Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard!

[GrimReaper801]

Oh yes, you are absolutely right. Sorry I did not mean to imply MS was actively seeking out a philanthropic methods to make lots of money AND support the art. I just mean that at least for the foreseeable future this produces the serendipitous result of them leaving the artists alone because of the way MS has planned to make lots and lots of money.

I think you're being far too optimistic with this.

For example I would bet that Starfield would have had NFTs (or some other manipulative way to squeeze money out of the players) in it but NOW will not because of the situation with MS.

Very early to call victory on that.

If anything, as I previously stated, Microsoft doing what it is doing will allow them to force NFTs into the industry far more easily.

The one and only good think I see coming out of this is that I fully expect Bobby Kotick to leave once the deal is done.

 

[greeks]

Hasn't it been confirmed that Bobby stays as the CEO even after the acquisition is done?

 

[GrimReaper801]

Hasn't it been confirmed that Bobby stays as the CEO even after the acquisition is done?

It has.

I'm fairly certain it's all PR speak. Give investors a sense of stability. Give the impression that the acquisition is unrelated to Blizzard/Activision's current woes. "Business as usual with MS at the helm" so to speak.

I fully expect they'll want to distance themselves from Kotick once the deal goes through after the end of their fiscal year.

 

[eskiMoe]

Is this even a possible scenario? MS is a US based company and CDP is Polish and a major company within Poland (afaik). Does the Polish law allow oversea buyouts of this caliber?

 

[TastyTV8]

microsoft's insatiable hunger knows no bounds

 

[Feline_Witcher]

Fuck. No

We had to suffer EAware and what it did to a formerly beloved company (the Bioware that made KOTOR), we don't need no Microsoftjekt Red

 

[StanislavOZZO]

It's the way of the world. Megacorporations can offer a price people can't resist. I've seen this so many times when promising companies have been acquired by a larger company.

 

[Feline_Witcher]

It's the way of the world. Megacorporations can offer a price people can't resist. I've seen this so many times when promising companies have been acquired by a larger company.

 

[Guest 3847602]

We had to suffer EAware and what it did to a formerly beloved company (the Bioware that made KOTOR), we don't need no Microsoftjekt Red

Electronic Arts and BioWare hanging out together, 1272 Colorized

 

[Notserious80]

Sadly id say its how the game sphere works nowdays. Most of the people who worked on Biowares legendary big hitting games arent there anymore. Same with ALOT of companies. People come and go from these big studios/companys so the games they make change too, for better or worse.

 

[John_Russell]

If it helps keep NFTs out of games then I'm all for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard .... Phil Spenser has already come out against them

However I don't think CDPR is what they are looking for, they seem to be concentrating on large publishers that hold numerous titles and studios so they can increase their portfolio of games they can offer on Game Pass .... CDPR just doesn't fit that profile

 

[nirile1410]

LOL
I don't think that CDPR meet the stanrdard required by Microsoft, by far.
I don't see any actually good side for them to aquire a business acting like CDPR.

 

[greeks]

Good point.

Story of Geralt of Rivia and Ciri is done. Where do you want to take the franchise? What would be a new direction? A sequel? Of what? The story is done. A prequel? Not all that exciting if you already know where it will all lead. I don't know what they'll do with The Witcher 4 but I can't see it being any interesting, even if technically the game will not be broken like Cyberpunk is.

Now, Cyberpunk. A strong franchise without strongly established main character. There is no actual storyline here. There is a city, and that is it. A good platform for telling whatever story you feel like. Would Microsoft take over CDPR just for one franchise? People want to play Sci-Fi open world games that are taking place on Earth and in the city, 17M sold copies proves that. Nobody really explored that line of open world games. It's all either postapocalyptic wastelands or space.

But what about the company as in staff, talent, people who make things happen? We all know how well the management is performing and staff rotation is what it is. I doubt that the talent that created TW3 is still with the company. Even the creator of the Red Engine left 2 years before the game release. And we all know how good of a platform it is right now, without the person who knew how it all works.

You might be right, the company is not really worth buying right now.

 

[SpookyFX]

SONY BUYS BUNGIE!​

Acquisition war? Who could be next?

I wonder if we will see the "indie" one (or two) man studio IPs that are very popular (similar to Hollow Knight) start to get grabbed up. .

 

[maniak6767]

Good point.

Story of Geralt of Rivia and Ciri is done. Where do you want to take the franchise? What would be a new direction? A sequel? Of what? The story is done. A prequel? Not all that exciting if you already know where it will all lead. I don't know what they'll do with The Witcher 4 but I can't see it being any interesting, even if technically the game will not be broken like Cyberpunk is.

Now, Cyberpunk. A strong franchise without strongly established main character. There is no actual storyline here. There is a city, and that is it. A good platform for telling whatever story you feel like. Would Microsoft take over CDPR just for one franchise? People want to play Sci-Fi open world games that are taking place on Earth and in the city, 17M sold copies proves that. Nobody really explored that line of open world games. It's all either postapocalyptic wastelands or space.

But what about the company as in staff, talent, people who make things happen? We all know how well the management is performing and staff rotation is what it is. I doubt that the talent that created TW3 is still with the company. Even the creator of the Red Engine left 2 years before the game release. And we all know how good of a platform it is right now, without the person who knew how it all works.

You might be right, the company is not really worth buying right now.

SPOILERS! Geralt was killed in books, it didn't stop Sapkowski from writing another book, and didn't stop CDPR from making games as continuation of books.
Don't know why CIri's story is done? She like 20 years old during events of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt so please explain me why exactly her story is done, is looking more like just prologue.
How Geralt's story is done? I think only CEO of CDPR at some point said they won't continue Geralt's story, but still It doesn't mean his story is done. Bah, there's still few dozens of years to explore before events of books started, Geralt was born 80 years before it and was doing witcher stuff like 50-60 years before meeting Yennefer....
Anyway I don't want to discuss it, it will be pointless anyway, after these kind of statements.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Don't know why CIri's story is done? She like 20 years old during events of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt so please explain me why exactly her story is done, is looking more like just prologue.

A sequel with Ciri as witcher (my favorite ending) in a brand new adventure (maybe even on other and very different worlds, futuristics for example...) could be quite awesome, if you ask me
Anyway, there are plenty of choices to make new games after TW3... (not TW4, but even 5, 6, 7,...)

 

[Riven-Twain]

Moderator: One post edited. Keep it friendly, please.

 

[GrimReaper801]

SONY BUYS BUNGIE!​

Acquisition war? Who could be next?

I wonder if we will see the "indie" one (or two) man studio IPs that are very popular (similar to Hollow Knight) start to get grabbed up. .

Frankly, it was written in the stars.

I lightly touched upon that before in this thread. I have no doubt this is in response to MS's growing list of acquisitions. I have no doubt this is but one step in Sony's plans. Other publishers are probably looking at a few different possible acquisitions too. They'll all try to keep up with MS. The industry will be consolidating fast.

I wouldn't be too worried about very small indie development studios. Those aren't being targeted right now and I doubt they'll be anytime soon. The simple fact is that those are risky acquisitions. You acquire companies for the IPs, of course, but also for the expertise and talent behind these IPs success. When you throw absurd amounts of money at these very small studios you run the risk of seeing the talent and expertise leaving because they now don't even have the necessity to stick around for their paychecks.

Additionally, most indie studios are indie because they don't want to work for these big publishers.

I'm not worried about the indie scene.

 

[BabaBooey88]

I wouldn't be too worried about very small indie development studios. Those aren't being targeted right now and I doubt they'll be anytime soon. The simple fact is that those are risky acquisitions. You acquire companies for the IPs, of course, but also for the expertise and talent behind these IPs success. When you throw absurd amounts of money at these very small studios you run the risk of seeing the talent and expertise leaving because they now don't even have the necessity to stick around for their paychecks.

Largely accurate.

Indie studios, the ones with any exceptional skills, are usually on the dole from larger studios already; pulling outsource to finance their passion projects. Publishers will often extend a hand toward them as well to keep the established pipeline flowing. Even though many don't want to be owned, an appeal to "security" easily overrides idealism.

 

[medion_no]

Whats the point of buying Bungie? Maybe that was the price with Halo in the deal, but now??? Sigh...