Sony's future and possible studio/publisher acquisitions

[Danja]

For what it’s worth, and it’s not a lot, here’s what Jez had to say about ff7 remake coming to Xbox. Well at least for this tgs:

Not like he would be allowed to break such a news on Twitter..

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

We have very little hard numbers from FFXVI performance, but all the ones we have are very good. This one isn't representative of global performance because it's only Spain and only retail, but shows it as the 3rd best selling PS5 game in one of the main PS markets:



Comparing the PS5 installbase had at FFXVI launch vs the installbase of the FFVIIR and FFXV platforms had at their launch FFXVI did a better performance.


FFXVI did a great job, but Square Enix in several other games was too optimistic and even unrealistic on their estimates. Also, we don't know by how much did they fail achieving their projection, maybe the result they got was pretty close.


I think isn't concerning at all, probably Sony prefered to get less months and spend that money to get more 3rd party exclusives (as could be SE other ones), or maybe SE considered that they'd make more money with shorter timed exclusives.

Sony still has a lot of SE exclusives, plus many other games that are on PS+Switch but not XB. MS doesn't have any exclusive, misses many SE games and some other ones have to wait after the PS release.


Sega (which includes Atlus) mentioned clearly that they were going to focus more on multiplatform, game subscriptions, worldide releases and better localization to increase their revenue. So it has nothing to do with Sony or MS, it's just Sega wanting to make more money. That means Sony will lose some exclusives, but also means that Sony will get games/series that were exclusive elsewhere.


What I see is that PS has more exclusives than ever and has more games from 3rd parties like Square Enix, ARC System Works, Capcom or Sega than Nintendo or MS.

The difference is that in the past they were focused on a few companies and now they also have exclusives for VR, or bet harder on indie games Kena or Sifu, and also work with additional teams like former top devs like Bungie or Quantic Dreams (Firewalk, Stray) or other ones like Koei Tecmo for 2nd party (Rise of the Ronin) and also bet on new markets (Hoyoverse, Stellar Blade, China & India Hero Project initiatives, etc).

For 3rd parties and indies is better to sell their games on more platforms because this means they make more games. So prefer console exclusives over total exclusives and prefer timed exclusives over complete exclusives. As their budgets grow their need for additional revenue so to go multi also grow. They also prefer to keep the IPs for themselves.

For Sony it's also positive because these exclusivities are cheaper, meaning that with the same budget for 3rd party exclusivities if they sign on timed console exclusivities they can sign way more exclusivities than if they focus con full 3rd party exclusives. And looking at sales, the PR/marketing impact of both exclusivity types is pretty much the same, or maybe even the new strategy works best for them because they keep breaking related records.


Most top performing games in consoles, PC and mobile are GaaS, yes. And the majority of the game revenue comes from GaaS/add-ons and that percentage keeps growing. Plus the increasing budgets demand additional revenue source and to go GaaS did work for a lot of cases. This is the reason of why top publishers are betting harder on GaaS.

In the case of Sony, they did an extra GaaS push because compared to the other top publishers they had very little GaaS top success and they didn't want to keep outdated in a few years in the future once GaaS will almost completely dominate the AAA market.

Time to open your eyes and see Microsoft's end-game. But maybe you still think it's all just one big "thought experiment" :/

 

[Eternal_Wings]

For what it’s worth, and it’s not a lot, here’s what Jez had to say about ff7 remake coming to Xbox. Well at least for this tgs:

I told you guys it’s never coming to Xbox. If not now after 3 years then when? Simple it’s not hitting Xbox because Sony will acquire Square Enix as soon 2024 arrives. There is no doubt that Square Enix will be part of Sony in the future.



See what Kiryuu said. How in the world will Square Enix reach these ambitions without the backing of Sony?

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I told you guys it’s never coming to Xbox. If not now after 3 years then when? Simple it’s not hitting Xbox because Sony will acquire Square Enix as soon 2024 arrives. There is no doubt that Square Enix will be part of Sony in the future.



See what Kiryuu said. How in the world will Square Enix reach these ambitions without the backing of Sony?

For your sake I hope you're right, Eternal. Because the alternative would be a very bleak future for SE's long-term sustainability and prosperity (particularly creatively).

That said, I'm interested to see what IPs they bring back. Parasite Eve and Einhander need to be paramount on that list. Maybe Brave Fencer Musashi as well. I'd love if they could do a new Einhander like a semi open-world full-directional (left and right, up-and-down but in terms of elevation not direction) Souls-like shmup.

 

[Yurinka]

Time to open your eyes and see Microsoft's end-game. But maybe you still think it's all just one big "thought experiment" :/

It's a mail with "random thought" as subject (not something like "acquisitions strategy" or something like that) from 3 years ago.

Phil says "without that catalyst I don't see any angle to a near term mutually agreeable between Nintendo and MS and I don't think a hostile action would be a good move".

 

[On Demand]

For what it’s worth, and it’s not a lot, here’s what Jez had to say about ff7 remake coming to Xbox. Well at least for this tgs:

Lmao

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

It's a mail with "random thought" as subject (not something like "acquisitions strategy" or something like that) from 3 years ago.

Phil says "without that catalyst I don't see any angle to a near term mutually agreeable between Nintendo and MS and I don't think a hostile action would be a good move".

"Show us on the doll where you hid your MS shares".

Destabilizing an invested asset from within is literally Microsoft's MO for making certain key valued acquisitions. But, let's pretend just because the documents are from 3 years ago, they suddenly bear no relevance despite long-term for a company like Microsoft spanning 10+ years.

Talk about selective short attention span where it's convenient.

 

[historia]

Realisitcally I think Sony will buy maybe 5-10% percent of Square's shares and put them under an allience with CyberAgent and Kadokawa, leverage media presence is their card.

They don't need to copy the strat of the toxic guy, that could potentially hundred of billions yen down the drain. It would be great if they got Capcom and Koei Tecmo on board as well.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Realisitcally I think Sony will buy maybe 5-10% percent of Square's shares and put them under an allience with Cyberconnect and Kadokawa, leverage media presence is their card.

They don't need to copy the strat of the toxic guy, that could potentially hundred of billions yen down the drain. It would be great if they got Capcom and Koei Tecmo on board as well.

Sony will gain nothing of just buying shares. They did in the past and it didn’t hinder past Square CEOs to backstab Sony. If Sony wants any benefits then only a full acquisition will help them in the long-term. FFVII Rebirth caused so much hype which only Spiderman 2 succeeded to do so. Sony can’t afford not trying anything possible to acquire Square Enix. Square is a treasure drove which will bloom with Sony’s backing.

 

[historia]

Sony will gain nothing of just buying shares. They did in the past and it didn’t hinder past Square CEOs to backstab Sony. If Sony wants any benefits then only a full acquisition will help them in the long-term. FFVII Rebirth caused so much hype which only Spiderman 2 succeeded to do so. Sony can’t afford not trying anything possible to acquire Square Enix. Square is a treasure drove which will bloom with Sony’s backing.

I do think that is their game's plan in the long run, either that or Sony CEO said they gonna focus on acquiring IP. For now we don't know.

Either ways the pandora box are kinda of opened now, Japan is hard to crack opened by fogeirner firms so Sony should be more worry about Nintendo more honestly.

 

[ksdixon]

I told you guys it’s never coming to Xbox. If not now after 3 years then when? Simple it’s not hitting Xbox because Sony will acquire Square Enix as soon 2024 arrives. There is no doubt that Square Enix will be part of Sony in the future.



See what Kiryuu said. How in the world will Square Enix reach these ambitions without the backing of Sony?

Wtf at that goals tweet.

Did this guy become the new head honcho before or after Western SE got sold off? He should have kept hold of TR, LOK, Deus Ex, Hitman and IOI if he wanted to bring brand IPs back to prominence

 

[avenovah]

Next purchase will probably be Arrowhead after the release of Helldivers II. Who knows what the next step will be.

 

[Old Gamer]

It's a mail with "random thought" as subject (not something like "acquisitions strategy" or something like that) from 3 years ago.

Phil says "without that catalyst I don't see any angle to a near term mutually agreeable between Nintendo and MS and I don't think a hostile action would be a good move".

I'm sure Nazi concentration camps also started out as "random thoughts" at some point.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Told you no FF7R for Xbox.

 

[AshHunter216]

Told you no FF7R for Xbox.

Not sure why the forum was so freaked out. Xbox has traditionally never had huge bombs dropped at TGS. I doubt something like Octopath sells well on Xbox either.

 

[reziel]

Not sure why the forum was so freaked out. Xbox has traditionally never had huge bombs dropped at TGS. I doubt something like Octopath sells well on Xbox either.

That's why they originally didn't put it on there from what I understand. Plus they were fearing what SEGA did was going to happen. On a side note this comment from Spencer when he was talking really cracks me up. Xbox executives Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond talked about the importance of the Japanese market. "Japan will always have a special place in my heart for pioneering innovative ways to play, from the Game Boy, to PSP, to the Switch," Spencer said. Yet he works for the opposite company.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Not sure why the forum was so freaked out. Xbox has traditionally never had huge bombs dropped at TGS. I doubt something like Octopath sells well on Xbox either.

It’s because half of the forum follows Xbox clout chaser who riles people up with their deluded takes. I always said it, don’t pay attention to clout chasers like Astal, Idle Sloth etc.
Would explain why here a specific doom posting culture has developed…

 

[Johnic]

Told you no FF7R for Xbox.

Is the press conference over?

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Is the press conference over?

Yep
Also no Nihon Falcom games on Xbox just sayin

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

It’s because half of the forum follows Xbox clout chaser who riles people up with their deluded takes. I always said it, don’t pay attention to clout chasers like Astal, Idle Sloth etc.
Would explain why here a specific doom posting culture has developed…

FWIW, I don't follow those people. I may see a post of theirs pop up on Twitter but I don't engage with them at all. My speculation was mostly my own, and if anything it was Mascot Spencer constantly talking and promoting himself (and Xbox) combined with Sony's quietness in areas and seeing SE's market cap drop the way it did, that led me to speculate stuff like VII Remake on Xbox could've happened.

Now I don't 100% understand the seemingly 3-month exclusivity window for Rebirth and if Sony opted for that themselves or not (with privilege to extend), but I guess this does make it a lot less likely any of the FF VII Remakes will be on Xbox anytime soon or possibly even ever. And, considering Microsoft's long-term plans and seedy, outright anticompetitive (in quite a few) ways of wanting to accomplish them, I'm quite happy with that scenario.

Though, there's still a chance the games get ported to the Switch 2 ...