? Maybe Sony could work on some PC games. They just acquired Nixxes Software, which does PC porting. So we may see something here soon. Oh... here's the link to the article on that.

PlayStation has acquired PC port developer Nixxes Software | VGC

The Dutch studio has worked on Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Hitman, Thief…

www.videogameschronicle.com

...Not really, no. There's nothing that makes it a lot easier for MS's studios to make games for PC. It's not like everyone has to use MicrosoftEngine or something to build their game for Windows. Its an open OS.

And yeah, Sony is slowly working on PC ports, but I don't have confidence that they're going to be quick about it in the near future (at least, not without MS pressuring them).

 

[BigRedPDX]

...Not really, no. There's nothing that makes it a lot easier for MS's studios to make games for PC. It's not like everyone has to use MicrosoftEngine or something to build their game for Windows. Its an open OS.

And yeah, Sony is slowly working on PC ports, but I don't have confidence that they're going to be quick about it in the near future (at least, not without MS pressuring them).

Sony does have a decent list of games that are currently on PC. I found this...

All PlayStation Studios Games on PC

Every first-party Sony game on PC

www.pushsquare.com

 

[m4a4]

Sony does have a decent list of games that are currently on PC. I found this...

All PlayStation Studios Games on PC

Every first-party Sony game on PC

www.pushsquare.com

Yes, but tell me how long it took to port them.

 

[BigRedPDX]

Yes, but tell me how long it took to port them.

From what I've read, the average is roughly a year after console release.

This is for Death Stranding, as an example.

The game was released in 2019 to generally favorable reviews, although, as commented on by ScreenRant, many did criticize the gameplay and story. PC fans were overjoyed when a Windows port was announced, which was released in July 2020.

 

[m4a4]

From what I've read, the average is roughly a year after console release.

This is for Death Stranding, as an example.

The game was released in 2019 to generally favorable reviews, although, as commented on by ScreenRant, many did criticize the gameplay and story. PC fans were overjoyed when a Windows port was announced, which was released in July 2020.

No. It's closer to 2-3 years on average. And DS isn't from a Sony studio (so not up to Sony, beyond contracting as exclusive).

But my main point is that their PC ports are slow (for their games, not 3rd party). I don't get what you're trying to prove by reinforcing what I've said, or making bad claims.

 

[BigRedPDX]

No. It's closer to 2-3 years on average. And DS isn't from a Sony studio (so not up to Sony, beyond contracting as exclusive).

But my main point is that their PC ports are slow (for their games, not 3rd party). I don't get what you're trying to prove by reinforcing what I've said, or making bad claims.

I don’t get why you didn’t mention your point earlier. Why is that? I’m not proving anything. I’m just finding information and putting it out there. Your information was also incorrect about the Sony games and being on PC. That’s the point. I don’t care how long they take.

 

[m4a4]

I don’t get why you didn’t mention your point earlier. Why is that? I’m not proving anything. I’m just finding information and putting it out there. Your information was also incorrect about the Sony games and being on PC. That’s the point. I don’t care how long they take.

My point was in my first comment you replied to and reiterated a few comments ago.......

And what was specifically incorrect? Your vague reply suggests that you're not so sure......