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Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

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Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#171

Post by gspr »

cwxm wrote: post #132

It's interesting. Despite all the money that these studios have, my favorite games of the past few years have all been indie games (Rimworld, Factorio) or smaller studios (Paradox Plaza games such as EUIV, Stellaris). I understand that the majority of the industry's revenue is generated from these bigger studios, but acquiring first party developers doesn't make me as too concerned. What I'm concerned about is distri…

Paradox are an absolute gem. My god, these people owe me hundreds of hours of my life! And I'm not really into games.

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#172

Post by curiousllama »

Microsoft is just trying to recreate console lock-in without having to subsidize hardware so much.

(1) Microsoft is trying to expand their gaming division, but struggle with first-party games. This acquisition is an acknowledgement that MSFT needs Bethesda creatives.

(2) Microsoft's big strategy right now is to build their Xbox ecosystem - they're pushing GamePass, Xcloud, etc. heavily, and trying to become Netflix for games.

I'd guess they're basically buying Bethesda's key franchises to drive GamePass subs. They'll build them quick, lock you in with a $10/month sub, and let Bethesda slowly merge with the mothership.

Short term, I'm excited because I want these new games! Long term, I fully expect Bethesda to get hollowed out.

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#173

Post by Cthulhu_ »

akhilcacharya wrote: post #74
LanceH wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was expecting you to finish with valve pivoting to hats.

I mean, the joke is funny but realistically it's clear that Valve is getting back in the game, so to speak, and we're probably going to see some VR followup to Alyx in the next year or two.

Sort of; unless they make more games, Alyx is "just" a tech demo or an attempt to sell more of their VR kits.

It's weird, they've got some seriously good franchises that they haven't done anything with; Half-Life could use a sequel every few years; Portal could become a massive franchise; Team Fortress 2, CS:GO and DOTA 2 are huge money makers but I think they're reluctant to make sequels to those because of balancing and pissing off the existing, invested player bases. (I think that may have happened when they went from CS:S to CS:Go, where the latter had very lucrative monetization options, lucrative but morally dubious because of off-site trading and gambling)

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#174

Post by MaximumMadness »

curiousllama wrote: post #172

Microsoft is just trying to recreate console lock-in without having to subsidize hardware so much. (1) Microsoft is trying to expand their gaming division, but struggle with first-party games. This acquisition is an acknowledgement that MSFT needs Bethesda creatives. (2) Microsoft's big strategy right now is to build their Xbox ecosystem - they're pushing GamePass, Xcloud, etc. heavily, and trying to become Netflix f…

What's your take on the potential long-term success of Game Pass?

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#176

Post by tootie »

apatters wrote: post #94
francis_t_catte wrote: post #22

Soon we'll just have Microsoft, Epic, and a conglomeration of EA, Activision, and Ubisoft after Bobby Kotick forces them all to merge. Facebook will bungle up any chance they have of capturing the gaming market after writing a cryptic paragraph about their legal right to request blood samples from all Oculous users in the TOS. Valve will quietly exit software development altogether, and pivot to building custom vanit…

Sure, if you ate McDonald's every day you'd probably think that there are no good restaurants anymore. My top 4 games by playtime in the last few years were Rimworld, Oxygen Not Included, Dwarf Fortress and WoW Classic. Honorable mentions go to Spelunky and Stellaris. It's to everyone's great regret that a single one of these titles was purchased by one of the shitty publishers you mentioned, fortunately it's the one…

My kids love Nintendo and Minecraft, but they also love Untitled Goose Game, Factorio and Frog Detective. Indie games are probably more available now than ever.

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#177

Post by Cthulhu_ »

liability wrote: post #85
actuator wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Minecraft is just a single game. Sony has a bunch of very good console exclusives under its name.

Yeah but that single game has sold as much as ten 'The Last of Us' es. Microsoft sells their best games on Sony's platform too.

And that's just the game itself, on top of that there's millions of kids running around in Minecraft merchandise.

(source: there's one in my house <_<)

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#178

Post by gambiting »

actuator wrote: post #62
SSLy wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nintendo is self-sustainable, Apple is exerting a lot of influence among smaller studios with Arcade. Like Annapurna Interactive (which is nota bene funded by Oracle).

I would never want it to happen because of how much I love Nintendo. But I have always thought if there is any gaming property Apple can really benefit from buying, it is Nintendo.

If I'm doing the maths correctly - Nintendo's current worth is somewhere around $40BN?

Like, that's a lot of money, even for Apple, and then I'm not sure Nintendo would want to sell?

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#179

Post by Cthulhu_ »

Firebrand wrote: post #84

Bethesda Games are not going not be exclusive to Xbox -- Confirmed by Todd Howard: >Like our original partnership, this one is about more than one system or one screen. We share a deep belief in the fundamental power of games, in their ability to connect, empower, and bring joy. And a belief we should bring that to everyone - regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you play on. Regardless of the screen siz…

They wouldn't; most of their games are PC games first and foremost, with ports to other platforms. Sometimes painfully complicated ports, like Skyrim's to the PS3 (due to memory constraints).

Re: Microsoft to acquire ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks for $7.5B

#180

Post by holidayacct »

greenduck wrote: post #42

All of these consolidations of power are nuts. Feels like we need another round of trust busting in the next 10/20 years to help introduce real competition back into the markets.

What makes you believe this is a consolidation of power? Some of these companies may not be able to survive a long term recession.
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