Microsoft buying EA? Or Others?

[Super Kami Dende]

The only downside would be:




Exactly.

[ati87]

I can see them acquiring some studios, but they aren't going to buy EA.

Something like 2/3 of EA's revenue this generation is on PS4. There is no way they would make up for that lost revenue... Obviously it would sell more Xbox consoles, but it isn't going to sell tens of millions more and make the games sell 200% more copies on Xbox/PC alone, which is how many more sales they would need on Xbox/PC to merely match their current revenue with multiplatform releases.

Ergo Microsoft would spend $20+ billion for a controlling stake in EA for the company to then lose most of its value since they would instantly cut off 2/3 of their current customers. And then it would take years of success after success for them to merely get back to where they already are in terms of value.

The only way this would work is if Microsoft was perfectly OK with EA losing hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars per year for years... And that doesn't make any business sense whatsoever. Not when they have other far more economical options when it comes to acquiring first party studios.

And your entire argument falls apart if the Microsoft developer would just keep on developing for everything....like with Minecraft.

Buying EA would give Microsoft a ton of developers which gives them options to, ''we want a new RPG lets ask Bioware to step in'' since Bioware is more than able to develop 2 games at the same time.

[Jtbrig7390]

Only if you worked at Valve I could take you seriously but alas, you don't. .

You do realize you can look up what I have said with a quick google search.

I get it you really want HL3 but sorry its not going to happen.

[ati87]

Only if you worked at Valve I could take you seriously but alas, you don't. Hence I chose to mock the shit out of it. Not sure how can you speculate about something and be convinced that it's true when it's just a speculation. Okay, maybe you'll find someone stupid enough who will nod with head and agree with what you say and that what you say is huge maybe or maybe not.

Valve lost all of it's writers....

Unless you are alt-righting this argument and start to claim ''well ofc they left after because they just finished Hall Life 3'' losing your main writer after 18 years is kind of a big thing.

[Yunru]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...es/1058718001/

Guess where EA is. (sadly not 1.st 2 times in row like in recent years)

[SoulForge]

If Microsoft buy Valve.........I'm done.

[Afrospinach]

Valve lost all of it's writers....

Unless you are alt-righting this argument and start to claim ''well ofc they left after because they just finished Hall Life 3'' losing your main writer after 18 years is kind of a big thing.

In addition to people actually leaving there have been very few positive noises regarding their development team and the internal culture floating around but how much can you trust them?

I don't want them to be sold, especially to Microsoft who have an almost intangibly astronomical stranglehold on the entire PC format. But like I said earlier to me it is absolutely not nonsensical at this point.

To the people earlier getting confused about private companies in this thread or the other one: When you own a private company you get to keep all your money. You don't answer to shareholders, YOU get the dividends because you own the company(duh). You don't get fired from your own company by a board of directors because you *are* the director. They don't oust you from the top spot with someone more competent etc, as often happens when you go public.

If I were to label private vs public companies to be greedy private would win by a country mile. Staying private isn't some sound ethical virtue in and of itself. The only good thing really is you don't have a bunch of silent clueless remote partners trying to dictate what you should be doing.

[Ehrenpanzer]

No, companies DO NOT spend 5%+ of their total net capitol to acquire a company their investors have no interest in.

Acquiring EA would be a $40+ billion purchase. It's not happening, MS investors would lose their fucking shit. The problem with your comparison is companies acquiring other companies in the same markets as them. MS investors want OUT of the video game business, not spending 5% of their entire companies net capitol to acquire a behemoth video game company.

It's not happening, and I'll knock it all I want. It's about as laughable as believing an Emily or Laura Kate Fail rumor.

1. You realize that 40B is chump change to an international juggernaut like MS right?
2. Sure, if they had someone like you trying to explain the purchase. Imagine MS being able to make virtually every sports game an Xbox exclusive, not to mention all the other franchise rights they would obtain by purchasing EA. Sony is literally shitting their pants over MS deciding to do this deal (if it were available)
3. Right.. I mean, what kind of moron would spend that kind of money to get a company with virtually exclusive sports rights, Star Wars rights, Command and Conquer, The Sims, Battlefield, Mass Effect, Titanfall etc... along with a company of having a track record of basically printing money... please tell me noone was stupid enough to put you in charge of anything important.....
4. That part is probably true. I mean, what incentive does EA ownership have to sell? The company is insanely profitable and will continue to be that way for decades to come.

[Tiwack]

Don't like commenting on speculation. Curious and slightly awestruck though. Wonder who'll get a golden shower.

[Afrospinach]

The company is insanely profitable and will continue to be that way for decades to come.

I think the most recent couple of years have been good, but iirc they have not been stellar this decade.

[segara82]

Gabe Newell wrote, and i quote, 'Not that I'm aware of.' when he was asked per email about an offer from MS.
It seems like Valve will not change owners in the near future.
(Unless you are paranoid and think GN is lying, that would make the whole debate moot.)

As for HL 3 or Episode 3: Not a shred of info for 10 years means IMO either deep hiatus or dead. Unless new infos surface i'll keep say 'dead'.

[Flarelaine]

Can't see problems with Microsoft acquiring EA. They may or may not use all those IPs EA holds hostage, but it would be hard for Microsoft to do worse than those dickbags.

[Afrospinach]

Can't see problems with Microsoft acquiring EA. They may or may not use all those IPs EA holds hostage, but it would be hard for Microsoft to do worse than those dickbags.

Well, they buy EA they probably get the people too.

[Highwhale]

Well if MS is really need those exclusive buying EA would be good choice.

Just imagine NFS / FIFA / Dead Space 4 / KOTOR 3 / Battlefield as Xbox exclusives.

[Jtbrig7390]

Well if MS is really need those exclusive buying EA would be good choice.

Just imagine NFS / FIFA / Dead Space 4 / KOTOR 3 / Battlefield as Xbox exclusives.

The sports games wouldn't be exclusive to Xbox, They sell extremely well on PS4 and Microsoft would not just leave that money on the table. I also wouldn't be surprised if they can't do to contract reasons.

The rest tho, Ya they could be exclusive to Xbox/PC. With the way things are at Microsoft/Xbox I honestly wouldn't be surprised if we see there games on Nintendo/Playstation platforms in the future.

[Highwhale]

The sports games wouldn't be exclusive to Xbox, They sell extremely well on PS4 and Microsoft would not just leave that money on the table. I also wouldn't be surprised if they can't do to contract reasons.

Yea agreed. They will do multiplatform and take their salaries.

It would be cool if MS buy EA and shut it down leaving only developers and its IPs. ROFL the karma.

Although many people disagree it would ok if MS buy also Valve. New L4D / Half Life / Team Fortress? Hell yea please.

[Tech614]

I also wouldn't be surprised if they can't do to contract reasons. .

With FIFA and Madden they definitely can't. With FIFA they are contractually obligated to put at least 1 FIFA on every platform possible(the reason the shit Switch port was rushed out the door). With Madden it's required to be a multiplatform title.

The NFL would be QUICK to pull the plug on the madden deal to if EA decided to leave 3+ mil PS4 sales off the table each year, and they wouldn't have any shortage of bidders for the contract between 2K and Konami either.

- - - Updated - - -

Yea agreed. They will do multiplatform and take their salaries.

It would be cool if MS buy EA and shut it down leaving only developers and its IPs. ROFL the karma.

Although many people disagree it would ok if MS buy also Valve. New L4D / Half Life / Team Fortress? Hell yea please.

Sorry, single player Half Life doesn't fit in the MS agenda of games as service only exclusives. You will have to settle for the other 2, and lots more CS and Dota.

[Jtbrig7390]

Although many people disagree it would ok if MS buy also Valve. New L4D / Half Life / Team Fortress? Hell yea please.

The only way we are getting an actual Single Player Half Life is if a company like Sony gets the IP. Microsoft,EA and even Valve give no shits about Single Player titles. They see games as a service and if they can't milk it they won't make it. At best you get a small budget spin-off like the portal game valve just released.

Half Life 3 isn't happening people need to accept that.

[Schattenlied]

Well, they buy EA they probably get the people too.

Yeah, but they'd be working under MS and have new shareholders to answer to... Based on Microsoft's previous game releases, they would be doing away with most if not all of EA's scummy business practices. They would be buying EA to get the developers and the IPs (like Battlefield, Dragonage, Mass Effect, C&C, etc), not to get the people making the business decisions, because MS would be the ones making the business decisions.

[Jtbrig7390]

Yeah, but they'd be working under MS and have new shareholders... Based on Microsfot's previous game releases, they would be doing away with most if not all of EA's scummy business practices. They would be buying EA to get the developers and the IPs (like Battlefield, Dragonage, Mass Effect, C&C, etc), not to get the people making the business decisions, because MS would be the ones making the business decisions.

Microsoft's business decision's isn't too far from EA's (looking at the cards in Gears 4 and Halo). They have yet to cross that p2w line unless u count PVE boosts as P2W.