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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

#161

Post by 4eleven7 »

killyourcar wrote: post #78
4eleven7 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Antitrust law does exactly this. If Amazon owning EA overly concentrates market power/forms a monopoly, it'll be rejected and the deal with fail. Why would you want to put an upper cap on the size of companies? It feels like stifling innovation and productivity, which will be overly negative for everyone.

Amazon owning EA will absolutely stifle innovation, especially given their history in the gaming space.

Why will Amazon stifle innovation? All EA do is release the same games every year with slightly different content (FIFA, Battlefield, Madden, Sims, etc).

What am I missing?

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

#162

Post by AlexandrB »

kmlx wrote: post #108
reustle wrote: post #17

Will there ever be a point where as a society we agree to put an upper cap on the size of companies? Does Amazon really need to absorb even more? Doesn’t that stifle competition? I understand that enforcement is hard as the rule wouldn’t be global, but still curious.

> 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.

This government represents the people. Companies represent the interests of their owners.

This point would make more sense if I could vote for the leadership team at Amazon.

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

#163

Post by deepdriver »

datavirtue wrote: post #160
deepdriver wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Key difference is that EA still charges full price up front, too.

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

#165

Post by rocketbop »

sschueller wrote: post #42
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…

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.

Alien; the Company.

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

#166

Post by criddell »

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…

They could also use that IP to produce movies and television.

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

#167

Post by rocketbop »

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…

I think that's vertical alignment rather than a monopoly.

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

#168

Post by moomin »

master_crab wrote: post #115
killyourcar wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon owning EA will absolutely stifle innovation, especially given their history in the gaming space.

I’m not disagreeing with the general jist of your argument, but EA hasn’t exactly been a hotbed of innovation in years.

Honestly, whilst very successful, they’ve become so inessential I have forgotten what they actually make anymore.

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

#169

Post by datavirtue »

deepdriver wrote: post #163
datavirtue wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Key difference is that EA still charges full price up front, too.

Wargaming sells tanks in game. Each one costs as much or more than a full box game off the shelf/download. Most sticky players have bought several.

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

#170

Post by ctvo »

throwawayacc2 wrote: post #93
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.

A cynic might suspect it’s the same reason traditional media is bought and has value. By controlling video games, you control an important media influencing children profoundly. You teach them from a young age the lesson you want taught, it will be more impactful than school which is boring, and you get to shape them up to be good consumers for when they grow up.

Or you know, it's to get licensing rights for large, popular IPs to make more money.
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