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Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

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Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#141

Post by bluedino »

ethbr0 wrote: post #59
samwillis wrote: post #26

It seems to me that Amazons long term strategy is to become a "Conglomerate of Brands", leveraging the profits from one business unit to buy out unrelated business. This sort of acquisition doesn't, as far as I can see, advance a particular core business unit (I'm aware Amazon have toyed with games publishing, but its not exactly a core business unit). I suppose it makes sense, investors want their investment to be s…

Amazon's strategy is to be a smarter GE, by expanding into new areas that feed power into the Amazon flywheel. EA would give them control over a core library of content and IP, that they could use to (a) ensure continued access into home consoles for their other products, (b) run as a game on demand service attached to Prime, or (c) make exclusive to launch their own console. And it seems like the sort of business Am…

>> Amazon's strategy is to be a smarter GE

I was thinking Mitsubishi. Powerplants and ships would be helpful to them.

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#142

Post by datavirtue »

rvz wrote: post #105
InsomniacL wrote: post #47

1, Amazon runs the platform that sells the games - Amazon 2, Amazon runs the platform that people use while playing the games - Twitch 3, Amazon runs the platform that hosts the servers to play the games - AWS 4, Amazon runs the platform that you play the game on - Luna 5, Amazon runs the platform that creates the games - EA how is this not anti-competition for anyone running a company that competes in only one of th…

It is a Big Tech consolidation. If the Microsoft, Blizzard and Bethesda isn't an example of consolidation (Which is clearly is) with also Amazon's acquisition of One Medical, then nothing is. The FTC probably knows it is overdue to break up the Big Tech takeovers, but needs more evidence of this consolidation and behaviour to outright prevent more of this and eventually break them all up.

Yeah, the antitrust eyes are clearly blind to the unimportant/unnecessary game industry.

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#143

Post by paulryanrogers »

dmurray wrote: post #84
InsomniacL wrote: post #47

1, Amazon runs the platform that sells the games - Amazon 2, Amazon runs the platform that people use while playing the games - Twitch 3, Amazon runs the platform that hosts the servers to play the games - AWS 4, Amazon runs the platform that you play the game on - Luna 5, Amazon runs the platform that creates the games - EA how is this not anti-competition for anyone running a company that competes in only one of th…

This is vertical integration. Horizontal integration is usually what is considered anti-competitive.

Wasn't Standard Oil vertically integrated?

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#144

Post by Cthulhu_ »

paganel wrote: post #14

It there any way this would pass anti-trust? Especially in this tense political climate when it comes to Big Tech (I'm thinking both of Europe and especially fo the US).

Only if Amazon were to be a big gaming publisher / developer themselves already - say, if they also owned Sony Interactive, Tencent Games, Nintendo, Microsoft, NetEase, Activision Blizzard, etc. The ones I listed are all bigger than EA (by revenue), by the way.

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#145

Post by kmlx »

blantonl wrote: post #131
kmlx wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Will there ever be a point where as a society we agree to put an upper cap on the size of companies? it would be great if we could first put a cap on the biggest culprit: government.

There is a cap on the biggest culprit, and it's renegotiated and voted on often by elected officials.

what is the cap and what’s the independent regulator’s name in the US?

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#146

Post by paulryanrogers »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #127
shultays wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other than Twitch (and maybe AWS, I don't know enough), none of those are monopoly or capable of anti-competition. Even twitch has youtube as alternative

And Twitch can be replaced / surpassed. Its technology is nothing new, right now it mainly has critical mass due to the amount of people using it. It only takes one mistake for them to lose a lot of that engagement.

> It only takes one mistake for them to lose a lot of that engagement.

How true is this? Because YouTube and Google have made plenty of mistakes yet it continues to dominate.

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#147

Post by dd36 »

dktp wrote: post #126
InsomniacL wrote: post #47

1, Amazon runs the platform that sells the games - Amazon 2, Amazon runs the platform that people use while playing the games - Twitch 3, Amazon runs the platform that hosts the servers to play the games - AWS 4, Amazon runs the platform that you play the game on - Luna 5, Amazon runs the platform that creates the games - EA how is this not anti-competition for anyone running a company that competes in only one of th…

None of these are monopolies. Twitch and AWS are biggest players in their fields, but both have healthy competition I think it would be way easier to make a case that Microsoft shouldn't be able to buy Activision. It seems like major gaming studios are slowly getting acquired by either Tencent or Microsoft

Vertical integration used to be just as strictly limited for competitive reasons. We know it’s bad, just look at how Amazon leverages it’s sales data to compete against products it sells. They undoubtedly do the same thing with AWS and every other business they own.

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#149

Post by Cthulhu_ »

jcmontx wrote: post #71

How come anti-trust laws aren't being applied yet? Is it corruption or a political decision?

How big a percentage of the video game development and publishing market share will Amazon have after the acquisition, then? And how competition will be left?

(Answer: There is no anti-trust case. Just because Amazon is big doesn't mean it's big in the video game industry. Companies are allowed to be big across multiple industries. It would only become an issue if it already owned a big percentage of the video game industry, or if it buys up other publishers after this, like Activision or Tencent. Speaking of which, Microsoft intends to acquire Activision, which will make it the 3rd largest gaming company behind Tencent and Sony - and Amazon + EA will be trailing behind those still).

Re: Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts – sources

#150

Post by psyc »

jwie wrote: post #69

Microsoft has acquired Bethesda, will probably acquire Activision-Blizzard, and has purchased other, smaller studios in the past already. I wonder what’s driving the desire to buy up video game publishers. There probably aren’t many left at the scope of the ones already bought or in a deal that are practically purchasable, even for big tech players.

I realize most have already made up their minds that VR will still be a gimmick with no market in the year 7000 AD, but I just can’t shake this crazy feeling that we’re going to sort it between now and then. My answer is VR. At least a hedge in case Zuckerberg turns out not to be a clown.

If only he had a track record to weigh.

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