SaysWho?

You weren't just curious; you brought up Sony ones. You don't even have to as there's a big difference between Ninja Theory and Bethesda. Independent developers go to publishers to get funding for a game. Fewer publishers means fewer options. There are countless numbers of independent developers trying to make a name for themselves (which can also lead to a glut of games, which is a separate issue); there are not limitless publishers. Not really, unless you think this is the only one or other smaller publishers are going to explode soon. And now they're suddenly not. Perhaps because you own an Xbox, there's this myopic feeling that it's a good thing that a publisher's gone. I'll be sure to follow your logic for any moves from Google, Amazon, or Sony.

You should probably be bothered if there are fewer publishers in general.

The keyword is publisher. Studios go to publishers to pitch games they'd like to see funded. There's one less publisher to do that. Buying Ninja Theory is a lot different than buying Take-Two or Sega. Previously, MS's acquisitions were mostly smaller and struggling studios that now had a second life. I've seen you post enough that your view of this kind of stuff is not cheerleading this level of consolidation.

I think if you don't have a conservative outlook on industry/economy, then this kind of huge consolidation involving a publisher should be upsetting. If we start seeing this on a wider level from Sony/Google, the industry is going to look a lot messier.

Scape Zero was notably never right.

No, it's the notion that MS would outbid Sony on everything, including third party deals like Call of Duty, because they have more money.

I'm having 2014 Scape Zero flashbacks.

Take-Two would pay off long-term, just based on GTA and nothing else. Fortunately, the rumor was shot down. Not according to their own corporate reports. So because potentially incorrect information was copy/pasted into the trailer, that contradicts their corporate report. I guess? Reading is fundamental: "Which were the rumors (shot down) last year." You wouldn't buy Rockstar; you'd buy Take-Two. It's a shot down rumor from last year.

They have around double that on-hand and would easily make it back tenfold. But it's already been shot down.

Sony wants to bring more first-party games to PC | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM 2020 corporate report cites PC gaming as a competitor.

Which were the rumors (shot down) last year.

If you're wondering why rumors abound that Sony is making a new Silent Hill, there's your reason. Konami sure as hell isn't.

As far as publishers within their reach, Bandai Namco/Capcom/Sega/Square Enix are much less than their cash on hand, and video games are easily where Sony makes the most profit. I don't know if they're going to go for a publisher (since they're likely making Silent Hills, they may also buy and resurrect popular IPs), but the acquisitions have been bigger in recent years. Even Insomniac was a huge deal considering they did multiplat games this gen and were much bigger than previous acquisitions, usually small studios that they would make into bigger ones like Naughty Dog or Guerrilla. The Tencent investment was also a surprise to me and big. Now we're upping the ante at actual publishers. This isn't a one-off. To the extent that Sony doesn't need to be reactionary, I agree. MS didn't get to this position by being reactionary. But I doubt what's in the works is going to be reactionary; they've already said they're going to further expand their apparatus well past Insomniac. Persona, Sonic, Yakuza probably.

Don't think that's the case for those two; they're still published by Bethesda. After that, it's all MS.

You sound a lot like Scape Zero years ago who really thought MS was gonna get on top because of the monies. I don't know how much you think they have or require, but if you think the only one who's going to make big moves like this is MS because they'll get everything undisturbed and unfethered, then you can think that. But the writing's on the wall on acquisitions. I don't like it, but it's gonna happen.

They have 33 billion on hand. If you think Capcom, Sega, Square-Enix, etc. are out-of-reach or require them to plop the money up front, then think that. But Bethesda won't be the last big one and it won't just be MS among the big three.

Boy, have I heard this, "Sony has less money," line before. Hold onto your butts. Things are gonna consolidate in some scary ways.

There are gonna be some big, big acquisitions coming after this.

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Just make it your avatar, yo. This: Was someone's avatar (Levito?) way back when. Make it your identity. The Force shall be with you. Always.

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