Xbox has acquired Bethesda for a frightening sum of money, putting that oft-referenced Microsoft warchest to use at last. The purchase price, an eye-watering $7.5 billion, eclipses the sum Disney spent on Marvel and Star Wars combined – it’s a frankly flabbergasting figure. It’s also potentially a giant blow for the PlayStation 5, but we don’t think Sony’s plans will change.
There are seemingly no limits to Microsoft’s spending power – remember, this is the company that paid obscene sums of money to top Twitch streamers in order to convert them to Mixer, only to eventually shut the website down. PlayStation is not as broke as some armchair analysts would lead you to believe, but it simply can’t compete with these kinds of acquisitions.
The aftermath of the buyout has seen Twitter react in a predictable manner, with gaming fans playing fantasy football with publishers that Sony “should” purchase in response. Capcom? Konami? SEGA? Heck, even Ubisoft – you name it, and it’s been touted. But we don’t think PlayStation’s bank balance would ever stretch that far – if this is the direction the industry is heading, then Microsoft will win.
Of course, contrary to common opinion, Sony has been cultivating its own content empire for over a decade now. The platform holder is no stranger to acquisitions – it purchased Insomniac Games last year for around $229 million, peanuts compared to the aforementioned Bethesda buyout – but it’s unreasonable to expect it to be in the market for entire publishers.
In fact, PlayStation’s pipeline is already in a very strong position. This year alone it’s already released tentpole titles like The Last of Us: Part II, Dreams, and Ghost of Tsushima, and its PS5 launch lineup still includes Demon’s Souls and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – among others. In fact, the first year of its next-gen console looks set to blow its predecessor away – it’s an absurd launch slate.
Microsoft’s acquisition spree undoubtedly bridges the gap, and potentially even puts its competitor in front, but we don’t know all the details yet. It’s said that multiformat releases of Bethesda games will be determined on a “case-by-case” basis, and while we think it would be sensible to assume the likes of Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 will be exclusives, they may also not be.
Even if the worst turns out to be true, Sony should not change the trajectory it’s on. The manufacturer’s been pumping out Game of the Year candidates on an annual basis for over a decade now, and that precedent will not change because of this news. In fact, it puts even more emphasis on the Japanese giant to be more creative than ever before.
The real danger for PlayStation is the bottomless nature of Microsoft’s pockets; the top-brass appears to have been sold on the Game Pass dream, and Redmond is seemingly satisfied to chuck worrying chunks of change at making it a success. Clearly the project is deep in the red right now, but the firm doesn’t seem all that fussed about the losses it’s incurring.
Sony’s going to have to use all of its business nous to navigate this potential threat. It’s still working from a tried-and-trusted model, where games are purchased outright rather than handed out as part of a recurring fee. Boss Jim Ryan’s already admitted that Sony doesn’t see the alternative as sustainable, but his company is working against a competitor that can just chew the costs.
Whatever happens next, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the industry is sprinting head-first into seismic change, dragged by a competitor with seemingly little regard for the money it invests. PlayStation, still the global market leader by a country mile, has become an underdog overnight – but it’ll believe that content, as always, will remain king.
How do you feel about where the industry is heading, and Sony’s position in it? What are your thoughts on the Bethesda buyout? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Invest in companies they already own. Open up more work streams. IPs are not bargaining chips and Sony should be focused on making its own output top notch before worrying about buying up other companies’ work.
I’m sure Sony can get someone to build them a decent rpg that can compete with fallout! Fallout 4 was garbage anyway.
I don't think its that big of an issue, for that money I doubt they're going to be locking away Fallout and Elder Scrolls as they'd just lose a ton of money, not to mention any future titles are a long way away from coming out. As for the others no matter what we think about the quality they only sell in small numbers suggesting the majority of Playstation owners simply don't care about them.
But as I said I doubt they'll be exclusives anyway, Minecraft continues to be multiplatform and has received a PSVR mode too, the Ori games have both gone to Switch and Microsoft don't even care if you buy an Xbox as their games are on PC and now Mobile
Just as Nintendo might be seen as an underdog once in a while but still finds its own blue ocean all the time, Sony will be just fine because of its high quality exclusives.
As long as they're making good games, the market will respond positively for sony, like nintendo which didn't have full 3rd party support + a weak machine, but still sells a lot of switch hardware because of their games.
I don't think it's wise to port sony exclusive games to pc though, one of the reason people bought switch is because their sought after exclusive games.
Yeah $7 Billion is way too much money. It’s smart on them to buy them the week of pre orders but $7 Billion is just too much. It’s gonna take a decade to start making profit off of that
Sony & Nintendo — Real Madrid & Barcelona. MS — PSG/Manchester City.
I’d be very surprised if established AAA IPs go exclusive, that would be financial suicide for MS to limit their market for big sellers. More likely new IPs will be developed as Xbox exclusives.
Sony has legacy IPs that they could bring back up from the graves. Legend of Dragoon, Jak and Dexter, Ape Escape, Siphon Filter, SOCOM. The whole problem is they tend to forget IPs and move on
The only thing I want is that Sony actually buy the rights and IP of Konami's like Castlevania, MGS, Silent Hill and Suikoden because Konami doesn't give a crap so at least give it to somebody who does
There is one studio which bothers me in MS hands, and it's Arkane. Arkane is my absolutely most favoutite studio and this situation doesn't please me at all.
I don’t see Sony has the underdog just because of this at all not to mention I don’t see the next elder scrolls and fallout not coming to PlayStation which is why Phil Spencer has already laid the groundwork for that to happen. His whole stance has been about being open and not keeping games to just one console and we all know MS wants gamepass on PlayStation and any other device they can get it on.
Playstation already has big studios to compete with the likes of Rockstar and CD Project Red. All they need is more studios (doesn`t matter if it`s a big studio like Capcom or a small one like Bluepoint).
It would be nice if Sony built out a few more studios and diversified its portfolio a bit. The 3rd person action adventure game is fun, but is getting a bit old.
I'm getting back into gaming after a long break. I pre-ordered the PS5 because of the track record Sony created last-gen. The Bethesda purchase doesn't affect that decision. There's lots of gamers out there like me who simply don't have the time to play lots of games, and want quality over quantity. That's also why Game Pass doesn't appeal - I'm never going to get through the majority of the games on there.
Really think people shouldn't worry too much about this I seriously doubt they would hold back IPs off PS5 it doesn't make financial sense at all. Shareholders will see it as a great acquisition but they will make profit back selling the games on other systems, they are already making a loss on consoles as well I really wouldn't worry too much.
It's not like Nintendo players would mind a mainline Kingdom Hearts on Switch and the like, even a past one, or, say, like Xbox fans would mind Spider-Man in their Avengers game, either.
Push Square seems to have a very strict anti-port-begging policy; it shouldn't work in one way only.
Bethesda needed a kick in the pants - hopefully this puts them back on the right track. Happy to buy an Xbox to play all their new games on gamepass.
Bethesda, Obsidian, InXile - For the (RPG) players
@Darth_Stofi. I agree i love dishonored games.evil within is?pretty good?also.word up son
MS buying Bethesda makes sense. They are a Western style developer that has a history with xbox and PC. MS is a Western centric platform holder that is focused on PC and xbox.
Having Sony buy up a random company like Ubisoft makes zero sense. Ubi might put out big games, but none of them really scream PS. They are a French company putting out a generic line up of games. If big Eastern, but with strong Western appeal Sony, wanted a company, a big Eastern, but with western appeal company is the way to go. Like Capcom. Games like Resident Evil, Monster Hunter and Devil May Cry are big titles, and ones that have that association with PS. Sega may also be a decent choice, but not in the same league as Bethesda. Sega would be more an answer to Nintendo, more so than Bethesda and Xbox.
That out the way. MS will win this regardless. It just won't be evident during the next gen. The industry has been pushing away from traditional consoles for years. That's the game MS is playing, and Sony is just appealing to the traditionalist. PS games will end up on the Xbox platform, and the xbox platform may end up on PS hardware. MS have bought Bethesda to make sure that the profits hit their pockets at some point. And quite frankly, if Capcom is going to put games out on xbox and PC, why shouldn't Sony make some money off of that?
Sony will be fine, their first party exclusive’s are usually second to none. They sell systems. MS have a very strong line up of developers now though and it’ll be interesting to see what they’re doing in a couple of years time.
Both brands being strong is good for us, Sony dominating last gen has led them to be somewhat arrogant, hopefully MS will give them the kick up the arse they need.
@DrJames yeah Bethesda needed to do some soul searching, while obsidian was making Bethesda type games better than Bethesda do lol. Hopefully this acquisition will give them just that. I want ES6 to be amazing!
Sony should make a power grab maybe a big Japanese one like KT or Square in retaliation
@PeakyBlinder Publishers like Capcom and SEGA are definitely well out of their reach in terms of acquisitions, but I always thought studios like FromSoftware would be no brainers
MS are simply placing their bets on streaming to phones. There simply aren’t enough console and PC unique players to justify these kinds of costs. There are a billion people with smartphones who might get Gamepass though (the cost of which will surely rise); Will streaming hardcore games that require several hundred hours of time investment play to the candy crush crowd? Are the games even suitable for such a format? We’ll see. As a gamer I’d certainly play these games on the commute and during lunchtime at work etc, but then my money was already committed. My mum’s wasn’t and still won’t be.
It will certainly eat into Sony’s market share though and they really need to extend their streaming service to compete. What can they do to combat the purchasing power of MS though? Partnership with Ninty? Stream Switch snd next gen Ninty games on PS Now. It’s not like Ninty have the tech for streaming and it would open up their games to a much larger audience. Let’s get the old nearly team back together again. Their combined IPs...wow.
If it just comes down to who has the deepest pockets then MS will win. If both Xbox and PlayStation were separate companies it wouldn't even be close!
I'm very disappointed by yesterday's news though, I can't lie. I loved Skyrim and TES 6 (whenever it eventually is released) would've been a Day One purchase. Maybe it still will, time will tell.
Maybe Sony should reach out to EA and ask them if BioWare are up for sale. Mass Effect and Dragon Age on Sony, Starfield and TES on Xbox. Everybody wins!
We will need to see what Bethseda put out but its not the studio that's the point, its game pass vs marquee single player games. Its plus and now sony have to beef up to compete! New obsidian and Bethseda games at launch for gamepass entry is tempting.
The thing that worries me the most about the purchase is the way that MS seems to be forcing us into a streaming/subscription future, instead of letting us get there naturally.
I don't particularly like the subscription model as I feel there is too much pressure to keep newness coming to the platform. To keep the appearance of value, you have to constantly keep bringing newness to it. 'Look at all these new things you are getting for such a small price'. I feel that a lot of the time you sacrifice quality for quantity.
I'm glad Sony don't really want to go down that venue just yet. Time will tell if it's the right choice.
@nessisonett yeah but by saving bethesda from bankrupty they will earn manny woke points.
Lets just hope microsoft don't force id (doom) developer to make another gears of war.
To even remotely think that Sony is "the underdog" because of this acquisition is baffling, to be honest. The man in the street who buys PlayStation because that's what he knows - which is a large percentage of buyers - probably isn't remotely interested in Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, or Starfield.
Plus they'll probably still launch on PS5 anyway. Microsoft might have a bunch of cash on the hip, but they're not about to shut off half of the income stream of a chain of companies that just cost them $7.5bn.
Microsoft is still very much the underdog.
We live in a world where AAA games costs mega money to create! £10 game pass isn’t a sustainable business model especially when acquisitions are being made for £7billion. Long term the plan will be to have everyone paying £50 a month not £10
@Iroha "The thing that worries me the most about the purchase is the way that MS seems to be forcing us into a streaming/subscription future, instead of letting us get there naturally."
In fairness, they're not forcing anything. They're offering choice. Every title they put on Game Pass is available to purchase, with larger titles being available physically in stores.
Not a single title has been "exclusive to Game Pass" or "exclusive to xCloud." They are options. People can do what they want.
Phil is being coy right now, but the U.S. government won't allow Microsoft to lock such a large swath of development teams outside of other consoles. That's what the FTC antitrust division is for, and with all the attention Big Tech is getting right now, the last thing they want to do is poke the hornets' nest.
Interesting how people view Sony as an underdog... With Sony Pictures and Sony Technologies they have a huuuuuuge global output as well. An underdog they are not, as one of the single largest companies in the world. Indeed their gaming division is the largest in the world still as well.
Mixed feelings with the Bethesda buy out. I feel Microsoft get harshly treated by the press. Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Guerilla Games, Media Molecule, Sucker Punch... All studios that Sony purchased for exclusivity.
Microsoft have been sitting on their ar*e for years now and are just making the purchases they arguably should have made years ago.
It rubs me up the wrong way where the exclusive game arguments seems to only run one way... The main difference being that Sony seem to have been doing it for longer with their acquisitions made earlier so it's fine...
@SuperKMx Hahahaha, Microsoft the underdog!
You're trolling, right?!
Oh and please don't speak for PS gamers. I have plenty of love for Skyrim, was looking forward to finding out more about Starfield and properties like Fallout and Doom have plenty of fans on PS.
I'd be shocked if TES 6 is released on PS5 but nor will I act grateful to Spencer and everyone at Xbox if it does. He's said that he's not interested in exclusives nor does he view Sony as the competition. Talk is cheap my friend!
As much as I might personally not be a fan of Bugthesda's in-house bugfest RPG's, the news that the likes of Elder Scrolls 6 or Starfield are at the whims of M$/"Gamer" Phil on a case by case basis, & studios such as those already with ps5 advertised exclusives such as Deathloop/Tokyo Ghostwire,Arkane,ID etc.,is a definite PR blow.
But my concern is just as much the double talk by "Gamer" Phil. For all his "Gaming for all",& "Bring your gaming library over", rhetoric,it's another Disney like swallowing of several 3rd party devs/IP's to paywall permanently behind Gamepass.
Phil Spencer really doesn't want you buying games on an individual merit to own,he wants you renting them via subs-with preferably more "make up your own stories" online only multiplayer & cosmetics mtx.
Sony may need to come up with a gamepass beater.
the only system sellers are fallout and elder Scrolls, some may argue doom but nope. with the acquisition on inxile, obsidian and the new fable coming from playgrounds I think they have a ton of great potential for pumping out great RPGs, Sony probably needs to either throw out a couple or buy a studio that can, ignoring action RPGs like souls etc, probably doesn't help Xbox though that the bigger market for these RPGs has nearly always been pc
On another note, Sony has said that Game Pass in unsustainable, which I 100% agree with....but what if Microsoft leverages the vastly larger PlayStation install base to supplement Game Pass by paying full price for Bethesda games? 100 million PlayStation users might be able to offset the 15 million Game Pass subscribers.
Is this a big deal? Yes, will it matter for the next 2 -3 years? Probably not. Plenty of time for Sony to invest in games and other developers if they wish. As it stands it took far longer for X box Pre-Orders to sell out than PS5 ones even after this announcement.
And games media / news is generally US based and more biased towards MS and Nintendo so it always seems like anything MS do is bigger better than it actually is.
@pip_muzz Or maybe because none of those studios were as big as Bethesda nor had such a large portfolio of properties.
Naughty Dog are massive now but they have grown as a company precisely because of the support from Sony. There's no way a studio owned by Xbox would make a game like The Last of Us Part II, it's not.... masculine enough shall I say.
If Sony had purchased a Ubisoft or Rockstar then I'd agree with you but they haven't.
In football terms Sony have purchased young talented prospects which they have coached well.
Xbox are just going for ready made superstars like Messi, Ronaldo or De Bruyne.
Sony need the PlayStation to be a success. Microsoft could close the Xbox division tomorrow and it would nary a dent in their profits.
Sony are definitely the underdogs.
@TheFrenchiestFry - People always mention Sony buying FromSoftware but unless Kadokawa Corporation decide to sell them they're going nowhere.
Microsoft forking over 7.5 billion for Zenimax seems like a massive overpay, but it does significantly bolster their lineup.
It’s just crazy when you see a true workhorse studio like Insomniac get purchased for a measly $200 million in comparison, peanuts in comparison but a studio that seems to easily make 10 million+ sellers with Spiderman, and big hits like Ratchet & Clank, plus their VR knowledge. Sometimes it’s about the smart purchase, not how much can you spend.
It seems like another “brute force” approach from MS, trying to buy their way into the lead. Problem is I have little faith in their ability to manage studios properly, look at the current state of 343i, look at what’s happened to Rare and the direction they’ve gone. Talent can leave studios if you don’t cultivate them properly.
Doesn’t make me want to get an Xbox whatsoever, but it does make me want to build a new PC, and eventually when a new game comes to Gamepass that I’m interested in, I’ll sub for a month or two.
Arkane and Id Software are probably the biggest gets for me personally as I like Doom and was looking forward to Deathloop.
One thing is for sure, with Obsidian, inXile, and now Bethesda, MS can comfortably be called the “King” of western RPGs.
That’s about all that changes for me, I still feel like nothing can really touch Sony’s first-party outside of Rockstar, and that will be made continually clear next-gen when titles like Horizon II and God of War: Ragnarok drops as well as Naughty Dog’s next game.
I honestly don’t think Sony have to respond in any sort of big way, but I still think if they picked up Bluepoint and Housemarque it would be nice!
If I was Sony I would buy the Chinese developers behing Black Myth..this game has tons of hype and the talent behind it is obvious..
I'm not really fussed. Bethesda as a developer has been on a downward spiral for a few years anyway, and anything they've got coming won't be coming any time soon. As a publisher they're much better with stuff like Doom and Wolfenstein etc.
But honestly? I expect most of their games to still come to PlayStation. And I think they'll start releasing more of their exclusives on PlayStation too.
@pip_muzz Clearly they're not an underdog from a brand perspective. Just in the sense that they can't match this kind of expenditure.
No one is saying Sony is broke, but I just can't imagine going out and buying publishers is viable for them. They're going to have to grow their content pipeline organically, which to be fair, they've been successful at doing for over a decade now.
I'd like to see them shore up devs like Vanillaware and Bluepoint, maybe even FromSoftware as long as the games stay on PC, but they don't need to go chasing after publishers.
I think they'd go very well with SquareEnix, but still, no need to buy them outright.
I want Sony and Nintendo to just stay the course now. Don't knee jerk and do something that's not needed. Plus, nobody wants to see a race to snatch up the major third party publishers. We still don't know if these IPs will be exclusive to XBOX or not.
I mean it looks more and more like the last generation with an XBOX console, and more and more like they'll eventually be a service on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, even though those platforms recently said otherwise.
I've commented on the forums about this already, but I guess I'll put my considered thoughts down here on it as well. Buying Zenimax was a big a hugely expensive move. But it's one whose ramifications won't be felt for years. Talking to a former Ubisoft manager about it yesterday he made a point I thought was interesting, Take-Two, Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard won't be happy, none of them wish to see games become a devalued value proposition via something like Game Pass. For Ubisoft having to engage with Game Pass would spell the end for many of the games they produce, and Take-Two openly view Game Pass as competition for gamers money. So while it undoubtedly makes Game Pass way more attractive, it also probably makes many third parties even more wary of where MS are taking the industry.
I also don't see this as an Xbox move, this is more a Game Pass move, which yeah, is inextricably linked to Xbox right now, but is clearly diversifying away from it. This is a move to shore up Games Pass and MS in the gaming sector against large predatory tech firms like Google (Stadia) Facebook, Amazon and Apple who all seem to be eying the sector enviously. If anything this could be viewed more as an MS warning shot to them. It'll be interesting to see if Google respond more than Sony.
As to Sony, I'm not sure they will respond, although with Nintendo rumoured to be sniffing round studios like Level-5 and Platinum then their hands might get forced. My fear is that this triggers a series of "consolidation" moves within the industry, which is not consumer friendly, as this is the form of exclusitory capitalism that never serves the consumer and seeks to make other companies offerings look worse rather than making the prime companies offerings better. So please don't wish for your favourite corporation to make things worse for others.
So what could be Sony's moves? Well smaller studios most likely, who are financially precarious, or who they've had a relationship with. Buying Ubisoft or Capcom? No way, they don't have that sort of cash, and even if they did such a move would get out, start a bidding war and price Sony out of any such deal any way. So don't expect any big splash, but probably smaller single studio acquisitions and continuing to grow current studios. Sony actually provide a good cautionary tale about owning too many Studios, the list they've closed down is long, Studio Liverpool, Soho, Cambridge, Evolution, 989 Studios, 541, Zipper, Incognito and a few more. I do think Sony need to expand their first party offerings, I'm just not sure they'll do that via acquisitions.
@Col_McCafferty I get what you're saying, and in Sucker Punch it's fair.
Naughty Dog were huge with Crash so back in the late 90's that really was a big deal purchase. Insomniac again is a huge purchase, especially as this gen two Insomniac games launched for Xbox with one exclusive (Sunset Overdrive and Song of the Sea )
Definitely agree with your Sony buying BioWare Point, Mass Effect & Dragon Age Vs Starfield & Elder Scrolls would be very cool for both console lineups.
From a positive perspective, with Fallout 4 being disappointing, Fallout 76 needing no comments and how poorly some games like Prey and Evil Within sold (comparatively) then we may even see sequels that would otherwise not have existed. It's early days yet, but I'm not so Doom and gloom as others see. And if it makes Sony strive to be better than again, I'm happy.
This is definitely the largest purchase on a gaming perspective in memory though... I can't really think of another one like this, so it is a big deal granted.
The main thing I've noticed over the last few days is the definite narrative being spun by some sites and writers. Sony have had a few blunders over the past few days, but one writer on one site I used to have a lot of respect for immediately calling them the arrogant Sony of old seems like a bit of a step.
XBOX was the underdog, but then they won the PR battle. I wonder how long it will take for MS to make a series of blunders and for Sony to become the underdog redemption story.
It's like those sites are spurring on the fan boys that they know hover in their comment sections.
And to clarify, I'm not talking about this site.
This site and Game Informer are the last websites I visit daily now.
@Col_McCafferty I didn't "speak for PS gamers." I spoke ABOUT a subsection of PS gamers. Huge difference. I also made that clear.
I was speaking of the many, many casual players who default to PlayStation because that's what they know and have grown up with, and who rarely step outside of the FIFA/COD/GTA trifecta. They account for a significant number of console sales and are not going to be swung away from their platform of choice by the outside chance that Microsoft are going to make The Elder Scrolls and DOOM into platform exclusives. Which, I would wager, they're not going to.
And no, I'm not trolling. After the last/current generation, Microsoft are the underdog in terms of branding. Even with Game Pass, Microsoft are the underdog in terms of branding. Jeez...they've been the underdog in terms of branding since Mattrick decided that all people wanted from a games console was to watch TV. And branding puts consoles in living rooms.
Buying a company that likely isn't ready to dump a dozen titles onto the market for a year or more isn't going to change that overnight.
@Shepherd_Tallon The media has always railed against the "winners". Xbox One debacle was bad but was also blown way out of proportion.
@hypnotoad I'm pretty sure the PS Plus Collection for playing PS4 games on PS5 is supposed to be their answer to Game Pass.
This is the best possible outcome for me. MS force Sony to start looking over their shoulder by buying companies with ip's i don't play. Xbox is coming back, but it's still not for me.
@get2sammyb For sure. I guess I never really noticed it before the current gen. It's disappointing when the discourse doesn't stay objective.
@SuperKMx
I sgree with you somewhat, but would argue the customers who buy a console (which Sony make a loss on) to just buy a couple of games a year like FIFA, probably make Sony very little money.
Obviously the only solution here is for Sony to buy Microsoft 😉
@TheFrenchiestFry
No, PS NOW is the competitor to Gamepass (more games, cheaper price). The PS+ Collection is just a way to encourage existing ps4 with PS Plus and xbone owners who’ve never played these games, to get a ps5.
with the Xbox Series S price tag and the price gamepass sony might be aiming for people buy both and get gamepass for MS games
Absolutely nobody can argue just how valuable owning an xbox at this point . Not forgetting EA games on the pass on top of all this.
Honestly, Sony are getting trounced in the PR department at this point.
@Col_McCafferty In terms of gaming specifically Xbox are definitely the ones with something to lose this generation however. The Xbox One did a complete 180 to perception of the company this past generation, whereas Sony are pretty much on top again and are back to being as aggressive and sometimes arrogant as they were during the PS2 and early PS3 days. Microsoft may be more than gaming but gaming still makes up a major portion of their consumer base and probably a passionate following as well compared to the casuals who buy their Surface products or their Microsoft Office 365 subs. Xbox are back at that point where they have to regain the trust of those specific consumers and especially console-only gamers who walked away from their brand in light of all the practices that plagued the early days of the Xbox One, while all Sony has to do is retain their aggressive nature which resulted in their lead for the last gen.
@SuperKMx Yeah I know, but for how long? I'm always a bit wary of subscriptions. I mean, I already have 4 or 5 for various media outlets. I just can't afford another one.
@SirAngry Good post!
@thefourfoldroot PS Now predates Game Pass by several years. PS Plus is clearly a more direct response to that service, especially given how Jim Ryan talked about the pricing model for Game Pass not being economically beneficial for them since it doesn't involve investing in their consoles or console-specific services.
Just to point out Microsoft valuation jumped $35 Billion yesterday after the news broke. They already recovered 5x the outlay. Don't bet on MS needing to recoup costs.
Sony needs to do what Sony does best just keep making great games, and release a black PS5
@Shepherd_Tallon Ahh the arrogant Sony schtick. That is being thrown around more and more these days isnt it? Its abit bizarre. Having seen the last two showcases, i see a confident market leader who has everything to play for going into the next generation in what is a very crowded market, with some tough competition from both Microsoft and Nintendo.
So many of the so called blunders are more things that have been hyped up by the internet. Today's 'arrogant' Sony story was that you cant transfer saved data to spiderman remaster ps5. Like whut?? Lol.
Sony lost the plot when PS3 launched. I have seen nothing to suggest they are repeating the same old mistakes this time around.
@thefourfoldroot Indeed, I agree, but they all get counted the same when people are talking about console sales figures or working out who "won" a generation.
@Shepherd_Tallon I very much think Sony have become the arrogant Sony of old. But because they are capable of putting out such high quality first party titles they are avoiding a lot of the flak at the moment. When you think about the company they became after the initial ps3 blunders they became very consumer focused and interactive and recovered their reputation fantastically. Unfortunately once they introduced the for the players mantra they seemed to dial all that back. They have become deaf to their consumer because we’ll stick around as long as first party content is high quality.
@Robinsad Nah, this is nothing like PS3. Storm in a teacup stuff. Some missteps or oversights do not overshadow all the other good stuff they're doing.
I would say "good content is king". I will not miss Bethesda one bit.
@SirAngry ahh man id not heard about Nintendo and Level 5. I would be gutted if that happened!
I have been wondering something similar to what you picked up on about companies like take 2 and ubisoft. I do wonder whether we might seem more timed exclusivity on PS5 to maximise income before getting strong armed to release titles on to game pass by Microsoft.
People say its money hatting by Sony, but im not so sure. Game pass is a clear threat to the future of gaming as we know it - and people are sleep walking into it because, currently, it makes great financial sense for the player. It is a bargin. But for gamepass to work, it relies on service based, persistent titles. Like avengers. Like destiny. Like the division. One and done single player games will not retain that customer engagement with game pass through the life of the subscription that Microsoft desperately need. So I fully expect the types of games developed to fundamentally shift. Particularly from Xbox Studios first party output
People can call Sony arrogant all they like, but we need Sony in the industry to keep doing what they are doing.
That is my thinking anyway
I laugh when I see people calling Sony "arrogant". It's a very...rhymes with arrogant but starts with ig...statement. Sony's messaging may have fallen off, but hello 2020, in case people have forgotten.
Microsoft acquiring Bethesda is a blow to PS5, but lets speculate for a moment, as we don’t really know what Microsoft plans to do. Can Elder Scrolls, Fallout etc be exclusively made for Xbox? Yes, but does it make “business” sense? No! Why would any games manufacturer want to cut off 2/4 of your revenue(PS & Nintendo)? However, I can see the games being “timed exclusives”! Especially with next gen consoles coming! I mean even Sony has released their exclusives, HZD and Death Stranding, on PC!! Also it’s not like Bethesda release games on a yearly basis! Elder Scrolls 5 was released 9 years ago!! The gap between Fallout 3 & 4 was 7 years, Doom Eternal was just released ...so it’s not like we have to watch Xbox getting annual games! Like I said it’s a blow to Sony, but now we have to see how they respond!
@lacerz hadn't you heard. Apparently the gaming industry is immune from Covid. Or at least you'd think so given the way people have been berating all 3 platform holders this year.
@get2sammyb thanks, every now and then I make sense and raise good points combined. It's very rare, but it does happen. Do I expect Sony to make acquisitions? Yes. However, not in response to Microsoft yesterday, Sony have been eying up studios for a few years now, they have identified areas where they feel they're somewhat "weak" apparently. Online competitive games, racing, FPS games, RPGs and horror. When you look at the IPs they've let go dormant I'm not sure they need more IP, just maybe people to revive what they already have.
Outside of the timed PS5 exclusives (Deathloop and Tokyo), what are the ZeniMax teams releasing in the next 2-3 years? Serious question.
@couldntcarebear yeah, the acquisition for me is as much as getting all of Bethesda's back catalogue 'free to play'on game pass from day 1. That is pretty massive. I've seen nothing to suggest Starfield will arrive before 2022 at the earliest and there is no guarentee we will even see Elder Scrolls 6 next generation. They have been very cagey about it saying Starfield comes first.
So i think the back catalogue was just as valuable as what comes next in this acquisition
@lacerz doom eternal on switch is all that comes to mind - presumably Starfield, but who knows!
@Rob_230 level-5 and Nintendo has been scuttlebutt in the industry since mid 2019. The big N has been sniffing around a few Japanese developers ever since the Switch took off. Whether anything comes of it I don't know, but the prospect might be enough to force Sony's hand.
My interest in Series X over PS5 just went even higher. Sony can keep FF16, I'd rather have Doom & Wolfy.
@Iroha You have the point here, look how watered done Netfix content is, churning out teenage dramas like mad..
Sony need to buy bluepoint.if they get rockstar.man that would be amazing.but hopefully next dishonored.evil within.comes to PlayStation.word up son
@TheFrenchiestFry
No, the streaming service does, the PS Now download service was clearly a response to Gamepass.
And Jim said it’s not sustainable for them to put their games on Now day one as they invest hundreds of millions in every game. That’s all.
One more reason for me to pick up a Series S next year is the way I look at this. Maybe even a Series X on the payment plan.
I’ll be getting a PS5 first, of course.
Great announcement to have just before the console Pre-orders kick in for xbox. Very good move by Microsoft.
@get2sammyb A kick in the what now?
Good article once I got past the surprise of the title. 😎
Many of Sony’s exclusives > All other games
Sony should buy capcom, silent hill IP, kojima productions and fatal frame IP from stupid nintendo and all will be right in the world
If I were Sony I would be making preparations to acquire Kadokawa Shinpen and kill two birds with one stone: expand the company's anime studio catalog and bring Fromsoftware to PlayStation Studios.
Kick in the ass, more like. It's probably the best thing that could happen to us (the customers) on the Playstation side as it will mean that Sony will have to start thinking about genuine "value" and giving us incentives to keep customers more satisfied (like they did with Plus in the PS3 era). There's no value for us if Sony went out and bought a games studio and the future games from studio are £70 each.
The Microsoft pass thing makes PS Plus look pathetic. It has to change or else people are going to quickly question if it's worth paying x amount for two games when you have a large number on the Microsoft system.
I applaud the xBox team for their direction, it's going to be a good fight this generation and it can only be to the benefit of ALL of us. More so if the fanboys can get their heads out of their arses and appreciate the options we have on the four main systems
@KathyQ Polygon or Eurogamer?
Personally I'd say both are heavily biased against Sony but the latter not necessarily pro-Xbox. EG are more for Nintendo and PC gaming in general.
IGN is just a toxic website full of trolls and poor content.
@get2sammyb I don’t mean they’ve made the same mistakes, far from it, but their attitude has defaulted back to that which ultimately could result in those mistakes. They seem to have lost the empathy with their consumers and walled themselves off.
@Rob_230
Yeah, but even Starfield is late 2022 / mid-2023 without any delays. That's halfway through this upcoming generation. Same as all the other Microsoft studios.
@playstation1995
Sony will not get Rockstar. GTAV by itself makes billions on an anuual basis...it's basically a money printing press for T2. I like the thought though!
@BusyOlf AAA titles released for 'free' on a Sony Game Pass equivalent isn't sustainable for them at least not without MTXs. MS can afford to make a loss and look like the good guys. They just want to destroy the PlayStation brand.
Game Pass is actually the worst thing that has ever happened to gaming.
Not a kick in mine so I'm good 😄
I think MS will try to buy CD Project Red next then two more big ones to try and hurt Sony. Sony needs to make another move. I'd say go after Bluepoint, CD Project Red , Square enix, Game Science Interactive Technology Co, Fromsoft, and have take two interactive and Capcom close partners .
@JJ2 I agree Fallout 76 was bad, and starfield is unknown , Skyrim not as big as media makes it.
@BusyOlf A race to the bottom is not sustainable unless you have the means to bank roll it. Publishers have been whining for years that the price of games is too low, and now you're going to hand them out for a tenner a month?
It's such an abrupt change in business model that something, somewhere will surely have to give.
If this acquisition means getting Bethesda Game Studios back on track so they don’t release any more crap games like Fallout 76, then I’m honestly fine with it. Microsoft surely won’t block games from coming to PS5 at all, as they would be missing out on an opportunity to make a ton of cash. I was planning on playing future Bethesda games on PC anyways, so I’m not that bothered by the news really.
MS is going to make them all exclusive to Xbox and PC . I already see it. Don't trust them, look what they did in 360 days. Talked all that mess. They may have the money (1 trillion worth) but Sony has passion.
I don't get why people are acting so insecure all of a sudden. It's kind of funny. A worthy adversary is always better than no competition at all (like this gen). Sony and Playstation aren't going to suffer much because of Bethesda going to MS. However, it makes sense to buy an Xbox finally. That's what I'll do anyway. Get both. Still cheaper than a gaming PC.
@Robocod
You really don't like Phil Spencer do you?
Sony has been releasing game of the year contenders since PlayStation has existed. Bethesda Softworks hasn’t released a game of the year contender since Skyrim. I don’t think anyone has to worry about this.
I think people are missing the point. Ms bought them for Gamepass and for that now they say, 3billion gamers chimera.
Gaas games for phones is what they want.
@DrJames This! If anything was ever going to make me consider another Xbox, it's these three companies disappearing from PlayStation.
@thefourfoldroot PS Now can't be a response to Game Pass if it predates Game Pass by 3 years
@Shepherd_Tallon
Dont worry too much about the press barking left and right. That's what they do.
They think they must have a sTrOnG opinion on everything.
What’s the chances of x box creating the game pass as an app for PS? I know it’s a long shot but is it completely out of the realms of possibility?
@Rob_230 I saw that reaction to the Spidey saves. The game us just being used to show case the improvements of the new console. If you're going to get it again surely you're going to play it again anyway. But it's being spun like it's a cardinal sin.
And yes, after that last showcase in particular I was very excited. All of those amazing PS4 games for free if you sub the PS+. That's a very nice touch.
@Robinsad. I guess I just disagree. For me I can see what they're doing different now than what they were doing a few years ago when everyone was happy with them.
Even cross platform play, they caved on that and gave people what they wanted, but the perception of an anti-consumer company has just snowballed from there.
MS, Sony, Nintendo, they're all the same. They just have different approaches to selling us games.
@KathyQ Yeah it's very blatant in some corners. Don't get me wrong, I'm the last person you'll find blindly defending a multi-billion dollar corporation. It took years for me to get a PS3 because Sony at the time were just too bullish and headed in the wrong direction. But I want an objective approach to the coverage of these events, not one that offer a heavy dose of spin with the facts.
Yea i said all of this in a comment yesterday, but no one believed me. MS finally got smart and figured out a way to win. Mark my word, this won't be the last publisher they buy. They have around 1.3 trillion dollars for stuff like this. Once they take over the third party market primarily. They then can dictate the market and what is released on Playstation and what is not. It makes my stomach turn, but its a brilliant move. Like you said in the article Sony can never compete with them financially. As big of a Sony fan I am, all this buying MS is doing makes Sony look feeble. End the end if it does keep going this way Sony is in trouble. No matter how good their first party content is. They just won't ever have enough studios to compete.
Despite thinking most Bethesda games are way overrated, this is a huge blow to Sony...the popularity of their franchises day one on gamepass will be amazing value for Xbox. 7.5 billion is impressive.
Time for Sony to buy Rockstar or Cd Project Red lol
It is simple math, 2 exclusives (if) a year for 140$ (which will be available on PC later) vs. 200 games for 5/10$ a month, in a year after a global pandemic leads to a depresion. Xbox wins... Fatality!
@Waffles12415 Actually not. Gamepass has 15 million subscribers. If you do the math i believe thats around 3 billion a year, and thats before this seismic acquisition. They'll make the money back quickly.
@Oscarjpc hardly ffs
@TheFrenchiestFry fromsoftware is owned by a mega corp called Kadokawa Corporation. they are valued at over $1b i believe so a fromsoftware purchase doesn't look like a possibility unless the parent company wanted to sell them off. fromsoftware would be a perfect fit for sony, though, i agree.
@JJ2 That's a fair shout. Like I was saying to Sammy earlier I just didn't realise how blatant they were until recently.
I think the last game i bought released by bethesda was doom...my brother gave me his copy of fallout 4 because it was ***** no it really was utter ***** so i'm not too fussed about micro$oft buying them as all their games are usually bug ridden anyways..skyrim on the ps3 anyone? Utter joke really and all those dragons flying backwards..good luck to them..
@Boucho11
I could believe that MS would want Game Pass on PS5. But Sony probably refuses.
The coming of PS5 and Series X has really shown me that the playground console wars are still very much alive and well. People get so angry when talking about 'the other side' as if they're part of some tribe and not just customers of a particular company that are out to make lots of money where possible.
I currently own a Switch, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S and a middling PC and play all four. I have no allegiance to one company as I buy what appeals to me at any given time (usually long after release as it works out cheaper, although I pre-ordered a Switch). My one hope from this acquisition is that it reunites Obsidian with the Fallout franchise. That would surely be a good thing.
we all know that bluepoint, housemarque and kojima production is a no brainer. sony should have made that happen a while ago. as for other potential purchases, capcom is within reach if the data i have searched is correct. they have a net worth just over $1b. s-e is in that ballpark as well.
sony doesn't really NEED these publishers/studios since it has more than enough talent under its own umbrealla, but it would be a compelte game changer for the industry if sony swallowed them up and kept their content exclusive.
konami is likely worth capcom and s-e combined and would not be a good purchase for sony, simply because there is little to no talent left at konami. you would essentially be purchasing konami for its IP, pachinko machine business and fitness centers. that said, if konami IP ever goes on the sellers block, sony should and likely will be first in line. imagine owning castlevania, silent hill, contra, metal gear and suikoden IP and seeing them developed by sony first party studios? it would be incredible.
silent hill/metal gear solid sequels = developed by kojima productions (naturally) or remakes done by bluepoint
contra = developed by housemarque (action shooters is in its dna)
castlevania = developed by studio japan in partnership with fromsoftware (similar to bloodborne)
suikoden = developed by suckerpunch or guerilla games (not as crazy as it sounds)
as it stands now, konami is squandering countless millions of dollars sitting on these IP and really should be looking to lisense them out at the very least.
sorry but i struggle to see the point and great value of gamepass as people say...i paid 42 euros for an annual ps+ subscription during summer sales..that will grand me 24-28 ps4 games..plus other benefits..now microsoft will charge me 100euros for an annual sub with 100+ games..but do i really have the time to play all these? the promise of AAA games coming first on gamepass is still to be examined..(the quality of halo infinite as example)..also netflix charges 12e a month for a huge amount of content but guess what? most of it is crap and not worth your money in the long run..
@lacerz The same FTC that allowed the AT&T/DirecTV merger? The same FTC that didn't blink an eye this year when T-Mobile bought Sprint? Yeah... Microsoft will never get away with this.🙄
@zebric21 I don't know what the future holds, but there are often amazing deals out there for Game Pass. I got 3 years Game Pass Ultimate for about £3.50/month. That gives me access on Xbone and PC. If major games are going to be as much as £70 at launch, you wouldn't have to play many on GP to make it seem good value.
The other side of a big collection is this: You may not have time to play 100+ games, but the odds that there are several in there that you really want to play are high. Those odds are obviously lower when you're getting a small handful of (older) games each month.
All that said, I've never fully got on with the service personally. I like owning my own games and am often too afraid to start a really long game on there in case it disappears before I can finish it. For people who play lots of annual sports games and games like Call of Duty where they move on to the new version each year, games as a subscription makes a lot of sense though.
@carlos82 If they feel the game has the potential to be a big goty contender they will certainly keep it for themselves. Ninja theory was a great third party developer and I personally loved Hellblade, will I be able to play 2 now? No!
Hellblade looks fantastic so that's staying with xbox even though it was a multiplat franchise from a multiplat developer. If the next fallout looks incredible they will happily keep it, they don't care about losing money if u haven't notice.
If Sony had of bought it. This article would be giving the deal kudos and saying how it proved Sony was about the games and how it was “just business” - the launch of both Xbox series x/S and ps5 has been underwhelming- the generations nonsense, the lack of any true launch titles and just general nonsense and half truths on both sides - maybe it’ll take something massive like this to make them both actually try selling games and consoles again. Don’t get me wrong both are selling well but seriously don’t tell me this is a good launch - it’s the worst launch we have had yet - for the most important things - games. Either theyll work on last gen.
I’m always a day one kinda guy and have been back to N64 days and before.
Not this gen. no point at all. If I want best graphics and only that I’d be a PC gamer.
Xbox Division is going to become a nightmare in a few years!!! Gamepass makes no money PS5 is the more popular console so they could take a huge hit in hardware & now 7.5 Billion which will take forever to make a profit on top of that Fallout cranky old engine.
@Juanalf I doubt that, they're still here to make money even if they are playing the long game at the moment. Hellblade isn't a big seller regardless of its quality and Minecraft is still very much multiplatform. Obviously we'll have to wait and see but woth Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls online multiplatform it'd be crazy not to keep the main entries that way too
@CptH0vvDy
Allowed the AT&T/DirectTV merger? Didn't blink an eye on the T-Mobile/Sprint merger? The FTC sued to stop both. It took a court ruling to allow both. Educate yourself.
@CptH0vvDy
https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/ftc-complaint-against-directv-should-halt-attdirectv-merger-unless-hidden-fees-false-adv
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/02/11/sprint-t-mobile-deal-wins-judicial-approval-ushering-new-era-telecom-behemoths/
I doubt Sony would ever buy another publisher. They don't have that kind of money. If they did, Square Enix is the perfect candidate. But like I said Sony would rather build up what they have. I'm still reeling from the news. I never thought it would ever happen, that a major publisher would get purchased by a console manufacturer...
@David187
Game Pass at $10/month with 15 million subscribers will take 50 years to make back $7.5 billion. But if they manage to double the subscription base, they can knock it down to a mere 25 years. My son would be 41 by the time the deal reaches profitability, given the costs of development.
Of course, that's how we know that nothing changes and all the games will be on PlayStation.
So maybe I can't play PC like games then??? Er I don't care The only game I got from them is Wolfenstein 1 and 2(the newer games) and I found the 2nd one boring really. So no loss for me if I don't get these PC like games.
Definitely a monumental moment in gaming history, I do not think a purchase for that amount of money had ever been done (if I am incorrect, feel free to correct me).
Definitely not upset as some are, as it is business. Make no mistake, microsoft is trying to sell you some xboxes or get you into it's ecosystem with this purchase. Good luck to them and their ambitions.
I will definitely miss Arkane Studios. Dishonored is amazing and if they continue the franchise I will not be able to play it unless I invest in building a PC, which this move has all but certainly made me realize it is not a bad idea to do.
@Stocksy If Sony had bought the article would be different, yes, because the answer to the question — What this means for PlayStation? — would be completely different.
That's not particularly surprising?
@lacerz That's assuming there are no operational costs at all. They bought Bethesda, but they'll have to continue to pay their staff, office rent, overheads, and so on.
@Col_McCafferty I'm taking about all of us with my initial thoughts in terms of "where's our value/incentives?" We have over the length of this generation had a Plus where the prices have gone up, had PS3/Vita game options taken away, no VR games, poor offerings for games on certain months and lets not forget we're being charged to play online. Now we're expected to pay £70 for the first party games and we've still not seen what the digital prices will be on the store will be.
I respect that you and others want to defend their actions from a business stand point and i don't disagree about the sustainability of this xBox system but let's not hide from the fact that Sony haven't exactly been great in offering us anything new this generation outside of the games. We've had the same deal with Plus now for years.
The timing of the announcement of this acquisition is totally premeditated to coincide with the imminent release of series x and PS5. MS are desperate to sell series x consoles.
MS are looking at Sony running another one horse race and are desperate to keep them in check. They paid $7.5 billion for Bethesda! They're not going to win business men of the year are they? It's Bethesda we're talking about here, not Nintendo. If rumours are true they thought they could buy Nintendo a couple of years ago 😅
I think anyone buying a series x now will be buying a PS5 in a couple of years or even less.
@get2sammyb "Clearly the project is deep in the red right now, but the firm doesn’t seem all that fussed about the losses it’s incurring."
This line the the article you wrote caught my eye, so my question is, do developers/publisher make money by putting their game in game pass? If they do, do they make the most they could possibly make, or could they have made more, for example, if they released the game normally or traditionally?
I know Microsoft pays them to have their game in the game pass model, and gamers certainly benefit the most from the model, but my question was regarding developers. I did not want to comment since I still know little about the subject so I had hope you might know more. Thanks in advance.
Pretend its Sony doing the acquiring and show that ps pride and enthusiasm.
@Eadgar We just don't know but Microsoft has made comments that suggest they're taking a bath on Game Pass (at the moment).
The reason why Xbox is pushing digital content and the Switch uses cartridges is because Sony owns the BlueRay technology and gets a cut for every BlueRay produced and sold in the world. The flaw with the digital approach is that any retailer worth their salt will instruct their employees to try and sell the console that will bring them more revenue in the future with 8 years of physical game sales, therefore creating an even larger consumer base. Sony wins.
@carlos82 I think they may be exclusives but it's a big gamble. They'll need to triple or quadruple Gamepass subscriptions to make it work. I think that's their gambit. Through everything at Gamepass to try and make it a sustainable model. And if it fails just sell them on. Looks like quite a desperate final move for Microsoft. If it goes wrong, and they can't reinvent the industry as a predominantly Gamepass driven system (sigh) then I think they'll more or less quit. But they have the money to eat the system. They just spent a third of PlayStation's annual revenue on one publisher!
I think that MS won't make everything XSX exclusive, opposite. They openly make it multiplatform... for a few percents from sales...
It will become "how to profit on rival success".
"Gamers want Bethesda games on your platform? No problem. For 30% of sales profits it is yours."
Are you assuming the PS5’s gender?
@Sebatrox Didnt know Sony was that big i knew they where massive but not so massive.
@Flaming_Kaiser
They've seen some nice gains over the past 5 years. $67B USD in 2016 to just shy of $78B USD in 2019, with exponential growth inbetween.
@djlard
Kind of how Sony receives a portion of every Xbox sale with a Blu-ray drive and iPhone because of the camera sensors.
@lacerz I tend too forget they do a lot of other stuff. Music with movies and games even electronics.
@nookie_egg I'm quite sure many can. Not everyone will see value. I personally don't. That's because I don't really play Bethesda games, so this deal with MS doesn't affect me one bit, and I'm sure there are a significant number of people who aren't bothered either. Let's not pretend everyone is going crazy over it. Lol.
If Elder Scrolls 6 is xbox exclusive I'll be gutted as I can't see myself buying one just for one game. Would love to play Zelda but again can't justify buying a different console just for 1 game. Ah well, I'm sure they'll be plenty games on ps5 to keep my interest
Hopefully this trend does not continue. When Xbox sees their install base jump because of this purchase they will likely buy more and then it's all over. I have been a PlayStation fan since day one but it's the exclusive and first party games that keep me on the platform. Same with Nintendo. Fable was the only game series I had to buy an Xbox for, not that I didn't play other Xbox games. But I've stopped buying every system.
@lacerz Maybe "didn't blink an eye" is hyperbole, but to think MS would come under any more scrutiny for this than those examples is overly optimistic. You're sort of confirming my point; a court ruled against those complaints. The FTC/FCC have simply lost their teeth. Thanks for the "educating" articles anyway.
"How much do you want for your company?"
"$7.5 billion."
"Done!"
"Yes, you have been."
@TheFrenchiestFry
Sony swivelled PS Now from a streaming service to now offering a download service. Why? because they had to compete with Gamepass which offered downloads. Streaming is a fundamentally different offering. This is well known and not really contested as an idea.
Arcane and Id Software hurt a little. Those are two studios that put out consistently high quality games - the Dishonored/Prey and Doom/Wolfenstein series, respectively.
Bethesda, not so much. Bethesda's quality levels have fallen dramatically. In my humble opinion, they are THE biggest loser of this console generation in regard to how much their brand was run through the mud. They were riding high coming into PS4 and are now almost universally reviled by the hardcore crowd. They still make money among the wider gaming community, but their reputation is tarnished among the enthusiast crowd, which is an important group to please in terms of long-term, consistent sales. Hopefully XBox can rehab them, but I'm not holding my breath.
Sony is still riding high and more competition doesn't hurt. Their communication this year on the PS5 front ranged between abysmal and barely acceptable, so they might need a shock to wake them up a bit and get back to delivering some value. PS Plus has gotten to be an especially bad proposition, only having gotten worse with time and more expensive.
One last thing: as a diehard PS fan, even I have to admit their stable of exclusives - while very good - is missing some key genres. There are too many 3rd person action games and open world action games across their studios that follow a very samey format. Where are the first-party JRPGs, WRPGs, strategy games, fighting games, FPS games, survival horror, etc.? I'm getting burnt on the vast majority of their AAA heavy hitter games being in one genre while the others are relegated to third party devs. I'm playing through Spiderman for the first time right now and while it's very very good, it's getting a tad bit old to me personally.
you people act like fallout 5 and elder scrolls 6 is coming out tomorrow these games won't come out for a couple of years who noes if these gamses make it even on the Xbox series x or a system afterwords
@Gunga My thoughts exactly. I'll miss TES 6 as I'm not sure I'd buy it now even if it were to be released on PS, don't want to be giving Xbox any of my money lol.
IF they purchased a Take Two (including Rockstar) or CDPR then that's a different matter. I'd probably end up having to buy both.
😒
@UnlimitedSevens Third person isn't a separate genre, FFS why do so many otherwise intelligent people keep on posting such nonsense.
There are plenty of JRPGs and FPS games out there as it is not to mention platformers and fighting games. It's not as if the average gamer is being starved of choice.
🙄
@Wake13 agreed, specially for silent hill because the evil within could go exclusive.
I really wish they'd be clearer on exclusivity plans. It seems weird to me that they might still release on Playstation or Switch, this is a massive win for Microsoft if they are exclusive to their console.
The other thing I thought was, damn Sony could really do with some 1st party RPGs, now MS has both Bethesda and Obsidian...
" A kick in the balls" is a bit of a reach, don't you think? Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo are still timed exclusive on PS5, those deals were in place before the acquisition and MS has to honor them.
MS isn't stupid, and Bethesda's brands are some of the biggest in gaming, they're not going to just cut off the millions of prospective PS players. The smaller stuff that don't sell super great will likely be Xbox exclusive. The biggest stuff like Doom, Fallout, TES, etc., will probably be timed exclusives are have exclusive content, but are almost certainly still coming to PS platforms at some point. If you consider that all Bethesda titles will be on Game Pass day-one, virtually giving them all away, skipping PS is just throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars...and they didn't spend $7.5 BILLION dollars to take a loss.
As long as I can play fromsoftware games on my shiny new ps5 I care not what Microsoft do
@Col_McCafferty
I feel you - I don't know if that's the technical term for that genre, but you know what I mean in a nutshell when I say 3rd person. Action-oriented titles in 3rd person, whether linear or open world. The Uncharted games, Days Gone, Ghosts of Tsushima, The Last of Us. They may not exactly be in the same genre, but in the broad spectrum of gaming possibilities, they occupy a very narrow sliver. All spectacular games, but as someone who has probably played too many Sony exclusives the last 7 years, I am burnt out on it (or rather, approaching burn-out). I acknowledge I am probably an exception here.
I know third party devs are picking up the slack and we are spoilt for choice, but wouldn't you like to see what a Sony first party AAA flight sim, survival horror, or strategy RPG would look like with their knack for quality? (no pun intended)
They are making safe bets and seem to be stagnating creatively, or maybe that's just how it is these days with how expensive games are to make, or maybe I'm getting jaded as I grow older, or maybe some combination of all these things.
@Kefka2589 For sure, MS has way, way, way more money to burn than Sony, but the buck has to stop somewhere and they can't afford to lose money forever. I do think they'll keep some of the big Bethesda titles (like Wolf or Dishonored, big-ish stuff, but not HUGE stuff) as MS exclusives to bolster game pass and to entice players over to Xbox, but the biggest of them (like The Elder Scrolls) will almost certainly still be multiplatform because they stand to make so much. We'll see, though, I could be totally off base and after the PS exclusive window for Deathloop and Ghostwire are up they may all become 100% Xbox exclusive...we'll see.
Side note, I do think that majority of Bethesda's titles sell best on PC anyway, and that's not changing, so maybe MS is fine with losing whatever their IP would have made on PS?
7.5 billion!! I honestly can't believe they have paid so much. To the point if feels more like a warning shot combined with a business decision. The I.P is strong with Bethesda tbf but not that strong. But, even if Microsoft do throw money at everything it won't change install base. If PS5 wipes the floor with Xbox then developers will not want to align with one console regardless of money, unless it's 7.5 billion of course. But if Xbox sells well Playstation could have just received it's first sucker punch (pun intended) from Microsoft. This buy out could have just derailed the industry into a Microsoft utopia. I hope not.
@UnlimitedSevens Those are the games I prefer to play though, I have no interest in a flight simulator or strategy game. If they choose to make something like that then great for those that are but I wouldn't be buying them.
Maybe a few more kids/family games and maybe, ironically in light of yesterday's news, a big fantasy or sci-fi RPG. They have talented developers on their books, of that there is no doubt but unfortunately MS have more money and can take the losses if it means 'winning' next gen.
I also disagree with your statement that they're not taking risks. HZD, Days Gone and Ghost of Tsushima are all brand new IPs and only one has a white male lead. God of War was completely rebooted this gen and the narrative of the The Last of Us Part II is as risky as blockbuster gaming gets. Maybe you're just getting fussy in your 'old' age.
😜
@KathyQ I have noticed, maybe since TLoU 2 was released or perhaps before, that the comments seem particularly anti-Sony and pro-Xbox.
The game pass model isnt sustainable for Sony, I reckon MS know this and are prepared for the Xbox division to make minimal profits if not a loss as long as they 'beat' Sony next gen.
@Kefka2589 I totally get it, and you're probably right. We just saw them put Ori on Switch, so they're clearly open to multiplatform publishing, but Nintendo is playing a very different game than MS or Sony, so that could just be a one-off. It's really to early to say definitively how this will all shake out, but it'll be interesting/annoying to watch!
@Kefka2589
Always good to keep both sides honest. I’ve owned every PlayStation and Xbox apart from the One, and like that each have their counterpoint to push them.
I am concerned that MS are looking to push gaming towards the Netflix business plan though. Sure, consumers should take advantage of MS buying them with ridiculously unsustainable value propositions for now, but MS aren’t making their money back with Gamepass subs. Not unless they increase the price ridiculously, which they won’t. This will impact game size and monetisation as well as what consumers of the future expect given the subscription nature. The futures not for me. I can see myself turning into a retro gamer from next gen apart from VR.
Difficult one this! I would assume that, with this sort of money to throw around, MS are in pole position, but I agree that in the end it's about the games. One also mustn't forget that Bethesda was responsible for Fallout 76, for example; it's not like everything they touch turns to gold. On the other hand, one of the games I'm most looking forward to is ESVI, so this would make it a tough decision when the time comes to buy a new console. Oh dear!
Bethesda are not that great. What happened to everyone hating them yesterday now Ms buys them and now its "omg! Game changer!" Like no all their games are going to be even worse off with bugs and ***** with MS forcing them to get their games out the door quicker.
Sony will be fine, time to invest in some passionate companies. Bethesda/ZM made an agreement that may hamper even further the quality of their titles. F*** Bethesda, F*** MS, they are not gods.
That being said I love Bethesda and all their flaws but MS has a track record of ruining companies and ip's. Everyone should be concerned for Bethesda not Sony.
Microsoft can’t afford to not make the games multi platform. $7.5 is a lot recoup.
We will have to see how this develops.
Gamepass is all well and good but like someone (more than one) already pointed out there is a significant risk this goes the way of Netflix. The odd AAA and a lot of filler to add 'value'.
Stadia is already going that way. The monthly games are the odd headline grabbing AAA here and there bulked out by a ton of random indie stuff (not saying that is bad, some of the games are cool but they are still filler).
I can see Gamepass meaning that instead of the labours of love (yes I am aware of crunch but even so) we see now like GoW, LOU, Halo, Forza or GT we get increasingly truncated games with an ongoing reduction in quality and scope.
I hope I am wrong.
If Sony think subscription isn't sustainable Netflix and Disney+ suggest that financially it is. Whether quality is sustainable is another question.
For perspective, I previously posted about Xbox first party games having a mere 4 exclusives in Metacritic's top 100, all of which are Forza titles...and there are 2 Forza expansions in the top 100 as well. If you were to include ZeniMax games, it would add 36. Fallout 4, 38. Wolfenstein II, 45. Doom Eternal, and 57. Doom.
I also mentioned that PlayStation has 13 first party exclusives in the top 100 (without expansions). So where would ZeniMax games fall? 87. Doom Eternal, 90. Wolfenstein II, 95. Fallout 4. The only Sony first party exclusive below those is 96. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.
Again, quantity vs. quality.
I'll be concerned if Microsoft bought Idea Factory.
@Col_McCafferty EA play is part of GamePass.
@Jarobusa I know, what's your point?
@Col_McCafferty Mass Effect is already on its way to Game Pass.
I won't say Sony can't buy up an entire publishing house but it's probably not likely. I do think there needs to be a response to this though. It's clear MS has no intent on slowing down with the puchases so now is the time to lock up as many close partners as possible. Bluepoint and Housemarque should already be under the PlayStation banner, make it official today. After that, From Software would definitely be one to consider as is Platinum.
@Salt_AU They will go to PS5 but with a 6 month delay then charged $70. Included in GamePass day one.
@Col_McCafferty Its all good my fellow PlayStation friend. Something wrong with being an American?
@Jarobusa I ain't your friend.
Another reason to stop releasing their games on PC. The exclusives need to stay on Playstation only.
If demon souls sells well, I can see Sony buying Bluepoint.
I feel like Sony does this to test 2nd party studios. ReadyatDawn blew their chance. 🤔
There will be caveats on that acquisition document, never fear legal is here! 🤪
Ot won't change anything Bethesda might stil bring out its games on all platforms look at minecraft for example Microsoft could of stopped it being on rival platforms but seen was good business keeping it muti platform and Bethesda could do same atleast with games currently under work was kinda announced for ps4 even tho they was or is years away
@Col_McCafferty Can you not make comments such as “You must be American”, please? There’s no need for that.
@Col_McCafferty Microsoft is the underdogs why because every generation sony has outsold xbox sure the ps3 era took a while but it outside xbox 360 and ps4 totally destroyed xbox one with sales and exclusive games Microsoft buying Bethesda is good for them but doesn't mean its games are exclusive on xbox look at minecraft so yes xbox is the underdogs ps5 wil do fine only difference xbox series x wil do better than xbox one so sales will likely be closer in the end ps5 wil outsell series x if u dont believe me look at the history as for series s it wil fail it runs FAKE 4K (1440p) as xbox fanboys calls it on ps4 pro btw I game on all platforms but who cares right Sony's screwed Microsoft bought Bethesda who makes glitchy games
@Falkirk4life I was talking about Microsoft though the trillion dollar company. Xbox might be the 'underdog' in some peoples eyes but let's be frank MS have the money to buy Sony itself not just PlayStation.
PS couldn't have paid this amount of money to buy ZeniMax.
As far as Bethesda games go these are dead to me now irrespective of whether they're actually released on the PS5 or not. I'm not giving MS any of my money.
@Akimi Do I regard Jim Ryan as a nice guy ? No, he comes across as a bit standoffish insofar as his rare public interactions & lack of communication directly with the playstation fanbase.
But if you've read the gaming press for years Phil Spencer is the definitive golden child. His rhetoric on hating 3rd party exclusives being anti-gamer has been echoed by varying opinion/news pieces yet he infamously did the same thing with the likes of Tomb Raider & other indies.
He'd been pushed as the gamer's friend with crossplay, yet Sony had quietly initiated cross play late ps3 into ps4 with PC at a time XB actively refused all attempts. Yet somehow Sony became the evil standout with the major gaming sites.
Sony or Epic game store,(& I'm not a pc gamer/fan of the latter, bought retro from GOG),do timed exclusives & they're evil.
Phil claims to hate console wars but when he wasn't giving backhanded compliments like single player games are dying, his PR people like "Major" Nelson/Aaron Greenburg were doing the very thing their boss says he doesn't?
Phil Spencer buys up multiple 3rd party devs & now an entire mega publisher to permanently paywall them behind GP & its applauded? I don't pretend Sony is my friend, but I prefer its gaming philosophy. Phil Spencer is the definition of a double talking hypocrite.
If Microsoft bought up all the remaining companies in the next generation, it would take yet another generation for Sony to lose it's loyal base and by that time consoles probably even wont be a thing.
But these acquisitions suck for the consumer.
This is typical of the big corporation business concept of if you can't beat em buy em, I personally will remain faithful to the playstation
I know I should expect it given the site, but some of the comments are weird. Like theres one that says the xbox didnt sell out nearly as fast as the ps5, like what difference does that make if they still both sold out before the end of the day.... I also know it wouldn't be all gloom and doom if sony had been the ones making this type or purchase. Whereas now its "Bethesda games suck anyway" it would have been sunshine and rainbows "maybe we can see a kratos mode in Doom."
I mean enjoy what you enjoy, I just don't see how anybody can act like the moves of one corporation is a positive while the moves of another are negative all the time.
Honestly I’m good. Still not getting an Xbox.
Overall, Xbox hasn’t been a profitable endeavor for Microsoft. Seemingly, they are more committed this time around than ever before.
Sony has exclusives and brand loyalty. Microsoft seems to believe the real money is in services and they have a cadre of games too and a damn powerful system.
Buying Bethesda was superficially expensive but really nothing for Microsoft in comparison to what they perceive it will get them. Moreover, more potential exclusives for them and more game pass content.
Microsoft seems to be playing to win. They don’t rely on Xbox for profitability. PlayStation is a very significant revenue and profit center for Sony. They cannot afford to spend with Microsoft or absorb losses like they can.
Let’s let the games speak for themselves. I haven’t been this jazzed about a console period in some time!
@Robocod
All executives are double talking hypocrites. I guess I don't analyze to your extent. I just see one guy that seems like he's having fun, hangs out on couches at E3 for interviews and Jim Ryan, who seems like any other executive. But whatever, it's not really important.
If there ever came a time where Playstation went belly up do you think Sony would make games for XBox?
I personally think Sony's franchises would disappear should that day ever come and it would suck.
I love Todd Howard's games because they are about open world sandbox and exploration, and Microsoft... I really really hope Microsoft won't destroy Bethesda by forcing them to make TES6 another brainless multiplayer competitive *****. And, yeah, I will just play TES6 on PC, not a big deal, if it's not gonna be on PS5. Microsoft is so Microsoft.. if you would think about the most uncreative company - that would be Microsoft. Everything they do is just cold dead business desicions. Remember their "tv tv tv tv" xbox one? Or how they bought Nokia and killed it? Or how they bought Skype and killed it? I'm surprised how Minecraft is still alive. Microsoft' Xbox is all about "ecosystem, TV, game pass, more games for less price, bla bla bla" - it is never about "let's just make a great game". And that's why people love Sony and Nintendo.
I definitely think it is very exciting to have both the Playstation exclusives and Xbox Game Pass thriving as we enter the next gen.
Both console prices are very reasonable as well so I think owning both will become a much more common situation.
Perhaps ES6 and Fallout will be timed exclusives. At least that way the XBox and PC players can identify all the bugs BEFORE we get backwards flying dragons again..?
Thing is, Microsoft HAD to do something radical for next gen as they got absolutely mauled this gen. The X Box One was absolutely destroyed by the PS4 and the Switch to the point it was pretty much irrelevant by the time the X Box X released over a year after the PS4 Pro.
With two big hitting games over 2 YEARS away, I can't see how this purchase will sway gamers that much for this crucial Christmas season.
I still this X Box owners will buy an X Box and PS4 owners will buy a PS5 just to keep their back catalogue and friends!
@Richnj I receive the general stock holders information for Capcom and there are no plans on the company selling up that I've read. Currently focus is on the 2 Switch Monster Hunter games and a new e sports fighting tournament. I don't see the allure for Sony and it makes no sense for Capcom who have become more nimble within the industry and everyones made a ton of money the last 5 years and stocks have doubled in value the last 12 months.
@Friendly But here's the catch: Nintendo's exclusives sell way more than Sony's(except for a few exceptions). The majority of ps players seem to not care for them(+110 Million ps4 sold). And those are the people that I think will be tempted to switch to Xbox as Game Pass suits their needs far better.
@Deadcow Not murdered, but to be frank you're talking mostly nonsense.
Sony's latest offering gives access to a plethora of back catalogue games that previously were all triple A titles. Sure gamepass is stellar in it's own right, but you can't just dismiss Sonys offering as substandard, when it's clearly not. In fact, they're on a much similar line now then they ever were before for the subscription services.
Furthermore, whilst I do not for a minute doubt that in your mind, and for your own reasons you feel that your move to Xbox is a valid decision, please note that there are those of us that do believe in brand loyalty.
At this point, I don't feel Sony have done anything untowards or detrimental to it's fans other than a blunder with pre-orders (which considering the current situation is reasonable to understand), and not like a spoiled, precocious child, something as minor as this is not going to warrant me doing a 180 and turning my back on them.
If there was legitimate reason to switch sides, due to some horrible company practices, or underhanded tactics, then sure, but they haven't. I believe that Sony are still going to deliver this generation, and Xbox have resorted to having to spend fortunes to try and get the upper hand.
Whilst this may appear to be big right now, and may assuage your decision to jump ship, majoritively because of an acquisition, shows that your faith in Sony was never there to begin with, even when they've proved time and time again, in the face of adversity that they can come out ahead of their competition.
I must admit I am not interested in any Bethesda games. Now If MS brought SEGA/Atlus or another Japanese studio/publisher then I would think differently. The reason so many people buy a PlayStation is because of the high quality of Japanese games which don't usually come to Xbox. That market alone is huge and one which MS has not tapped into yet.
@Darylb88 Being one of those people myself, I can concur that this was a big reason I bought into sony products when they first emerged on the scene.
However, in regards to numbers and selling figures, I fear you're a bit misguided on your numbers. Whilst Japanese games do have a following, specifically for the really big ones like Final Fantasy or the FromSoftware titles as examples, these are mostly cross platform. What you're referring to is the niche JRPGs and other such Japanese themed games which cumulatively have a fanbase, but ultimately do not represent a large proportion of the average console purchaser.
Having said that, I don't doubt for a moment that this particular market share does have it's devotees such as myself, and other like minded individuals, and it definitely serves it's own purpose on console sales, but ultimately, it accountancy for overall sales figures is decidedly small.
@Grindagger I do agree it is Niche but moving away from the actual finances (We know Sony has less money) I could list 10, 20 even 30 games that have come out on PlayStation/ Nintendo which have not come out on Xbox. That is why PlayStation has at least double the install base of Xbox right now. That may change in the future, but MS really need to invest more in Japanese games/developers - which is a big market. It might be smaller compared to the Western market overall, but it should not be counted out.
@Deadcow Sure, Sony doesn't care about me as an individual, but they care about their consumers, in the same way that a pop singer cares about their fans. Maybe not on an individual level, but as a collective they certainly do. Sure, it's a business, but at the end of the day, the people there doing the work, do so because they love what they do, and because they want to deliver for their consumers.
Secondly, your "objective" truth is a strawman, because you're comparing something that's more expensive against something that's cheaper. Apples and oranges, so your comment is misleading and disingenous.
Thirdly, like I said, you have your reasons to switch, because you're worried you won't be able to play a few select games that Bethesda make (Microsoft have said they're going to honour the PS exclusives in the immediate future), and I'm fairly certain the games released from Bethesda will be nothing more than timed exclusives. Youve just made a panicked, uninformed decision in my eyes.
If you look at other xbox owned studios like Mojang, Minecraft is available on Sony platforms, so I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar with Bethesda, the IPs are too big for Microsoft not to recoup that investment back from the money they can acquire from the Sony platform, also it would further back up their insistent claims for community cohesion on multiplayer compatibility across all consoles, and show good faith, which is a much better opportunity to raise their PR status and gain peoples trust.
So, no, I don't think my loyalty is misplaced, because I don't make decisions based off of an acquisition without first looking at previous examples as a matter of fact, and/or kneejerk reactions and turning on a coin flip when something happens and go into a panic.
Nothing you've said is objective without a nuanced strawman to back it up, your reasons for moving are based on no evidence or review, but pure reactionary action without seeing whether it affects the platform or the games or not. As I mentioned above, it's not proven to be an issue previously with microsoft acquired studios, I don't see why it should do now.
@InsertUsername whether you play the games or not, the fact of the matter is that xbox and especially the game pass model are exceptional value, even more so with the zenimax acquisition and the ea library on top of everything else. I realise this is a PlayStation centric site but people are allowed to recognise pro consumer moves. And to say people aren't getting excited for it is wrong considering the fact that all series X and S have sold out in a similar time frame to ps5 did, not forgetting the 737% increase of x sales. If Sony did this move most people on here would be jerking in the streets.
@Deadcow Not angry, your decision. Just don't want you misleading others with misinformation.
@nookie_egg Just to let you know, in my country I can get an Xbox x or S pre ordered right know but not a ps5 because it's sold out everywhere. Just because it's sold out on major markets such as the US or the UK doesn't mean all markets would be the same
@SamMR you are absolutely right, sir. Especially now that EA play is part of Game Pass the typical sports crowd might be moving over for instance...
@SamMR noted, but I still think the popularity is much more even this time round.
@Xiovanni It's a $300 machine with nearly forever $60 nintendo 1st party games, I think xbox one s is usually cheaper and there's gamepass too for "free" games but people still choose switch over xbox one. If the console has really great exclusive games, gamers will buy it.
@Deadcow I didn't have a problem with you saying gamepass was good, I said I had an issue with you calling it objectively better, when it can't be fairly directly compared. Maybe you meant subjectively?
In regards to Microsoft supposedly being the better choice now, Xbox have done no such thing, what gap have they closed? They've bought one studio out of hundreds. You talk as if it's doomsday for Sony, when in reality it just means they'll get a few games a bit later than Xbox will, big. deal.
You may well not be anti-sony, but boy you sure do like pushing that microsoft shill button with some of your extremist viewpoints that don't amount to anything but exasperating, scaremongering rhetoric.
Nothing has even been announced as to how this will impact Sony, and yet people are happy to jump ship and then go on the warpath about how Sonys losing the edge. It's just not true, sorry. It's conjecture at the very best, and nonsense at the worst.
And lastly on your point of customer services (whilst I don't think it's that relevent to the subject at hand) I've never had to personally call or deal with them regarding my Playstation or at any point in my history of owning one of their consoles, but I'm sure you're right that their customer services are bad, a lot of corporate enterprises have terrible customer services, and for every one person comes away thinking it's an amazing experience, there are 5 more that are left sorely disappointed. You'll find disgruntled people everywhere when it comes to customer service experiences, mainly because it's something they want, but aren't necessarily entitled to. That's another matter, and frankly since CS is such a volatile experience, commentary surrounding it isn't really worth its weight in gold.
My personal opinion: The Xbox is simply a means to an end, and the days of exclusives are waning! Microsoft seems to believe their future lies in Game Pass, and thus, they are more in the business of publishing, so I can expect them to still consider the PS5 a viable platform for publishers they own to release games on. We'll see of course. I am excited to see where this goes.
"Content is king".
Yeah and all three consoles have excellent content as far as I know, a bit more homogeneous on PS, though.
Also, I don't get this Push Square's recurrent obsession with Game Pass "in the red", what do you care? It got 5 million more subscribers in a few months (before acquiring ZeniMax) and it's growing. Game Pass is a long-term investment for Microsoft and awesome value for gamers, I know you don't care about them but still they are happy.
@TheFrenchiestFryIt From would dissolve before being purchased by a Japanese company.
@Medic_Alert
The ZeniMax purchase is an asset, but it is also a liability. The workforce alone costs over $76 million annually. Then there are overhead costs, development costs, etc...all on top of a $7.5 billion hit. And let's face it, Bethesda games aren't known for churning out titles. Shareholders aren't patient people, and if Xbox shows losses over multiple years because of this, they will start making noise.
@Grindagger you sound like a pandering Sony fan boy who knows his ship is sinking hahahaha
@Deadcow I agree 100%.
@lacerz microsoft is the biggest company in THE WORLD.....7.5 billion is a small investment for a company now worth a trillion+
@lacerz 76 million is literally a peanuts for the largest company in the world.
@Deadcow
"Pretty much every Series X launch title is going to be on there. Yes, it's a LOT more expensive than Plus, but it delivers much more. That's not Sony bashing, it's just an objective truth."
Here you state it's an objective truth that it delivers more, which is correct, but you've deliberately tried to mislead because whilst it's objectively true they offer more, it's only half true because there is a pricepoint different, which in honesty completely makes the point redundant to begin with.
" I'm saying that Xbox have seriously closed the gap. That's not a lie"
Where is your objective truth they've closed the gap? Oh right, you have zero, because there's no information on how much the gaps been closed, it's just people like you trying to sway their hidden shill agenda to the people who are going to eat that up.
You've no proof any gap has been closed, that's just your subjective opinion.
You obviously didn't read my comment properly regarding CS as I said it affects ALL corporate enterprises, that includes microsoft. It's just a moot argument to try and say "I've had a bad experience with a customer services representative, therefore X product is rubbish, because I say so!".
It's fine that you're a Microsoft shill, you've shown your hand in that respect, and as someone so poignantly pointed out, I'm a Sony fanboy, and I don't have a problem with that either, I'd rather be honest about my position, and at least give opinions rather than push an agenda that is being put cross as fact, or conjecture that's based off of nothing, but a mere opinion.
I will say this: people are saying the pressure is now on Sony! But you know what? It’s actually on Phil Spencer! The heads at Microsoft are now going to say to him....make this work! If Xbox somehow doesn’t make money or falls behind PS5...who do you think is on the hot seat? Phil! Let’s see what happens!
@Quicksilver1230
So is $7.5 billion. That wasn't the point. Investors want to see profitability. Those costs in addition to the $7.5 billion will cut into Xbox's profitability.
Remember, it wasn't that long ago that investors were calling for Microsoft to dump Xbox. If this deal doesn't show profitability within the next 3-5 years, I anticipate it happening again.
@Deadcow "YOU said Sony cares about its consumers. Those were you words. I'm saying they don't care anymore that anybody else."
Yeah.....I did, and? Because you had a bad experience that means they don't? haha.
"Obviously the gap closing between Sony and Microsoft is not quantifiable. It's ridiculous to suggest it would. Of course it's opinion. What's your point?"
" I'm saying that Xbox have seriously closed the gap. That's not a lie"
Do I really have to recopy my last post to prove my point. You said it's "not a lie" that xbox has closed the gap, but it is, because it's pure speculation. C'mon man, at least read the posts before you reply.
"No. It OBJECTIVELY delivers more than PS Plus."
No, no it doesn't, because the quantative value is different, and that statement is disingenous. It's a distortion and a half truth to push a predetermined perspective. You should try getting some yourself, and take some of your own advice.
"One: I have owned every single one of Sony's consoles. Every. Single. One."
This means nothing. I had an Xbox and an Xbox 360. What's your point?
Corporate loyalty can be stupid, but depends on the context. Blind corporate loyalty, yes. I think, overall Sony has a good image in the public, sure they've made a few blunders over the years, but not anything within the realm of Activision or EA for example. Equally, I'd admit Microsoft, keeps itself fairly outside of the shady area of business on the whole, and also has a good image. So, really, both companies are in good stead, and it's not wrong to have allegiance to either, in terms of loyalty. To say otherwise is stupid. It's ok to have a love for something, providing that love is not distorted by half truths, lies and propaganda driven rhetoric hint hint.
Also, for the record, whilst I may be a strong advocate for Sony products, I'm equally not one to go around sticking it to Xbox players when Sony had reached X milestone during the current generation. I think that kind of fanboying is stupid. What I don't agree with is people trying to push agendas that aren't accurate in order to subliminally convert people to a certain viewpoint either directly or subversively. It's fine, have an opinion, just don't tout it off as fact.
@Deadcow How about the joy it brings me to use their products? Or has that become not a cool thing to do these days? Everything has to be "extra" in todays society (something I also disagree with).
This kind of attitude is representative of everything I dislike.
Entitlement rule, and anything that doesn't serve to my standard shall be henceforth cast into the pit, and cancelled from existence, everyone else needs to gather round as well and agree with me, on point of death....rolls eyes
It swung YOUR decision, it didn't swing mine, or many others. So, no, it's not a fact. Get off your high horse and realize you, as an individual are not the arbiter of whether something is a fact or not. FACTS are what decide if something is a fact or not, not an opinion of a single person. It's one thing to say "I reckon its seriously closed the gap between Xbox and Sony" it's another to say "This has closed the gap, it's a FACT".
Rule of thumb. Do you have quantifiable data to back up your claim that something is a fact? Yes. Ok, then show it. If you don't have any quantifiable data to back up something, that's called an opinion. This also works for "objective" and "subjective" comments.
We're beating a dead horse on the brand loyalty thing, we differ in opinion, you've said your piece I've said mine, lets put that one to bed.
@Deadcow Yawn
Ok, this conversation has run its course. This is no longer worth my time.
Byeeeee
Are we so quick to forget the pisspoor showing of Halo Infinite and outright garbage Bethesda has been releasing to the market lately?
This will go down in history similar to many a first round draft busts.
@KathyQ I totally agree 100% with this. At one time, I had an Xbox, all ps consoles and a switch. I have sooo many games to play that the Xbox had to go. I don’t have anything against Xbox but I don’t think Microsoft needs to be buying studios. They have ruined rare. Sea of thieves was horrible and I heard the battletoads remake was bad too. If you look at the studios Microsoft has, we still aren’t seeing the good exclusive games and yes, I know these take time to develop. I’m tired of people saying Microsoft has more money. They have but they also have sold phones, tablets, the zune (which failed), mixer (also failed) and of course windows, windows operating systems and software. The list goes on. Do I think Sony needs to be worried about Microsoft purchasing Bethesda? Yes. The PlayStation fans should be worried. Microsoft pockets are deep and they can buy multiple studios. However, they can also ruin them.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ign.com/articles/2018/06/11/e3-2018-heres-what-happened-to-every-studio-microsoft-has-bought%3famp=1
Read that article and see what I mean. Microsoft can buy every gaming studio. However, if they don’t release quality games, it’s pointless. I hope Microsoft doesn’t ruin the gaming industry but I feel as if Microsoft knows they can’t compete with Sony with the PlayStation and they will do whatever they can to win. Even if it’s just to keep buying game studios and simply saying, “if we can’t win, no one else will. No Xbox system has ever beat PlayStation. Xbox 360 was close, but PS3 still came out on top.
@Waffles12415 well, if gamepass takes off and becomes really popular 50mil subs would equate to half a billion a month! but l think Microsoft are aiming even higher than that! it'll be interesting to see what kind of quality the games have 2 or 3 years down the line🤔 and what the price of gamepass will be then too
@nessisonett Yes! Give us Infamous!
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