Microsoft May Have Trouble Acquiring More Shooter and RPG Studios

[Airbus]

Microsoft may have trouble bringing more shooter and RPG developers to Xbox Games Studios via acquisitions. Following major acquisitions of Zenimax Media and Activision Blizzard, at least one regulator is now defining markets for AAA games and non-AAA games by genre.[/COLOR]

Can Xbox Game Studios acquire more developers?​

The European Commission (EC), that approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is one of the regulators who has decided to define game markets by genre. As explained byresetera users, in layman’s terms this means that should Microsoft attempt to acquire another shooter or RPG studio despite having acquired a number of them via ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard, it could face opposition from EC.

It’s worth noting that EC previously refused to define the video game market by genre when approving Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media. According to Idas, the Chilean regulator has also adopted similar market definitions.
“The Advisory Committee agrees with the conclusions reached by the Commission in the draft decision in relation to the definition of the relevant product markets for development and publishing of video games segmented by platform (PC, console, mobile), by types of video game (AAA games vs. non-AAA games) and by genre (action and adventure, shooter/battle royale, role-playing games, sports, racing, fighting, and strategy),” [COLOR=var(--xe--block-container--link--color)]reads the document[/COLOR]https://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases1/202329/M_10646_9302666_7432_3.pdf in question from EC dated May 2023.[/COLOR]

This move may also have implications for [COLOR=var(--xe--block-container--link--color)]Sonyhttps://www.playstationlifestyle.net/tag/sony-interactive-entertainment/. However, PlayStation has not made an acquisition as big as ZeniMax or Activision Blizzard.[/COLOR]

Microsoft May Have Trouble Acquiring More Shooter and RPG Studios - PlayStation LifeStyle

Microsoft may have trouble bringing more shooter and RPG developers to Xbox Game Studios via third-party acquisitions.

www.playstationlifestyle.net

 

[Shmunter]

Are there any left ?

 

[Danja]

Are there any left ?

There will be in a few years when new start ups even from Activision leave and create their own studios lol

 

[historia]

There is only Larian and CDPR... Might as well scoop them up MS.

For popular Pvap shooters, uh,

So much for breaking monopoly, by creating monopoly.

 

[KnittedKnight]

This is like a boxer that loses two fights to a fighter saying to the press: : "I'll get him on a third bout you just watch - I got this technique". All theater for the sheep to legitimize their "work" (lack there of).

 

[Fenton]

There is a new studio named Rebel Wolves formed by former CDPR devs. They are supposedly making a groundbreaking dark fantasy RPG that will revolutionize the genre

 

[Gods&Monsters]

By the time this new rule goes into effect there won't be any left. Microsoft will get them all and they will deny everyone else. It's all rigged.

 

[KnittedKnight]

By the time this new rule goes into effect there won't be any left. Microsoft will get them all and they will deny everyone else. It's all rigged.

Come the "third time" they'll buckle too, with this "rule" or any law. The problem wasn't lack of rules the first two times around - but if they can get the sheep to believe this and fend off attacks to the integrity of the institution by excusing it on superficial and insignificant things.... hey "can't fix stupid" as they say. Much harder to deal with reality, corruption, and the tarring nature of it for anyone and all of that institution. They certainly won't admit it themselves - who actually ever does so? Once sheep memory dies out from fever pitch levels it's back to the same old as usual.

Old tried and true book. Works everytime.

 

[anonpuffs]

Microsoft may have trouble bringing more shooter and RPG developers to Xbox Games Studios via acquisitions. Following major acquisitions of Zenimax Media and Activision Blizzard, at least one regulator is now defining markets for AAA games and non-AAA games by genre.[/COLOR]

Can Xbox Game Studios acquire more developers?​

The European Commission (EC), that approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is one of the regulators who has decided to define game markets by genre. As explained byresetera users, in layman’s terms this means that should Microsoft attempt to acquire another shooter or RPG studio despite having acquired a number of them via ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard, it could face opposition from EC.

It’s worth noting that EC previously refused to define the video game market by genre when approving Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media. According to Idas, the Chilean regulator has also adopted similar market definitions.
“The Advisory Committee agrees with the conclusions reached by the Commission in the draft decision in relation to the definition of the relevant product markets for development and publishing of video games segmented by platform (PC, console, mobile), by types of video game (AAA games vs. non-AAA games) and by genre (action and adventure, shooter/battle royale, role-playing games, sports, racing, fighting, and strategy),” [COLOR=var(--xe--block-container--link--color)]reads the document[/COLOR]https://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases1/202329/M_10646_9302666_7432_3.pdf in question from EC dated May 2023.[/COLOR]

This move may also have implications for [COLOR=var(--xe--block-container--link--color)]Sonyhttps://www.playstationlifestyle.net/tag/sony-interactive-entertainment/. However, PlayStation has not made an acquisition as big as ZeniMax or Activision Blizzard.[/COLOR]

Microsoft May Have Trouble Acquiring More Shooter and RPG Studios - PlayStation LifeStyle

Microsoft may have trouble bringing more shooter and RPG developers to Xbox Game Studios via third-party acquisitions.

www.playstationlifestyle.net

bruh please at least fix the formatting before posting, reading that's like eye cancer

 

[Yobo]

Microsoft shouldnt be allowed to acquire anybody after spending more than a small countries annual GDP on acquisitions

But we know these regulators will be bribed by a free lunch and $20 under the table

 

[Loy310]

Are there any left ?

Not many….. might cause a huge depression in the shooter market to be honest…… im all for it, would love to see ms investments crash and burn.

Shooters:
Respawn
Dice
Ubisoft Montreal
Valve
Gearbox


RPG:
SE
CDPR
Capcom
WB Studios
Larian
Bioware

 

[Zzero]

Not many….. might cause a huge depression in the shooter market to be honest…… im all for it, would love to see ms investments crash and burn.

Shooters:
Respawn
Dice
Ubisoft Montreal
Valve
Gearbox


RPG:
SE
CDPR
Capcom
WB Studios
Larian
Bioware

Embracer owns a couple of RPG studios too.

 

[Yurinka]

The European Commission (EC), that approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is one of the regulators who has decided to define game markets by genre. As explained byresetera users, in layman’s terms this means that should Microsoft attempt to acquire another shooter or RPG studio despite having acquired a number of them via ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard, it could face opposition from EC.

This is not true, the EC approved the acquisition but they didn't define game markets by genre and didn't say anything about future potential MS acquisitions because they can't say anything about that in an investigation of this type, where they analyze only this particular acquisitions and its implications on the different markets it may affect.

MS would be free to acquire more RPG or shooters (or from any other genre) if they want as long as they countinue without having anything close to a monopoly or even becoming market leaders in any market. As of now they don't have any market power to make monopolistic actions.

In any case, MS already has a lot of shooter and RPG teams, I don't see why they'd want to acquire even more. It would be counter productive for them because they'd start competing against themselves if not different enough.

 

[Yurinka]

There is only Larian and CDPR... Might as well scoop them up MS.

Not many….. might cause a huge depression in the shooter market to be honest…… im all for it, would love to see ms investments crash and burn.

Shooters:
Respawn
Dice
Ubisoft Montreal
Valve
Gearbox


RPG:
SE
CDPR
Capcom
WB Studios
Larian
Bioware

Some more to expand @Loy310 's list

Shooters:
Epic (Fortnite, Unreal Tournament)
Sony (Destiny, Marathon, Concord...)
Riot (Valorant)
Krafton (PUBG)
Digital Extremes (Warframe)
Starbreeze (Payday 2)
Bohemia (Arma 3)
Battlestate Games (Escape from Tarkov)
Deviation (Sony's new IP if doesn't end canned)

RPG:
MiHoyo (Genshin Impact)
Nintendo (Pokemon, Xenoblade Chronicles, Mario RPG...)
Game Freak (Pokemon)
Bandai Namco (Tales of, Code Vein, Digimon, Ni no Kuni, Elden Ring, Dark Souls...)
Sega Sammy (Yakuza, Persona, Shin Megami...)
Level 5 (Ni no Kuni, Yokai Watch, White Knight Chronicles...)
Monolith (Xenoblade Chronicles, Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos...)
Rebel Wolves (former CD Projekt devs)
Game Arts (Lunar, Ragnarok Odyssey, Grandia...)

These non-MS+ABK shooters and RPGs combined plus the other ones I may forget have way more players than the MS+ABK ones.

Pretty likely I'm forgetting many relevant ones as could be Chinese and Korean teams that could be so huge specially in Asia specially in PC and mobile.

 

[MScarpa]

Buy them all.

 

[Kokoloko]

But them all.

but no

 

[Nhomnhom]

Sure... count on that.

MS can buy whatever they want and regulators will either be unable to stop them or willing to help.

The ABK acquisition makes it pretty obvious that they'll be able to buy anything.

 

[Zeno]

Sure... count on that.

MS can buy whatever they want and regulators will either be unable to stop them or willing to help.

The ABK acquisition makes it pretty obvious that they'll be able to buy anything.

Exactly. The regulations are for "normal" companies, not for big tech. If they feel like it will benefit them in the longterm, they will get the deal done.

A few diagrams here a few empty statements and promises there and any acquisition will get done.

 

[anonpuffs]

Exactly. The regulations are for "normal" companies, not for big tech. If they feel like it will benefit them in the longterm, they will get the deal done.

A few diagrams here a few empty statements and promises there and any acquisition will get done.

Nah, it's microsoft and other trillion dollar corps specifically. Nvidia got blocked not too long ago. Microsoft just has so many resources to leverage to corrupt the political process, and they pulled out all the stops.

 

[Remember_Spinal]

There will be in a few years when new start ups even from Activision leave and create their own studios lol

So in reality, 10+ years?