People need to look at Microsoft as a company and what they have done with Xbox. You say they have done everything and none of it worked, How is that another companies fault?
Did Sony stop them from bidding on IP aswell? No
Did Sony stop them from Making there own IP? No
But ok ill bow out i guess im wrong? i don't mind talking about things when it makes sense, As its Sony's fault blame Sony point fingers at Sony.
Both Microsoft and Sony have done all the exact same shit but the issue is that when Sony does something, no one says a word but when Microsoft does the same, there's an uproar. Case in point - everyone went nuts when Microsoft paid for Rise of the Tomb Raider to be a one year Xbox One console exclusive. Microsoft got bashed to hell and back for this deal. Sony paid for Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI and Forspoken for various lengths of exclusivity yet no one here, no major outlet, simply no one says a word about it.
Back then, every site asked Microsoft and Square Enix about how long ROTTR exclusivity was for. It's been over 2 1/2 years since FF7R released and yet, I still haven't seen a single report asking Sony or Square Enix when that exclusivity ends.
That's why Xbox fans like me don't care if Microsoft acquires studios or publishers because it's been a double standard for the last decade and outside of it being more Xbox favored during 360, Sony has basically had no resistance whatsoever for their deals.
Also, so many PlayStation fans praised these exclusivity deals and bragged about how PS4 was the console to own because of all the amazing exclusive games and content.
As someone who heavily favored Sony and PlayStation 4 to the point where I was banned off Operation Sports due to constantly bashing Microsoft and Xbox One, I know all of this to be true because I did the exact same shit that everyone does. Everyone favors what they prefer while bashing the rest. It's that simple.
In general, I want both Microsoft and Sony to go all out and battle for studios, publishers, exclusives games, content, whatever because it's going to benefit gamers including me. I also firmly believe that companies should do what they want to make their brand, platform and eco-system more appealing than the competition's. After all, that's what it's all about.
Why do you keep trying to equate paying for exclusive content (Beta, or a skin, etc) with locking a whole IP to a platform? You're literally comparing Apples and Oranges and pretending you're right.
I never said they were equal. But if a company acquires something, what makes you think that you're still entitled to what they acquired? If you buy a house, does that mean the person or persons that lived there can still live in that house with you there as well? What Microsoft is doing is on a far larger scale and I wouldn't argue that but my argument is that once they acquire something, they can do with whatever they please because they own it, not you, not me and not Sony. More importantly, Sony was just licensing the games to be on their platform but in no way, shape or form did they ever have the right of ownership to any of it nor should they believe that just because certain games and IP's that they never owned mind you were on their platform previously doesn't mean that they're entitled to it if another company acquires what they are so used to having. If they wanted it so badly, then in all honesty, Sony should have put their money where their mouth is and if they couldn't afford it, just like certain things that Microsoft have failed to do isn't Sony's fault, Sony not being able to acquire Bethesda or ABK isn't Microsoft's fault.
Did Sony pay to gate that content, or did Sony pay to have that content created for their players? because there's a fundamental difference between the two and you don't know which of those statements is accurate.
Honestly, I don't know but the fact remains that Sony has paid for content to stay off their competition's platform. I know Microsoft has done the same.
This is why im not against what either company does. Let them both buy everything. I don't fucking care. That's entirely their decision to make. Not ours. My only issue is people crying about when Microsoft does something regardless of the scale but when Sony does the same, no one says a word.
As a consumer, and I'll be as blunt as I can, you're dumb. Market consolidation is never good, attempts at creating monopolies are never beneficial for consumers. Not only they bar competition from entering the market but they also ensure client choice is limited. This is why I'm against timed exclusives, big acquisitions, etc. As a consumer, I may reap the benefits short term, but it will fuck me long term.
Fair enough but I just don't see it the same way. When a studio gets acquired or shuts down, another is right there to replace them. An AA publisher like Embracer or Focus can always replace a Bethesda or ABK if they choose to do so because the gap/slot/whatever you want to call it is now there for the taking. It's simply up to them if they choose to do so or not.
Microsoft has cloud services and all that which could be a monopoly only because of how they license out their services due to bundling them when a company may not need one but must agree to get the one they want - this I agree with and that's why I said Sony should have went after this aspect as opposed to a single game IP.
However, Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly in gaming whatsoever. Sony has the more successful console and more successful subscription service. Microsoft is more successful on PC but that's also because they started in 2015 where as Sony started in 2020.
Microsoft has been trying to break into mobile gaming where they've literally been non-existent so obviously no monopoly there. When it comes to Cloud Gaming, they don't have a monopoly simply because it's still in it's infancy and is probably 15-20 years from really taking off. I know you'll argue that well if they do great, no one will want to get involved and compete but my argument would be, well, this is why you should do it now.
Companies not seeing the future and how it could potentially go is on the respective company. Take Google for example. Stadia's streaming tech was fucking great. And you could say that it was better than Microsoft's XCloud streaming service because it was and is. However, Stadia bombing and being shut down isn't because of Microsoft or Sony or me or you. It's because Google refused to invest into the platform and when you combine that with their shitty pricing model, Stadia was always destined to fail. I gave it two years. It lasted three years.
So while I actually agree with you in regards to their cloud and service structure when it comes to just businesses and companies, gaming wise only, they're not even remotely close to having a monopoly and at the end of the day, if the Google's, Sony's, Amazon's, Tencent's and whoever else choose NOT to invest into game streaming or just streaming in general, then in all honesty, if Microsoft ends up dominating in a decade from now is this aspect, that's NOT on them. That's literally ON all the companies that simply chose not to invest in streaming for whatever reason so in this regard, no one can bitch about Microsoft having a potential monopoly in a decade or whatever from now because it's not their fault that all these other BILLION and TRILLION dollar companies decided NOT to or they waited way too fucking long to make a decision to invest in cloud streaming.
Reason why Microsoft is so successful is because they do shit before everyone else and by the time all these companies realize that they missed the boat, they want to cry or complain and it's like, nothing is stopping you from doing what Microsoft is currently doing. Literally nothing is stopping them but themselves. Sony had Gaikai and then bought OnLive and instead of investing in streaming years ago, they decided not to. Like, okay, that's their decision but at the same time, they have no right to complain if XCloud takes off in the future and Sony is sitting there dumbfounded.
Google had great tech with Stadia but their pricing model sucked and their refusal to fully go all in which they've done with literally 300 dead projects in their history is 100% on them. They acted like Microsoft acquiring Bethesda for $7.5B prevented them from competing despite the fact that they're a trillion dollar company and yes, im literally laughing my ass off right now because it's so fucking hilarious that Microsoft can somehow someway prevent these other rich companies from investing in their own tech and services.
My response to Google is, FUCKING SPEND YOUR MOTHER FUCKING MONEY!!! What's the point in starting up a platform or service or whatever if you're not all in? Why even bother to begin with? I mean come on.
So again, in general, I agree with you inregards to Cloud Streaming and all that outside of gaming. Yes, regulators should look at this and im the person who has said numerous times that there should be concessions in this regard. But the gaming aspect? No. Come on. I don't have any sympathy or anything for companies like Google or even Microsoft pre-2020 if they're not willing to spend their money and invest on the tech that they want to make big and see take off.
Microsoft would be in their right to complain, especially if the ABK acquisition fails. And it's not just Sony complaining to the CMA, something you conveniently ignore because you're more concerned about a parallel reality where MS is the good guy and Sony is the bad guy,
The only company I see complaining was Google and you can see my response to Google above. If there's anyone else that im missing, let me know.
Preventing a competitor from gaining unfair advantage is perfectly legitimate. The CMA seems to think that this acquisition would lead to an SLC.
Only problem is that it wouldn't. I have seen the issues that you posted from the CMA and they're all bullshit.
A. Both have their consoles and storefronts. Sony's by the way is much more successful.
B. Sony has their own more successful subscription service. Sony CAN do the same thing but they choose NOT to. That's on them. Not Microsoft.
C. Support of Cloud Gaming is still in it's infancy and Sony had the opportunity to do their own streaming service a decade or so again but didn't invest into it.
It's almost as if it's up to Microsoft to make all these other competitors be great in the same aspects that Microsoft is investing in despite the fact that it's Microsoft who's spending all the money but sure, let them pay and help out all these other billion and trillion dollar companies. Sure, why not.
With that said, see my response above for Cloud outside of gaming.
Embracer group is not gating content nor have IPs that are so relevant to the industry like CoD. Also, they're not a direct competitor to MS, Nintendo or Sony, so your comparison is absolutely ridiculous. Microsoft on the other hand, has already gated content even though they said they wouldn't, with Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6. And before you say "but they were never announced for the PS5", ES and Fallout have been on PS consoles for close to 20 years now.
It's not ridiculous because Embracer acquiring studios is still consolidation regardless of how you want to look at. they're still gobbling up studios. Microsoft never said Sony was getting Starfield or The Elder Scrolls VI period.
Elder Scrolls STARTED on Xbox so if anything, it's more Microsoft's than Sony's. Fallout was on both at the same time. Of course, the past DOESN'T matter. If Fallout and The Elder Scrolls was so important to Sony, they should have outbid Microsoft.
Just like you and others have said - Microsoft has passed on a lot of exclusivity deals and whatnot, right? Okay, then Sony passed on Bethesda but yeah, it's of course Microsoft's fault. The best part would be is if Sony acquired Bethesda, made the games exclusive to PlayStation and yes, they would, im pretty sure that you would have no issue with that, right?
I have never seen people who favor a company and brand so much that when another company makes acquisitions, they still somehow believe that their preferred brand and company still has the right to it all. LMAO. This is fucking arrogant and egotistical beyond belief.
