Is Microsoft buying companies to kill gaming?

Think about it. They bought Rare almost 20 years ago and have done nothing with them or their IP. After 3 failed consoles out of 4 tries maybe they have finally changed their goal to kill gaming for everyone since they can't sell gamers on choosing the Xbox ecosystem over PS and Nintendo, and after both Sony and Nintendo refused to allow GP or XBL on their platforms.

There could be no other explanation for it considering that despite buying up so many studios and companies they still have no games releasing this year or next other than yet another Forza and Halo.

Well I obviously don't think that's the case. However, I do believe in a round about way you are actually on to something... That being that they are snapping up as much talent as possible to release Gamepass content and try to lower the bar a bit (which may actually not be such a bad thing since the industry has gotten away from itself a bit and disconnected with it's audience in many ways). Maybe not to mobile levels, but moving along that line. Cheaper game production with maximized profits while forcing the competition to spend more to compete. I don't like it (most of it that is), but it's brilliant business none the less. That said, I still love a lot that MS is doing with Xbox over the past few years, and I respect the hell out of them not releasing Halo in such a broken and incomplete form even though it was very important to them, I know they have some exciting things coming.

It's easy to say "I'll believe it when I see it" and while I agree what the hell are SONY doing right now? I've had a PS5 since launch and the games aren't there either. Sure, I knew that was the case from the beginning and it's nice to play my PS4 games at a higher framerate, faster loading times, and more stability, but is that really the reason anyone wants a PS5 or that it's in such high demand? I don't blame those that are planning to get into this gen halfway through one bit... not one single bit. At least by then there might be some games. Sure, there are games coming, but I can't help but feel as though SONY purposely led people to believe they had more games near launch and more coming soon after than they actually did. At some point all the games being pushed back by all parties being more common than not only goes to show it's nothing more than marketing and those were never the intended release dates to begin with. It's for pre-orders, hype, and overall sales.

I just hope MS properly fund the new games and don't send them to the sub mediocre graveyard as well. The ball is in MS's court and SONY and Nintendo know it. Sure the two of them are doing great for now but they know what MS is doing. I honestly hope that it doesn't work out as well as MS was planning. I mean, I am ok with with what they have done to this point but if they continue to be the Tencent of Western gaming things could get more expensive while getting cheaper products in a hurry. Competition is a good thing.... never forget that. I wish all three the best of luck and I really really really hope MS does things the right way and gives some of the companies they are buying the attention and resources they deserve. Time will tell, but for now the dark clouds on the horizon are staying at bay. I'll give MS the benefit of the doubt until they prove my suspicions right, and if that never comes to pass then that's all the better and does nothing but gains more respect. I've easily been more impressed with what MS is doing over the past few years than SONY... that much is for certain.

Nah. I don't believe that's true. Xbox has a decent following in the market and Microsoft loves gaming if that's what you want to know. Gaming is an integral part of Microsoft's income and they won't kill it and ruin the fun for you. Rest, you never know what may happen in the future.

These MS acquisition rumors got you sweatin' huh TC?

Microsoft's only aim is to grow gamepass it's the sole focus.

Look at the Sony fannies sweating.😂🤣

Dumb question. Nobody goes into business with the deliberate intention to fail - unless you're doing The Producers or Uwe Boll and trying to exploit a tax loophole, in which case Microsoft are not failing anywhere near hard enough to do so.

They just need to learn to loosen their grip on their studios a bit and listen to pitches for new ideas more. Their acquisition spree is purely for Game Pass stuffing, nothing more.

Rare made great games after being acquired by MS, it's just a shame nobody bought them.

They also made shit before (DK64) and after the acquisition (Nuts & bolts).

@Pedro: what’s Sony sweating about exactly?

Brilliant!

3 failed consoles? Is this kid serious?

As long as they make Sony's cult mad, I'm happy.

xbox got cows up at night.

dont count sheep,count xbox studios

HAH

The Elder Scrolls VI alone is gonna cause major damage to ponies everywhere.

There certainly not doing it to save it

Microsoft is trash and destroying everything they touch like hexxus in ferngully im sick of em

Yes if they don’t use the talent of developers and invest in new IPs, no if they use the talent and invest new IPs

@NathanDrakeSwag: Just buy a XSX already... we all know deep down you want one. Why else would you constantly bring up Xbox every chance you get?!

He'll do exactly what he did last gen: shill for Sony early on in the gen, then get a superior Series X and turn on his pony brothers again.

There are actually Cows who believe Playstation not having Elder Scrolls hurts Elder Scrolls more than it hurts Playstation, believe it or not, lol.

Skyrim was the 4th highest selling game on 360 and the 19th highest selling videogame of all time. It has outsold every GTA game except GTA5, and every Call of Duty game except 2019's Modern Warfare.

Just wait until that game's reveal and its marketing cycle is in full swing. If Cows dont think that game wont dominate the cultural zeitgeist in whatever year it come out.....well I'd direct them to click the front page of this website and tell me what the #1 most anticipated game is right now.

Lmao, that definitely looks likely.

No. MS does what it does so that people with mental illnesses self identify on boards like this. Think of it as an aid to the medical community so that people who need help can be easily identified.

I gotta admit, as a Sony fanny, i am sweating my balls off because of all the Microsoft acquisitions. Few minutes ago, my best friend on the forum, @phlop_spencer even sent me a private message telling me how worried he was for the future of our favorite brand, Sony. All in all, the next few years are very worrisome, but if MS does acquire everything, i will simply come on System Wars and let everyone know that i never liked their games anyway, and that's that.

MS is rich, but not rich enough to kill gaming lol

Keep it up and we finally have some competition for cup or may be not. His style is after all very subtle. Nevertheless, the more the merrier.

Straight fanboy bait thread.

@NathanDrakeSwag: You could have picked a better day for your tired old “no games” nonsense than the same day ms announcing 31 console exclusives for this year.

Still, you do you like no one else does.

@ProtossRushX: “ im sick of em”

We noticed. It makes us smile.

In Phil Spencer's mind, the game plan may have been to sink gaming by forcing content into Game Pass to drive competition out. It would be billions well spent, and when publishers are forced to submit, MS would pick through the ashes and gaming would be theirs alone...

... and then COVID happened.

Now MS is in a position where they can't get Xboxes out, the Series S is a terrible value and delays are going to hobble the industry for the next few years. MS is trying to buy whoever is furthest along in development on current projects in a desperate rush to have anything to themselves. Xbox continues to be a money pit.

I’m going to go with a big old, “Nope”. 😅

sure

No. More healthy than Sony or EA buying them, that's for sure.

Look who is the first to talk about Phil. 😂 The obsession is so darn predictable.🤣

Its only January and we already have a contender for worst thread of the year 🤣🤣🤣

@NathanDrakeSwag: No, you're thinking of EA and Activision.

I haven't been a Playstation fan since the PS2. With the loss of a lot of fantastic PS1 IPs and bland lineup by comparison and Xbox absolutely innovating when it comes to online gaming, I had no issue going exclusively Xbox for the generation that followed. Unfortunately Xbox's second generation was as lackluster for me as Sony's second gen and here I am on PC.

But, It would be nice if Microsoft actually did something with Rare. The remasters of the Banjo titles and Perfect Dark for XBLA was exactly the kind of remasters I wanted to see more of. Doing the same thing with Conker, the N64 version with higher resolution, wide screen, higher frame rate, and modern controls would have been amazing. They haven't really done anything with any of those IPs that has been any good, and that seems to be the problem. They tried a new Banjo and a new Perfect Dark since the acquisition and fucked up both. They have the IPs, but seem to have lost the talent.

Microsoft's and Sony's acquisitions are only helping them, ultimately these provide zero advantage to us the consumers and I seriously question the sanity and IQ of anyone cheerleading those acquisitions*.

*with very exceptions like reviving old IPs or a studio that is doing very bad financially and would depend on the acquisition for its survival.

What are they killing, besides competition?

@NathanDrakeSwag: Wow want a fanboy you are and what a thread you have created definitely up for shitposter of year I think

"Is Microsoft buying companies to kill gaming?"

Only if you believe MS is run by interdimensional reptilian shapeshifters.