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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

#151

Post by dd36 »

drexlspivey wrote: post #72
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…

Yes you can stretch anything to fit a narrative. Amazon runs the platform that sells everything so they shouldn’t be allowed to buy anything.

The incentives become perverse once relatively unrelated businesses are combined. History also shows conglomerates don’t out perform the stand alone companies and it hurts competition and innovation.

I think there’s a certain point where executives run out of ideas but have to be doing something. Then you have investment bankers and advisors pushing these ideas and copycatting each other for that sweet, sweet commission payday.

And it’s not so much that these are great ideas, it’s can they sound okay enough to get that payday before everyone realizes it was all a stupid waste of time five years later. That is, after the acquired company gets its souls sucked out, the talent leaves, and the acquirer discards the husk at a discount.

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

#152

Post by seydor »

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…

They dont have a payments processor yet. Someone tell Jeff

But also: do they disallow competitors to use their services/sell their games? AFAIK antimonopoly litigation requires the existence of an actual market obstruction, not its hypothetical existence.

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

#153

Post by thereddaikon »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #119
sschueller wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What movie was that where there was only one large company that did everything? Kind of scary that we are almost at that point now.

You're trying to find a media reference, but conglomerates that do everything are already a thing; think of the Samsung group that does everything from heavy ship building to microchip manufacturing, insurance, advertising, and a theme park. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol

And the Japanese equivalent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu

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

#154

Post by AlexandrB »

last_responder wrote: post #121
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…

>5, Amazon runs the platform that creates the games - EA "The Games" - No. Some games yes. The people I game with pretty much despise EA and look at them as the company that buys up smaller studios and destroys the culture.

Agreed. I think EA has really popular sports games, however I can't recall the last EA game I played. It might be Titanfall 2?

There's also BioWare - but their last few releases have been disastrous.

Edit: Oh, more recently I loved the Command & Conquer remaster - that maybe counts as an EA game? It was published by them, but I don't think Peteoglyph is owned by EA.

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

#155

Post by psyc »

andybak wrote: post #99
psyc wrote: post #88

Jesus Christ. If I was still with EA I might have become an Amazon employee? Bullet dodged!

From what I've heard about working conditions at EA, that's quite the indictment of Amazon!

That was going to be my exact response if someone implied me a hypocrite. Lol. Fittingly I was only at EA because of an acquisition too!

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

#156

Post by bluefirebrand »

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.

Well, for Microsoft it makes sense. They build game consoles. Owning game studios and game publishers is a good way to get preferential treatment for your console platform.

Amazon probably wants game publishers so they can harden their monopoly on game streaming with Twitch.

Maybe they want to get into the Cloud gaming space too.

Don't forget Sony recently bought Bungie, too. It seems like it's just another wave of consolidation

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

#158

Post by feanaro »

nojito wrote: post #104
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…

Because they don't have a monopoly in any of those things. Vertical integration should be pursued by any and every company.

Why? I'd argue a world in which succeed to make vertical integration minimal would be a better one, with less manipulation and corporations vying to become states.

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

#159

Post by ptr »

andybak wrote: post #99
psyc wrote: post #88

Jesus Christ. If I was still with EA I might have become an Amazon employee? Bullet dodged!

From what I've heard about working conditions at EA, that's quite the indictment of Amazon!

EA has pretty good working conditions for SWEs.

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

#160

Post by datavirtue »

deepdriver wrote: post #41
samsin wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it that unbelievable? EA are a very successful publisher

EA has been increasingly anti-consumer for years, notably through the proliferation of microtransactions, loot box mechanics, “Season Passes”, and half-finished base games with expensive DLC “expansions.” Highly unpopular brand, despite their commercial success.

World of Tanks copies all that goofy stuff. Having been on the game for 12 years, I just ignore that stuff. They are free to play but have crap tons of loot box and season pass hoopla. I use the "free to play" term loosely. I have spent a lot more money on that game than any other I have ever played, and I'm not a big spender by any means.
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